Special exhibition to mark 100th anniversary of the death of Thomas Crapper August 8, 2010

We take the modern toilet for granted, but on the 100th anniversary of the death of master plumber Thomas Crapper, the Rural Life Centre in Surrey pays tribute with a special exhibition

Visitors to the Rural Life Centre in the Surrey Hills at Tilford begin their tour of the wooded grounds at the Prefab. This humble building is typical of many thousands of rapidly erected homes for returning servicemen and their families after the Second World War.

For many country people the Prefab represented their first experience of modern conveniences such as an indoor toilet. This one has been authentically furnished and equipped as a typical home of the period and it’s not unusual to hear older visitors exclaim: “I had a cooker just like that one!” or “Mother’s old bathroom looked just like this.”

In fact, bathrooms and plumbing are the theme of a special exhibition entitled ‘Thunder, Flush & Thomas Crapper’ (8 August – 24 October) being mounted by the museum this summer. The exhibition celebrates the life and work of Thomas Crapper who promoted sanitary fittings to sceptical Victorians, whose products were supplied to Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, and who died 100 years ago this year.

Many vanished rural trades are represented by displays at the museum, but the plumbing artefacts are being specially refurbished and will be joined by several rare examples of antique baths and ‘thunderboxes’ from Miscellanea, a local firm who are sponsoring the exhibition. Miscellanea specialises in discontinued sanitary ware, with acres of fittings in nearby Churt – their website is www.brokenbog.com!

Official Website: http://www.rurallife.plus.com/rlc/page9.html