The Inside Poop

“Sir” Thomas Crapper (1836 – 1910) did not really invent the original flush toilet.  Nor did the phrases ‘crap’ or ‘crapper’ first appear as a result of his inventions.  They preceded his birth by at least fifty years.  And while Thomas Crapper was a real person, a master plumber, and the owner of a plumbing company in nineteenth century England, much of the history that has been quoted about him over the past forty years is largely fictional.  Why?  Because….

In 1969 a satirist named Wallace Reyburn published a book entitled “Flushed with Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper.”  Ostensibly a biography of Thomas Crapper, this book was really meant as a humorous and mostly mythical presentation of the man’s life and influence.  It was filled with wild claims and strange imaginings that bore no relation to the truth.  Wallace Reyburn also wrote another books entitled “Bust-Up: The Uplifting Tale of Otto Titzling and the Development of the Bra.”  These were satirical works filled with puns and double entendres, and they were written with a farcical tone.  Much of the fiction, however, became fact in the public’s eye,  and “Sir” Thomas Crapper was mistakenly given credit for some of the greatest plumbing advances of the age.

Now for the real story.  Sir Thomas Crapper did in fact own a plumbing company outside London, and he developed numerous minor patents associated with  plumbing devices.  None, however, were actually associated with the flush toilet itself.  Crapper was something of a showman and a clever businessman, and he aggressively promoted the concept of sanitary plumbing.  He was among the first to have a showroom of bathroom fixtures, and as a result he received several commissions or warrants from the royal family in the 1880’s.   For example, his company installed the sinks and lavatories for Edward and George V, both when they were the Prince of Wales.  Contrary to popular belief, however, he never received a “knighthood,” and he was little known during his life.  He should be remembered as a purveyor of plumbing products, a talented marketing man, and a master craftsman, but not as an influential inventor.

Finally there is another legend that many U.S. soldiers stationed in England during World War I encountered toilets with the “Crapper” name and symbol on them.  This was the first introduction to toilets for many of these doughboys, and the soldiers brought the word “Crapper” back to the states as a synonym for toilet.  While the words ‘crap’ and ‘crapper’ certainly pre-date Thomas Crapper’s birth, they were not common in America until after the war.  As a result, it may be fair to say that Thomas Crapper not only improved plumbing and sanitation in his age, but he also added to the American lexicon in ours.