Ann Arbor Utility Boxes are often Decorated!
I’m amused by the vast number of different decorations on utility boxes worldwide, often shared at Sami’s Monday Mural blog event. Here in Ann Arbor, we have them too! Here is one that Sami shared last week:
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| Sami found this in the city of Aveiro in Portugal. |
Now, an Additional Street Art Proposal in Ann Arbor
I read that the City Fathers (or someone else, maybe the City Mothers? City Kids?) has a proposal or at least made a glimmer of a suggestion to install port-a-potties in town and have them decorated — another kind of street art. This would be in keeping with lots of local civic projects. What would such installations look like? I searched the web to find some examples.
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| Will we. have Christmas lights on our street comfort stations? (source) |
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| This ad offers decorated port-a-potties for rent. (source) |
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| Port-a-Potty Decoration Contest Winners from Alaska (source) |
From Another Era
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| Paris, 1875. Architecturally designed public restrooms (for men only) were part of modernization. Many designs were released, beginning in the mid-19th century. A few public restrooms for women finally appeared at the end of that century. (source) |
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| Paris, 1865: one of the earliest designs for the street convenience called a Vespatienne — or pissoir. By 2017, modern public toilets replaced all but one of this embarrassing type of facility. (source) A single example of the open-air style of pissoir still exists in the 14th Arrondissement. While the iron-work was sometimes interesting, the design is no longer socially acceptable. |
Blog post © 2023 mae sander
Photos as credited
11 comments:
Great post on the street art. I like the painted utility boxes.
The port-a-potty from the Alaska contest are fun.
Take care, have a great day and a wonderful week.
Some of our utility boxes are also painted, I really like the idea of that as it gives us all something interesting to look at while hiding ugly structures.
Sometimes I think we just need a change to see things anew. Remember when ductwork was considered ugly and covered up with floating ceiling tiles? And then we removed the "ugly" floating ceiling tiles and painted the ductwork black, and suddenly it was cool again?
I enjoy the painted utility boxes -- and the opportunity they provide to support local artists -- but I wonder whether some years hence we may crave a calmer, quieter cityscape.
As for the port-a-potties: I definitely appreciate their utility, but I am amused by the idea of decorating them, even though some of the examples you shared are quite charming. Personally, I'd prefer to have more money go into keeping them clean and stench-free. Or, do as the Parisians were doing back in the early 1980s with their modernized pissoirs: douse the entire unit in disinfectant whenever anyone finishes using one.
En fait le terme exact utilisé est plutôt "pissotière" que pissoir. La dernière qui existe à Paris est toute petite et se trouve au pied de la prison de la santé sur le boulevard Arago
Fun post, Mae. The utity boxes here in our little town have all been decorated 'officially' by various schools, which I like. There are wonderful old,public toilets in London. Some are still in use today! Have a great, new, week, Valerie
I usually enjoy the creativity of street art and Seattle and my town of Kent have lots examples of painted utility boxes as well. We also have a great mural project across the back of buildings that face a portion of the light rail tracks. Thanks for the visit Mae. Have a terrific week.
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
A century is a long time to wait to use the bathroom! Am I right ladies? Lol Aloha
Wonderful to see such colorful street art
Strange those public - free - toilets are for men only everywhere!
We have two here also. One original and one rebuild in the original style from back then. Just for men.
I more than once went home early cause I had a lot of tea and found no public toilet (it´s a 20 minutes walk home).
Your utility boxes look very nice. I like the idea of decorated port-a-potties. Not something I use as I find they always stink!
Thanks for participating in Monday Murals Mae.
I was quite sure I had left you a comment yesterday, but it appears I didn't. I was so excited to tell you I got an envelope from you and will open it during T Tuesday today.
Those port-a-potties are amazing, especially the ones in Alaska. LOVED the last image. So glad that we don't have to see and smell those anymore.
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