Patenting the Pissoir: Queer Bodies and Proprietary Technologies

The following is a reflection on the work of our late friend, Chris Chitty, a radical thinker, dedicated activist, and insightful scholar. Chris was a queer Marxist whose writings explored the intersections of sexuality and capitalism. His fearless and provocative ideas left a profound impact, although much of his work remains unpublished.

In 1731, Paris pioneered a significant public health innovation by installing the first standardized public urinals along its bustling streets. These urinals, known as “Rambuteau columns” after the civil engineer Comte de Rambuteau, were towering phallic structures that stood 12 feet tall, featuring a cylindrical design with a rounded top, reminiscent of male anatomy. These installations were meant to address the city’s sanitation issues, providing a designated space for men to relieve themselves.

However, despite these efforts, Parisian men continued to urinate freely in public spaces, causing outrage among the bourgeoisie. The *Gazette Municipale* reported in 1843 that public decency was under threat as women and children were frequently exposed to men relieving themselves openly. Even when the Rambuteau columns were used, their design still allowed passersby, particularly women, to catch glimpses of male genitals, leading to demands for additional partitions to shield these activities from view.

These early urinals, while innovative, were rudimentary at best. They were little more than iron slabs with no proper drainage, often resulting in unsanitary conditions. Across Europe, similar structures were erected, yet they were far from ideal. In London, for example, James Wright’s *Plumbing Practice* of 1891 describes the foul stench and the unsightly graffiti that plagued these public conveniences, making them a nuisance rather than a solution.

This struggle between public decency and sanitary convenience highlights the complex social dynamics of the time. Middle-class women, in particular, pushed for the containment of male urination within enclosed structures, seeking to extend domestic norms of propriety into public spaces. However, these enclosed spaces inadvertently became sites of eroticism, where men engaged in cruising, loitering, and even sexual activity. These “temples of urethral eroticism” became focal points of the psychosexual tensions between different social classes and genders.

The evolution of urinal design reflects broader societal changes. As the 19th century progressed, public spaces became increasingly feminized, and the design of urinals shifted from open troughs to partitioned spaces with enameled basins and drainage systems. George Jennings, a key figure in this evolution, introduced “Monkey Closets” at the Crystal Palace during the 1851 World’s Fair, setting a new standard for public sanitation. His designs were widely adopted, marking a shift towards more private, individualized spaces for men to relieve themselves.

This shift coincided with the medicalization of homosexuality in Europe, as well as the growing influence of middle-class women in public life. The architectural changes in urinal design, from communal to individualized spaces, mirrored the anxieties of the time, particularly around same-sex activity. The privatization of urination, and the subsequent anxiety it generated, is evident in the design and marketing of these urinals.

Chris Chitty’s exploration of these themes raises important questions about the intersection of sexuality, public space, and technology. The proprietary technologies of urinals, while intended to address sanitation issues, also facilitated new forms of sexual expression and social control. The imagery and design of these early urinals, as seen in George Jennings’ patent book, reflect the complex and often contradictory sexual politics of the time.

In examining these historical artifacts, we must consider the ways in which they were appreciated, both consciously and unconsciously, by contemporary audiences. The homoerotic content of these images, whether intentional or not, adds another layer to our understanding of the social history of urinals and their place in the urban landscape.

Ultimately, Chris Chitty’s work invites us to rethink the relationship between queer bodies, public space, and technology, challenging us to consider how these dynamics continue to shape our world today.