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A rare example of the world’s first flushing toilet, which was salvaged from a ship that sank off the coast of Jersey in the 1800s, has today been dusted off and unveiled for the first time in years... and islanders won't need to 'spend a penny' to see it.
The cistern is one of a number of kooky historic finds being put on display today (Saturday 29 February) from 10:00 at the Sir Francis Cook Gallery in Trinity as part of Jersey Heritage’s free ‘Meet the Collections’ series.
Today’s theme is ‘quirky’, and Jersey Heritage is promising a series of weird and wonderful objects ranging from sandcastles to toys and surrealist photographs.
Pictured: A sandcastle will be among the exhibits.
But, if there’s one object likely to leave visitors flush-tered, it’s the curious golden loo.
Conservators told Express: The toilet comes from the shipwreck of the Paris, a steamship that sank off Jersey in 1862. The only other ship’s toilet of this period comes from an American warship dating from their civil war a couple of years later.
“Apparently, the American one was being put forward as the first flushing toilet on a ship, however, ours pre-dates it.”
Pictured: The Meet the Collections event will be taking place at the Sir Francis Cook Gallery in Trinity.
Islanders will be able to see the bog from a bygone era until 14:00.
Attendees are welcome to park next door to the gallery at the Blacksmiths Arms pub.
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