The Vanishing American Outhouse [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ Ronald Barlow (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

More low-brow folk humor than serious examination of the crescent-mooned outdoor facilities that were indispensable for centuries, this heavily illustrated and anecdotal miscellany of illustrations, jokes, stories, cartoons, plans, and lavatorial lore will be more at home on the shelves of hillbilly tourist shops than libraries. Twenty-five short, disjointed sections are followed by a two-page bibliography of similar popular titles. Reprints of three historic government pamphlets on outhouse construction take up the last third of the work. Captions are frequently scatological; a photo of an old double decker with "Faculty" above and "Students" below may resonate with academics. The book was first self-published in 1992, and Viking has done little in the way of revision. A more presentable and informative guide is Dottie Booth's Nature Calls (Ten Speed, 1998).
-Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

An irresistibly illustrated treasure of Americana no one can afford to be without

The universal appeal of The Vanishing American Outhouse hardly needs stating. Privately published, its single-copy sales through word of mouth have reached 50,000 and garnered rave reviews in periodicals ranging from The Old-House Journal to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.

This history of this "necessary house," an endangered species, addresses every aspect of its development and nature as a fundamental of folk architecture. Rich in technical detail (including blueprints for building your own outhouse, should the need arise), it ranges from the most rudimentary wooden structure to a turreted wonder with multiple doors. Brimming with amusing anecdotes, traditional verses, and rare postcards, a superlative gift or coffee-table item, The Vanishing American Outhouse is destined for pride of place on the bathroom bookshelf.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Studio; illustrated edition edition (April 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140288686
• ISBN-13: 978-0140288681
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,144,668 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique, fun guide., July 3, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Privy plans, photos, poetry and folklore are collected in The Vanishing American Outhouse, an intriguing memoir of an early American fixture, the outhouse. Many photos are in full color and accompanying details cover construction, changes in design and features, and still-standing antiques around the country. A unique, fun guide.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Bathroom Reading, May 21, 2000

By A Customer

No, seriously. Very humerous, very cute book. Great for history buffs. Makes at great gift, I enjoyed it immensely.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, July 28, 2007

By	Max (USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book when it came out as a gift for my father's birthday, he always talked about the outhouse outside his school, from when he was growing up.

The book is humorous, but also a very interesting, and a touching look back at a different time in our history. My father got a kick out of it, but really, everybody that picked it up to thumb through it, couldn't put it down.