Back in the 40s and 50s, the luxury of having indoor plumbing was truly a thing to celebrate — and not unlike today, people enjoyed their toilet humor. Today’s awesome example: This vintage toilet seat artfully painted with primping french poodles and humorous messages for the ladies and the gents. There’s even a name, Dear John Hollywood, with a copyright — maybe there are more of these out there, manufactured in some volume? Oui Oui Madame!
Listing ends today
Spotted by reader Chicago Char (thank you, Char!), this vintage poodle toilet seat is for sale RIGHT NOW on ebay. *affiliate link*) But, if you *neeeeed* this vintage treasure, you better get moving, the auction ends today, and there are bidders.
- Hey, while you’re there, check out Pam’s list of fun finds, curated from her list of 200 saved searches checked daily.
This vintage toilet seat is absolutely hilarious in the most polite of ways — with the top of the seat asking ladies to be seated atop the painted poodle profiles, dainty bows and a striped fire hydrant…
And when raised for the gents, the bottom of the seat exclaims “Oo, La La Papa” — interpretation of which can be left to the imagination.
This toilet seat was undoubtably created for use in a vintage pink bathroom — one with an owner who didn’t take life too seriously — and one in which the throne is what makes it so wonderful.
Update: Mega thanks to reader Erik for spotting this link to an advertisement for Dear John toilet seat decals from a 1954 issue of Popular Science magazine on the blog Modern Mechanix. Looks like there were more of these folks — keep your eyes peeled!
jim says
“Back in the 40s and 50s, the luxury of having indoor plumbing was truly a thing to celebrate”
Kate, exactly how old are you? My city family has had indoor plumbing since at least the 20’s. Even on our farm they had indoor toilets by the 30’s.
Now poodle toilet seats, that’s an entirely different kettle of fish!
pam kueber says
My relatives all did not get indoor plumbing until well into the 50s.
Angie says
Agreed
. For indoor plumbing it really depended on where you were located geographically. Some areas just didn’t advance as quickly as others. I suspect there are still places in my home county that still do not have indoor plumbing.
Rick S says
Pam,
I was born in 1960 and remember using the outhouse at my Dad’s parents house on the farm, in rural Wisconsin. It was only when they moved to a different farm did the house have an “indoor” bathroom. My mom’s parents had one indoor bathroom at the time but the outhouse was still in use too.
Electricity & indoor plumbing were much less common once you got out of town.
rick
Jay says
The key phrase as you said is “city”. Geography played a big part. The deep south and apalachian areas had neither electricity nor indoor plumbing unless you were in a very large town or city. WWII changed the dynamics, after which much needed new housing, road and infrastructure construction took place.
Jen says
Now that’s a real treat! I’d definitely fall into a fit of the giggles seeing it somewhere, but that’s a reason to get it, definitely. 😉 What a find, it’s so much fun!
Karin Jeffrey says
Oh no! Oh yes! This is so hilarious. It is polarizing-you either love it or hate it. I love it, especially the poodle’s can-can dancer corset with cone bra. I chuckled at the sheer wackiness of it, with every surface covered with weirdness. Thank you, it made my day.
lynda says
Maybe someone could find a white wooden NEW toilet seat and reproduce this look? It is sort of cute. I found some wooden seats with a quick check on Amazon. Someone should do this and show us their talent! I found quite a few poodle decals too.
retro says
I’ve been drooling over a glitter toilet seat on ebay for awhile now. It’s in the UK, so shipping would kill me. The acrylic seats are heavy! But, this is so much more simple! A few decals, a couple of coats of acrylic over the top … Wha la! Look out – fishy toilet seat here I come!
pam kueber says
Yes…. maybe look for vintage Meyercords on ebay and etsy? Oopsy, I feel a Katiedoodle retro-crafty assignment coming on! Spray lacquer over the decal once it’s on…
cathie says
I love almost everything profiled on your site, but have to draw the line at an old toilet seat. Big, big yuck! The only place it should go is the garbage.
Roundhouse Sarah says
That’s silly…. It’s a hard surface like any other. Get our your anti bacterial spray and you’re good to go…
Jay says
Yes, I tend to agree, I see it as an old t-seat I want no part of and wonder why on earth someone would sell it. But on the other hand, it’s evocative of the time period when poodle decor in the loo was all the rage and after seeing the link to the decals I am sure many RR folks will attempt their own seat embellishment – Kate is up to the challenge.
Chicago Char says
I thought that too when I first saw the poodle lid and seat but then I realized once any toilet seat is out of a package and used then it becomes a used closed toilet seat.
I also figured that this likely was used less than any public restroom open toilet seat and is better than any soft closed toilet seat. Perhaps having its design actually discouraged sloppiness. At any rate I am always delighted to discover and share something I’d never seen before!
Sylvia O'Stayformore says
I remember the basement bathroom in Grandma’s House all Black and pink tile had whole set of bathroom accessories in this theme. She had the Kleenex holder, extra toilet tissue holder, scrubber for the toilet bowl and even a guest soap holder in black metal design. If I remember correctly I think even the wallpaper had a French poodle theme. But she did not have this!
Donna Benton says
My neighbors gave me a set with a pink garbage pail, which holds 6 rolls of TP; and the bowl cleaner, I found a black tissue paper holder last year. Now if I can find the soap holder. I have a black and while, Parti Poodle. Thank you for Sharing.
Erik says
See this advertisement from a 1954 issue of Modern Mechanix:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/dear-john-toilet-seat/
Kate says
Awesome Erik! Thanks so much for sharing that link!
pam kueber says
Oh my gosh — FANTASTIC! Thank you!
Steve H says
That’s amazing! Now I’m extremely curious to know what the other designs looked like (although the Circus theme makes me a little uneasy. I have a mental image of a huge grinning clown head).
Geronimom says
Whoa! For THAT I might consider switching from Florida kitsch to poodles! 😉 Mega cool!
Rickie says
This would be perfect in my pink poodle bathroom. I’ve never seen one of these before and believe me, I’ve done a lot of searching and digging through many junk and antique stores. I love it!!!