Back in 1909 the “Cyclopedia of Heating, Plumbing and Sanitation,” no doubt enthralled readers with the plumbing marvels of the day. Just below is a marble sink from those days, complete with a sizeable marble backsplash and exposed piping. Right beside it is a typical marble sink circa. 2009.

In 1909 “shower baths” were becoming more popular in dwellings. According to the “Cyclopedia,” people thought the shower had therapeutic effects because the “actions of the jets or streams on the surface of the body, urge very strongly that the impact results in stimulating the proper action of the skin.” At least that was the opinion of those who had “experienced the apparatus.” Below you can see the ultimate 1909 combination shower bath complete with tubular rain shower, douche, needle and liver spray, bath and bidet and an elaborate header and mixing chamber. Those were the days-when all the plumbing was exposed, so the workmanship could be admired. Beside it is a 2009 jetted steam shower.

The pictures here from 1909 are part of Google’s efforts to bring public domain materials into the digital age. Of course it’s controversial. What isn’t, in these days of fear of material loss, hurt feelings and little tolerance for things that are different. But of course, just like the 1909 combination shower bath, these things disppear, only to be reborn in some other form.

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