Exceptionally Rare!: 1900's Shanks Patent 'Compactum' w/ 1950's LL Fordham Enamelled Steel Cistern
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Well where to begin...this has to be one of my best finds this year! Found in a museum where it has been kept almost exactly as it was in Victorian/Edwardian times, including this toilet, which sadly is a rare thing nowadays, with the toilets for public use often modernised and spoilt.
We have an immensely rare Shanks Patent 'Compactum' Combination washdown pan from the early 1900's, one of the first washdown pans specifically designed for low level use (Hence the use of 'Combination' in its name) and were usually supplied with lead lined cisterns fully encased in wood to make it look close-coupled.
Sadly the original cistern has long since been replaced, albeit with a great 1950's Fordham Pressings Ltd enamelled steel cistern, complete with its original syphon and handle! The part 1 ballcock is a newer replacement but still gives a great refill.
The flush on this is great, very efficient and quiet. Even though on the face of it it seems weak, and I was expecting it to leave some paper behind due to the large water area and trapway, but it did perfectly! Suppose it serves me right for doubting the ingenuity of Shanks & Co. back in the day, as a good flushing low level 2gal washdown was almost unheard of at the time. If only more very old toilets like this survived! I'm unsure of the brand of the old basin but I assume its a matching Shanks, despite the old Stock Sons & Taylor tap. I've included a paper flush, cistern view & refill all in this video too, so enjoy!
Holy hell that’s some find there!!! So happy to see that people who’s serviced this did it right, keeping a brass part 1 in there. And as for the massive trap way, that way it’s always going to perform well, I can’t imagine this beast ever clogged once.
The trapway on this toilet is very big compared to other toilets!
Antique fixtures. Ultra rare!
Thank you :) they really are! was a pleasure to find
Bloody gorgeous! Amazing pan and amazing cistern as well!
cheers it deffo was one of my best finds of 2022
Oh wow!!! What a find! Never heard of a shanks compactum before but it’s brilliant! Lovely cistern too! Back when even replacement cisterns were good, something that needs to return pretty damn quick.
Thanks :) they really are brilliant
Incredible find here, replacement cistern but even that's ancient now (but that's what we like). Very original setting aswell
It really is something when a replacement cistern is still v old and cool haha
@@TwyfordsLad Absolutely!
I agree with you here 100%
I'd love to see many more of these, simply splendid. I love these wooden throne seats. Great find and thanks for sharing it with the rest of us. The cistern reminds me a little of the toilets that were at my school in the 1970's, but I I'm sure this is older.
So would I, but sadly it is getting near impossible to find things like this. and thanks :)
@@TwyfordsLad I'm definitely sure I'll return to view this one a few more times again. I saw a floral one much like this complete with the same type of wooden seat a number of years ago at an old people's home which I had the privilege of using a few times, would you believe it they ripped it out and put a modern two button in it's place. I was really upset about that. Thanks for your reply BTW!
@@GI4JYT Nothing surprises me with people anymore, it should be a crime to replace something so old and rare
@@TwyfordsLad Absolutely! Especially when that replacement is a short distance from not functioning too good. However it is the appeal of this particular toilet that made me stop and view it, and then again to view again a few times more. I take it that this loo was available to use?
@@GI4JYT I'm glad you're enjoying it :) and yes, completely available to use for the public (as long as you pay admission to the museum of course)
Only 2 gallons per flush? It's really water saving, considering how old is that small cistern.
Yep those Fordham’s generally only used 2gals
Great! American 50s toilets use at least 5 gallons, sometimes even more. They are generally powerful and hard to clog, but use a lot of water.
@@aldoayhoniz190 the thing is though, you can give a toilet like this 10 gallons and it still won’t take down floaty things. An American toilet (as long as not a lowboy) will do it with 5 gallons.
Exactly what I encountered today. A silly modern WC with an old washbasin for the visitors gents. :( Luckily wasn't the same in the ladies eq (which I knew about and was photographed).
Anyway, what an epic find! I remember being shown this by Idealshanks when I saw him. Thanks for getting a cistern view too!
Yep seems to be my luck recently that, it's infuriating. And thanks, it was really great to see such an old example still installed and in regular use
@@TwyfordsLad Are some of these "new" wcs quite recent, the one I found was seemingly done in lockdown >:( LL replacement though, but bloody pain. The house was a mix of "essential replacements" and originals anyway
@@dauntless486 some yes some not so recent but still crap. In a cubicle next to this was a Lecico with a fake old style LL cistern
@@TwyfordsLad Sigh, well at least they retained this beauty
Amazing pan. I found one from 1904 in a National Trust house once, they perform very well. Had a HLTP lead lined cistern with the chain going through the bottom, original I believe.
Yeah I remember that one :) I’d deffo say the cistern was original
@@TwyfordsLad That place also had a 1904 "Remirol" low level which was apparently designed specifically for that house (the architect was Robert Lorimer, which is Remirol backwards). Sadly it wasn't in use but definitely a cool piece of history.
@@twatwithacamera That is correct, he got Shanks to design it with the sloping rim as it was thought to be healthier