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July 1935. "Negro slum privy, Washington, D.C. Within a few hundred yards of the new House Office Building is a row of these unkempt privies." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
According to David Brinkley's memoir of the time, Washington Goes to War, there were about 15,000 such outdoor privies in DC when WW II started.
It is amazing what we take for granted. Now I feel bad because I'm always complaining that we only have one bathroom in our house. At least it IS an indoor bathroom and I only have to share it with my husband. Thank you Shorpy for putting things into perspective for me!
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