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A watercloset could be almost square in shape with a rim that does not protrude beyond the outside walls of the bowl
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Or the toilet could be almost straight on the outside with a large rim that has a larger diameter than the body of the bowl.
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This loos from British pottery Shanks had an octagonal pedestal base with a round bowl which was usually decorated in different color transfer patterns. It was a very popular model of its time.
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The Dolphin wash-out toilet was one of the very first and most successful ceramic toilets. It was first exhibited at the Philadelphia World's Fair of 1876. The design was probably inspired from statuary elements used in fountains across Europe. The fluted bowl and rim is a design element that was repeated by other art manufacturers into the 1920's but the bowl being set towards the back of the toilet would seem to be impractical for any residence with a lot of men around.
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As the modern siphonic toilet replaced the washdowns and washouts, the shape of the toilet from manufacturer to manufacturer was more consistent and more similar to the toilet of the twenty-first century. Still there was room for variation to distinguish designs.
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Some toilets were made with a wide bowl and rim placed on a round pedestal, such as this toilet made by an American manufacturer, Louis Lipp.
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Other toilets were made with a narrow rectangular base, such as this toilet made by a Baltimore pottery, Henry McShane. It was a common shape used by other manufacturers including Wolff of Chicago. In fact, this shape must have been considered an essence of the era, because it was used by several modern manufacturers,such as Barclay, as reproduction "classic". However, none of the manufacturers reproduced the embossments so it is not very authentic.
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Maybe the most radical shape ever attempted was the "Tioga" by L Wolff of Chicago. The rim of the bowl was square which would seem to be very difficult to manufacture.
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