Examination of Toronto's oldest surviving toilet

TORONTO, ON- MARCH 10 - The bowl sits on the floor with the carved seat with the larger lid/bench behind it with a circle carved out for the plunger mechanism. Examination of Toronto's oldest surviving toilet offers a rare glimpse into how it worked. Toronto's first surveyor, John Howard, loved gadgets and had this one installed in his home, Colborne Lodge in what would become High Park. The toilet is a pan toilet, a copper pan (the bottom has fallen out) catches the poop and a lever is pulled up dipping the waste out of the pan. The lever also pulls a wire that released water from a cystern somewhere in the house. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)