Antique Allen Sanitary Fountain & Portable Bath Oddity

A wonderfully unusual piece of early American domestic history, this metal reservoir was part of the Allen Portable Bath Apparatus manufactured by the Allen Manufacturing Co. of Toledo, Ohio. Marketed in the early 20th century as a practical way to bring bathing facilities into homes without conventional bathrooms, the Allen system was designed to provide a bath using a remarkably small quantity of water. Period advertising enthusiastically promoted the invention as a way to give virtually any household its own bathroom.

The tall metal tank retains its wonderfully graphic original “Allen’s Sanitary Fountain” label, along with an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union label, hanging handle, and lower outlet spout. Its richly oxidized surface, worn graphics, and utilitarian construction give it exceptional character.

Circa 1900-1925. Decorative Use Only.

Today it makes a fascinating piece of early advertising and industrial décor — equally compelling displayed on a shelf, mounted on a wall, or incorporated into a collection of primitive and utilitarian objects.