About the exhibit

Expose Yourself to History!

It’s a look at “the history of going at sea,” in a time before flushing toilets – and even toilet paper. The exhibition is comprised of text panels shown exclusively – and appropriately – in the public restrooms of The Mariners’ Museum

The exhibition features a series of four panels exploring some aspect of making do at sea. The panels draw heavily on the art of Walt Taylor, political cartoonist for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

Topics include why the facilities – or lack thereof – were called “the head,”; the wisdom of keeping tabs on wind direction, and how sailors improvised before toilet paper.