Description:
On a sidewalk in the foreground, on an overcast day, we see a
modern-looking structure of about three metres in height. The
structure is roughly oval in footprint when seen from above, like a rather
short Twinkie. The structure is colored in shades of gray, mostly dark,
with a lighter gray at one end that clearly appears to be an access hatch or
mechanical bay of some type that can be opened when needed. On the side of
the oval facing us, we see a frosted window, underneath which is a silver
control panel that includes a coin slot at the top, a large button for
returning coins near the middle, a small window with a colored indicator
showing the status of the Sanisette on the right, and a coin return slot at
the bottom, as well as two small panels providing instructions, (unreadable
at this distance). At the left side of the Sanisette, covering about half of
the rounded end of the structure and extending to within about 40
centimetres of the top, there is a recessed, sliding, silver
metal door with a frosted window at the top and no handle. It is marked
"Toilettes" and shows the international symbol for toilets (a man and a
woman standing together). On the roof of the Sanisette and slightly to the
right, there is a vertical, oval-shaped sign facing right and left with the
word "Toilettes" on it and an illuminated international symbol that changes
color depending on the status of the Sanisette (available, in use, or out of
order). The entire Sanisette enclosure, except for the door, control panel,
and windows, has a coarse, vertically-ribbed surface, like the front of an
old-fashioned plastic radio from the Fifties.
Technical Details:
Body: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 compact digital
Lens: Leica DC Vario-Elmar (integrated)
Exposure/Focus: full auto
Web Preparation: Photoshop 5.0; cropped
Miscellaneous: handheld
Date: July 13, 2008
Location: Boulevard de Rochechouart, Paris, France
Photo ID: P20080713 Sanisette
Photo Credit: Copyright © 2008 by Anthony Atkielski. All rights reserved.