Porcelain Soldiers.

Submitted by Markydoodle June 15th, 2011
Certifikitsch Winner

In April I had the opportunity to visit the incomparable Fox Theater in Detroit to attend “Allee Willis Marches on Detroit!”

This is the men’s room, which is located in the area directly below the lobby of the theater.

Remember pay phones?  At the bottom of the stairs when one enters the Men’s room, you’re greeted by phone booths that could as well be housing Sergeants-at-arms protecting the entrance.

The Smoking room comes next complete with fireplace and chairs for lounging to while away intermission after the void.  Of course no one smokes anymore, so the business of having a smoke before or post-pee has made this room a fantastic museum piece.

Silently they wait, formally prepared to receive those who stand.

8 Responses to “Porcelain Soldiers.”

  1. Allee Willis

    I can’t believe that I missed those phone booths at the Fox. Then again, I had no reason to go to the men’s room. But had I realized those existed down there I would’ve found SOME reason to go. I didn’t see anything like that in the ladies room. Were there still phones in the booth?

    I also didn’t see anything like the smoking room. Was that near the men’s room or was that a coed area?

    The urinals absolutely kill me. Stunning shot in black and white. Too bad the inevitable yellow stream has to upset the color scheme.

    • Mark Milligan

      At the bottom of the stairs, just before the big room, are the phone booths to the right. I can’t remember if the loo was behind a door, or just through an open doorway from the big room. One has to go through the smoking lounge to gain entrance to the lav. It just struck me that when this place was built, there was a lot of perceived propriety in separating the sexes when it came to smoking and personal hygiene. Do you ever walk into a place and immediately see what may have happened in it in detail? This room was full of men, not dressed formally, but in decent wool suits, and they were smoking mostly pipes and cigars, many gathered around the glowing fireplaces. Sporadic laughter filled the room as one or another made a sarcastic or humorous remark about this or that. I really wanted to be one of them.

  2. windupkitty

    HOly cow…so gorgeous….I could live in that men’s room…

  3. Douglas Wood

    Great photos, Mark! The men’s bathroom one is prize-worthy– you should make it into a greeting card and sell them.

    • Mark Milligan

      Thank you Doug.

      When I walked into the Fox, I knew those urinals were somewhere in the building. I asked Denny if he’d seen the urinals, and he must’ve thought I was crazier than he’d originally imagined.

  4. Michael Ely

    Great photos! Love the men’s room. If I could afford it, I would have a urinal installed in my house. Don’t know why homes don’t come with them.

  5. audiophile559

    We sell them at Home Depot. I want one too. My three year old nephew (recently potty trained) thinks peeing standing is the greatest thing since sliced bread.