Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Vintage “Little John” Toilet Ashtray

Submitted by Allee Willis November 16th, 2010
Certifikitsch Winner

I’m not sure how toilet ashtrays became so ubiquitous in the novelty ashtray department but they did. I guess because they’re a natural place to set butts and the basic design offers so many opportunities for storage – the bowl for ashes and the tank for smokables, though I stick everything in there from Post-its notes to paperclips. The back of the tank has a hole to hang it on the wall. I always like my toilets at eye level.

Having been made in the 1950’s it’s amazing that any of the little sticker remains.

In pristine form the sticker would read, “Little John, A Cigarette Set – To complete your bathroom and add to your comfort”. I’m not sure how this size toilet bowl adds to one’s comfort but I’m willing to go with it.

If I ever were to get a new toilet I would want it to be the perfect 50’s pink that the Little John is. Though it would take an earthquake knocking my current toilet off its base to make that happen as it was installed when the house was built in 1937 and it ain’t going anywhere.

In conclusion, my cat Nibbles struck a toilet pose next to the toilet ashtray. I couldn’t have directed it better myself.

2 Responses to “Allee Willis’ Kitsch O’ The Day – Vintage “Little John” Toilet Ashtray”

  1. Douglas Wood

    Love this! I’m surprised it’s not on display in your bathroom (or is it a non-smoking bathroom?) That deer on the shower wall is pretty cool too– did that come with the 1937 house too?

    • Allee Willis

      I have very little counter space in the bathroom so there’s no room for the toilet ashtray to stay there though conceptually perfect.

      The deer shower wall was put in in 1982. The glass was sandblasted from an original 1930s stencil. The stencils can only be used a limited amount of times before the blasting ruins them so I was elated to get one of the last ones in.