latrinalia

Latrinalia is a type of deliberately inscribed marking made on latrines: that is, bathrooms or lavatory (restroom) walls. It can take the form of art, drawings, or words, including poetry and personal reflections. When done without the property owner's consent, it constitutes vandalism. Some venues have attempted to curb such vandalism by installing in the restrooms large blackboards and providing free chalk; it is hoped that patrons will avail themselves of the blackboard and chalk rather than applying their latrinalia directly to the walls or toilet stalls.^[1][2]

Etymology

The late Alan Dundes, a folklorist at Berkeley, coined the term latrinalia in 1966 to refer to graffiti found in restrooms.^[3] Dundes preferred it over the term shithouse poetry, as not all latrinalia is in verse or poetic form.^[3]

The word is derived from the compounding of latrine (or toilet) and the suffix -alia, which signifies a worthless collection of something — in this case bathroom writings.

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ ^{a b} Dundes, Alan (1966). "Here I Sit — A Study of American Latrinalia". University of California, Berkeley: Kroeber Anthropological Society Papers.

Bathroom Graffiti by Mark Ferem: A photo-essay and introduction to latrinalia covering the dynamics of this form of human expression.

See also

• Bathroom Graffiti Project
• Toilet humour

External links

• Bathroom Graffiti — Bathroom Graffiti by author and photographer Mark Ferem
• Bathroom Graffiti Project — features and rates hundreds of photos of latrinalia from around the world
• Latrinalia — features galleries of bathroom graffiti
• Raina Williams, Content analysis: Latrinalia, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
• Mark Ferem, Latrinalia: "It's all in The Head", 50mm Los Angeles
• Matt Schneider, Stall Wall, an ethnography on latrinalia
• Bathroom Graffiti Blog

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