China Bathroom Accessories Catalog (1924)
Looking for a soap dish for your bathroom tub? Look no further. Special Collections has a 1924 catalog of china fixtures for bathrooms. The brochure, China Bathroom Accessories for Home, Apartments and Hotels, was produced by Willette Corporation and distributed by Southern Mosaic Tile Company out of Atlanta, Georgia. According to an October 1, 1921 issue of Domestic Engineering, “The Willette Corporation, of New York City, [was] incorporated with a capital of $10,000, to deal in plumbing specialties.” One of the key products promoted by the organization was their line of Willette Stae-fast Fixtures constructed of vitreous china. The use of vitreous china on their products promotes their selling point that “A damp cloth is all that is needed to keep Willette Stae-fast Fixtures spotlessly clean – they will not discolor, crack or craze.”
Willette’s line of products was limited to “bathroom accessories” found today only in older home. From soap dishes to towel bars to toilet paper holders, Willette was able to provide you with fixtures for your bathrooms. In the rear of the catalog, a diagram of accessory arrangement is included for those purchasing their first toothbrush holder and other plumbing fixtures.
This catalog can be viewed online in Special Collections’ Digital Collections or in person in McCain Library & Archives Room 305.
For more information about this item, contact Jennifer Brannock at or 601.266.4347.
Text by Jennifer Brannock, Curator of Rare Books & Mississippiana.