But things changed — for a mixture of economic, cultural, and aesthetic reasons. The things we now produce are unornamented, for good or bad... including drain pipes. Minimalism is wonderful, but when that's all there is it can become rather boring.
In which case those old drain pipes remind us how easyit is to make the world a more interesting place. With a little bit of imagination, something as ostensibly boring as a gutter can contribute to the aesthetics of a building or town rather than detracting from them.
And this goes further — it is about all the various "bits" that clutter our world, from bins to bollards and street lighting to fences. They don't need to be beautiful, but as long as they do their job why shouldn't they also be, at least, interesting?
Not all drain pipes in the past were miniature works of art, of course. Many (if not most) were almost wholly functional, with little interest in visual appeal beyond some minor decoration, and were often incongruous with the building where they were installed.
Much like the drain pipes of today, which are purely functional. Their design is probably best described as inoffensive, trying to blend in and go unnoticed. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but there's a reason people cover them up.
So those 19th century drain pipes show us what is possible: some are funny, others are grotesque or even frightening, and some are simply charming. But in every case, by doing more than the bare minimum, they add character to a street, house, or town.
Not all these old drain pipes were strange aquatic monsters or covered in delicate iron flowers. Sometimes they had nothing more than a basic visual appeal. The idea was to add something, however small, to a building's appearance.
Because architecture is about the details as much as grand projects and overall design. Sometimes a nice lamp post, bench, doorhandle, gutter, fence, wall, or drain pipe makes all the difference. Even if it only makes your morning commute a little more interesting.
And, crucially, they were no more expensive than unadorned drain pipes — both were mass-produced using moulds. Would it be inauthentic to make them now, most likely out of plastic? Perhaps. But, as with so much else, the passage of time can work wonders.
Clean and functional design is often beautiful and would be ruined by decoration — there's an elegance to something which does its job; not every drain pipe needs to be decorated. But this isn't about one or the other; it's about realising we can do both.
The world is full of things we simply accept as inherently unpleasant to look at, from bins to bus stops. These drain pipes offer an alternative. They say that what is necessary and functional can also be charming, interesting, meaningful, or even funny.
@culturaltutor I never thought I would find drain pipes so fascinating! It's amazing how something so essential can also be a source of charm and inspiration. Thanks for sharing this unique perspective!
@culturaltutor I am missing details about where to find these drain pipes in the ALT tags? Which cities and boroughs, or maybe even neighborhoods can call them lucky to own such gems?