In Europe in the 18th century were very popular "degovnotizatory"

The apparatus shown in the picture is designed to scrape adhering substance on the soles of shoes and called dekrottuar. Exquisitely-gallant word, truly Parisian actually literally translates roughly as "degovnotizator" from the French crotte - dog (and not only) shit.





Dekrottuary began to emerge in the cities of the Old and the New World, the streets of which it was difficult to pass, not to plunge into anything, about the middle of the 18th century, when the spirit of enlightenment demanded by the urban elite to the rules of cleanliness and hygiene. Owning your own dekrottuar front door has become fashionable, "glamorous" as we would say today. Homeowners excelled each other, ordering the most exquisite forms of metal and setting them on the most prominent place.

Century urban dekrottuarov was short-lived. With the development of infrastructure in the mid-19th century, they began to lose its relevance, and the disappearance of horse-drawn carriages and the appearance of the car lost it completely. The decision of the city authorities dismantled them as a potential danger to pedestrians and vehicles, and handed over to scrap.





However, in some places dekrottuary preserved. Today they are an informal tourist attraction and preserve local history lovers.

Source: www.dirty.ru

via factroom.ru