Pinheads will no doubt be happy to hear that the conservators of the
Nebraska state capitol building (built 1922-32) do take quite seriously
the concept of historic toilet partitions.

The toilet partitions there, as often seen in upscale installations of the
period, are marble.  Specifically, they are Napoleon Grey, a marble which
was very widely used for that purpose.  There is a whole lot of Napoleon
Grey in the Nebraska capitol, not just in toilet partitions but in the
walls of hallways and other public spaces.

Napoleon Grey was quarried until recently in Ohio.  Apparently the quarry
was shut down after the good news/bad news whipsaw of a huge order from a
new subway system which was subsequently withdrawn.  As a result, the
Nebraskans who care for the capitol are interested in any and all Napoleon
Grey they can get their hands on, e.g., from folks who have less regard
for the integrity of historic toilet partitions than they do.

The toilet stalls at the Nebraska capitol have wooden doors with basswood
inlay in a simple rectangular outline.  Where they had to modify the
original matrix to accomodate wheelchairs, two adjoining stalls were
combined into one, and a new wider door of the same design as the other
stall doors was crafted.

Now that I know about Napoleon Grey, I see it in fancy old men's rooms
everywhere.

                              Larry

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Lawrence Kestenbaum, [log in to unmask]
Washtenaw County Commissioner, 4th District
The Political Graveyard, http://politicalgraveyard.com
Ebay Page, http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/potifos/
Mailing address: P.O. Box 2563, Ann Arbor MI 48106

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