Charles Sale: The Specialist.
Created | Updated Nov 7, 2005
A Great Little Success.
I picked up an inconspicuous little book by an author called Charles Sale in a local Charity Shop. It is called 'The Specialist', only 29 pages of text with wonderfully crafted illustrations by someone called (remarkably, see the subject matter later,) William Kermode.
The edition I have was printed in 1956 in Britain, this being the 38th impression at that time. It was originally published in America in 1930, indicating that this little book had been on average reprinted more than once a year right through the War years. My 1956 edition notes that 513,000 copies had been produced in Britain alone at that time.
What's it all About?
So, what is the subject matter? In brief, (if it is possible to be briefer than the book itself,) Sale tells the story of Lem Putt, a jobbing carpenter who 'specializes' in building privies for the good folk of Sangamon County, USA, in the days before sewage pipes and porcelain bathroom suites. Sale claims to have known Lem, the book is 'memories of a man I once knew, who was rich in odd and likeable traits.' Sale then, owed a great deal to Lem's inspiration, whoever he was. Sale was a country show and vaudeville raconteur, who gained wide fame and fortune from performing 'The Specialist' as a kind of folksy monologue. Indeed, the main reason he produced it in novel form at all was to protect his copyright on the work, as apparently copyright does not exist on unpublished work. I am grateful to the Journey to Forever online library for this information. Interestingly, 'The Specialist' is taken very seriously by this modern organic farming lobby, they quote a water and sanitation engineer who works in developing countries as saying 'If I could recommend one course book for all wastewater engineers then this would be it.'
A Quote.
Here, Lem discusses the practicality of privy doors with a customer, "'how do you want the doors to swing? Openin' in or out?' He says he don't know. So I sez it should open in. This is the way it works out: 'Place yourself in there. The door openin' in say about forty five degrees. That gives you air and lets the sun beat in. Now if you hear anybody comin', you can give it a quick shove with your foot and there you are. But if she swings out, where are you? You can't run the risk of havin' her open open for air or sun, because if anyone comes, you can't get up off that seat, reach way round and grab her without getting caught now can you?'" Any memories jogged? The full text with illustrations by the wonderfully appropriately named William Kermode is reproduced here. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/specialist.html
Further Information.
I see from internet booksites that 'The Specialist' has remained in publication until the present day in the USA, and Sale is credited with part editorship of 'Ode to the Outhouse, a tribute to a vanishing American Icon.' Sale died in 1936.
'The Specialist' has been translated into 9 languages, and has been published in 12 countries. Sale also produced a very successful sequel 'I'll tell you Why' published in 1931 and apparently still in print. If anyone should seek more privy information, Sale's stage name was Chic Sale, and early editions of his books are credited to Chic, not Charles.
Conclusion.
This has been an interesting if limited piece of research: What I regarded as a bit of a curiosity has it's own social history rooted in the home-spun culture of the likes of Will Rogers, Jimmy Rogers the Carter Family, and many other American heroes of the depression era. Perhaps just as fascinating are the contemporary resonances echoing through today's organic movement, (no pun intended!)
REF; SALE Charles, The Specialist. Camelot Press, London, 1956.
I picked up an inconspicuous little book by an author called Charles Sale in a local Charity Shop. It is called 'The Specialist', only 29 pages of text with wonderfully crafted illustrations by someone called (remarkably, see the subject matter later,) William Kermode.
The edition I have was printed in 1956 in Britain, this being the 38th impression at that time. It was originally published in America in 1930, indicating that this little book had been on average reprinted more than once a year right through the War years. My 1956 edition notes that 513,000 copies had been produced in Britain alone at that time.
What's it all About?
So, what is the subject matter? In brief, (if it is possible to be briefer than the book itself,) Sale tells the story of Lem Putt, a jobbing carpenter who 'specializes' in building privies for the good folk of Sangamon County, USA, in the days before sewage pipes and porcelain bathroom suites. Sale claims to have known Lem, the book is 'memories of a man I once knew, who was rich in odd and likeable traits.' Sale then, owed a great deal to Lem's inspiration, whoever he was. Sale was a country show and vaudeville raconteur, who gained wide fame and fortune from performing 'The Specialist' as a kind of folksy monologue. Indeed, the main reason he produced it in novel form at all was to protect his copyright on the work, as apparently copyright does not exist on unpublished work. I am grateful to the Journey to Forever online library for this information. Interestingly, 'The Specialist' is taken very seriously by this modern organic farming lobby, they quote a water and sanitation engineer who works in developing countries as saying 'If I could recommend one course book for all wastewater engineers then this would be it.'
A Quote.
Here, Lem discusses the practicality of privy doors with a customer, "'how do you want the doors to swing? Openin' in or out?' He says he don't know. So I sez it should open in. This is the way it works out: 'Place yourself in there. The door openin' in say about forty five degrees. That gives you air and lets the sun beat in. Now if you hear anybody comin', you can give it a quick shove with your foot and there you are. But if she swings out, where are you? You can't run the risk of havin' her open open for air or sun, because if anyone comes, you can't get up off that seat, reach way round and grab her without getting caught now can you?'" Any memories jogged? The full text with illustrations by the wonderfully appropriately named William Kermode is reproduced here. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/specialist.html
Further Information.
I see from internet booksites that 'The Specialist' has remained in publication until the present day in the USA, and Sale is credited with part editorship of 'Ode to the Outhouse, a tribute to a vanishing American Icon.' Sale died in 1936.
'The Specialist' has been translated into 9 languages, and has been published in 12 countries. Sale also produced a very successful sequel 'I'll tell you Why' published in 1931 and apparently still in print. If anyone should seek more privy information, Sale's stage name was Chic Sale, and early editions of his books are credited to Chic, not Charles.
Conclusion.
This has been an interesting if limited piece of research: What I regarded as a bit of a curiosity has it's own social history rooted in the home-spun culture of the likes of Will Rogers, Jimmy Rogers the Carter Family, and many other American heroes of the depression era. Perhaps just as fascinating are the contemporary resonances echoing through today's organic movement, (no pun intended!)
REF; SALE Charles, The Specialist. Camelot Press, London, 1956.
