13. Public Conveniences, Pond Square, Camden

The term ‘cottaging’, defined as ‘the action of engaging in anonymous homosexual acts in public toilets’, is derived from the resemblance of many historical self-contained toilet blocks up and down the UK to small rural cottages.

Before the gay liberation movement, almost all gay and bisexual men were closeted by necessity, and without any social groups or places to go to meet other gay men, public toilets became popular places to engage in a brief dalliance.

Famous cottagers (that we know of) include self-confessed cottager and playwright Joe Orton, actor Sir John Gielgud, singer George Michael, and Bishop of Durham Michael Turnball, who was arrested in Hull for cottaging in 1968.

Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath was also purportedly a fond cottager and, according to conservative MP Brian Coleman, stopped having sex in public in the 1950s to protect his career after a stern warning had been given by police following background checks.

Print is 20 x 25cm, unframed, signed, numbered and comes with the above accompanying text.