Toilets have a long history, dating back to the introduction of the first flush toilet in the late 16th century. However, it wasn't until the 1880s that working toilets were connected to sewers, which revolutionized sanitation. Flushing toilets and sewer systems are considered significant 19th-century innovations that played a crucial role in modern urban civilization and disease prevention. Early flushing water closets in the 1880s resembled chamber pots and commodes, encased in elaborately carved woodwork. Over time, open plumbing with visible porcelain fixtures became more popular by the late 1880s - this best explains toilets in the 1700-1900s.