Drinking fountains

Streets for People, a 1969 "primer for Americans" by the architect and social historian Bernard Rudofsky, is profusely illustrated with scenes of charming yet functional public spaces in Europe, North Africa, and East Asia. Many of Rudofsky's observations now seem quaint, especially those regarding U.S. urban blight, but his appreciation of public drinking fountains is timeless.

A chance encounter with "Roman Girl at a Fountain" brought the book back to mind. Though the subject of Leon Bonnat's 1875 genre painting has more-waiflike proportions and a better outfit than the gadabouts of Rudofsky's black-and-white photos, their unabashed enjoyment is the same.

Also shown: a modern-day watering spot in a New York playground. I'm pretty sure it still works, if you lean down and push hard.

Drinking fountains
Rome, Italy (1875)
Canarsie, Brooklyn (2014)