51/213

A dressing iron is used as a rest for stones when they are being shaped into slats. The slate would be rested flat on the dressing iron while it was squared and dressed. This iron belonged to Mr Jackie Bostock, a stone slatter from Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.

1 slatter's dressing iron: wood; metal; fair condition

Citation in publication [H. J. Massingham, 'Country Relics' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1939)] –'The tools for quarrying and slatting roof stone are few and, with one exception, extremely simple. They consist of a dressing-iron, a slat pick or pittaway (the latter name is now obsolete), a slatting-hammer, a fromard, and a slat-rule...The dressing iron is merely a bar of iron bent to a right angle at both ends which are affixed to an oblong block of stone some 5 in. [inches] high from the ground.' (p.18) [see also pp. 26-27], MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This dressing iron belonged to Mr. Jackie Bostock, a stone slatter of Winchcomb [sic] (Glos). It was used as a rest for stones when they were being shaped into slats. After the stone had been extracted from the ground, it was laid out flat to catch the frosts, which split it up. // The quarryman then split it further, squared it off into various lengths and dressed them round the edges. This was done with the slat resting flat on the dressing iron. In other parts of the Cotswolds, where the stone is of a different kind, a BANKER is used instead of a dressing iron. This is a table of roughly piled stones, and the slat is stood up edgeways on it, instead of being laid flat. // The dressing iron consists of a wooden block 6.5 inches in height, 17.25 inches in length and 4.5 inches wide. A bar of iron is secured to the block like a handle, with its ends bent at right angles and hammered into the block. This iron is 13.5 inches long and stands 4 inches above the block.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - 'Museum of English Rural Life // Equipment to be loaned to the Cotswold Tradition Exhibition // Cat Ref. No.: // 51/213 M // Slatter's Dressing Iron ...', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - '[insert] MASSINGHAM FILE [end insert] // THE COTSWOLD TRADITION // AN EXHIBITION AT CIRENCESTER PARK // MAY-SEPTEMBER 1951 ... // RECEIPT. // Received with gratitude the following articles, collected from Reading University on the 29th April, 1951: // ... Dressing Iron. ... // Loaned by The Massingham Collection.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/213 // NAME: SLATER'S DRESSING IRON // NEG NO.: 35/2054 // STORAGE: '

Wood, Metal, iron