Numero oggetto
52/266
Descrizione
This mouse trap is very similar in design to Pullinger's 'perpetual' mouse trap. It has an automatic re-setting device for catching numbers of mice in two separate compartments. The museum holds little information about the origins of this object.
Descrizione fisica
1 mouse trap: wood; metal
Storico archivio
MERL Object Handling Research, Rachael Rogers, December 2019 - 'This mouse trap is very similar in design to Pullinger's 'perpetual' mouse trap. It has an automatic re-setting device for catching numbers of mice in two separate compartments. The museum holds little information about the origins of this object. It is made of metal and wood and was likely produced in the 19th or early 20th century. // The ‘Perpetual’ mouse trap was designed and manufactured by Colin Pullinger and Sons of Silsey, West Sussex. The initial design for the device was registered with the Designs Office in 1861 (No. 4373). This was simpler and more elegant than its predecessor, the ‘Automaton’, which had been registered in 1859 (No. 4158). In the years that followed this registration process the Perpetual became a commercial success and a number of minor improvements were made. An example of Pullinger’s ‘perpetual’ mousetrap can be seen in the MERL’s introductory case. In 2016, during the final stages of the MERL’s redevelopment, an unfortunate mouse had made his way into the trap, possibly in search of food. Although unable to make his escape, his endeavours are commemorated and he can still be seen preserved in the trap. // Colin Pullinger was born in 1814 in Selsey near Bognor and, despite being a jack of all trades, he inherited his fathers’ house and carpentry business, before going on to invent the perpetual mousetrap in around 1860. By 1885 Pullinger & Sons had reportedly made 2 million mouse traps, with the business continuing production until 1920. // This ‘Perpetual’ style trap is a multi-catch live mouse trap with a see-saw mechanism. With two compartments, separated by said see-saw mechanism, bait would be placed in each half, awaiting the unsuspecting but hungry mouse. After walking in, the mouse of step on one section of the see-saw, weighing it down and closing off said compartment with the vertical portion of the see-saw. This would also render the second half of the trap inescapable to any other mice in it, as the other half of the see-saw would be raised. Once inside, the mouse typically moves through the one-way mouse gate, further preventing its escape. This was one of the first humane mouse traps produced, and had the benefit of allowing the capture of multiple mice without the need to be reset. // Mouse traps such as this would have been widely used, with the perpetual mousetrap produced by Pullinger becoming a highly popular and sought after alternative to the inhumane traps of years gone by. The flexibility of these traps in their allowing for the capture of multiple mice would have made them perfect for the domestic setting, for shops and small businesses, and potentially even for factories. We can’t know exactly where this example was used, but this was a design favoured for its practicality.'
Nome oggetto
Materiale
Documento esterno
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_101.tif - High resolution image
