Object number
62/299/1-6
Description
These 6 pieces of iron were sent to the Museum in 1962 for identification, and remain unidentified. They were found embedded in a large elm tree in Chingford. It is possible that the iron pieces may have been part of an early crushing machine at a brickworks in the same area.
Physical description
6 pieces of iron
Archival history
MERL 'Handwritten catalogue' form – 'PROBLEM // Pieces of iron found embedded in a large elm tree.', Letter, I. H. Edmunds to MERL, 2 December 1961 - 'There used to be a brickworks on Pole Hill + I remember seeing a crushing machine there about 35 years ago. Old Chingford residents say it was worked by a donkey walking round + round. Possibly the pieces of iron were part of an older, but similar, machine.', Letter, MERL to I. H. Edmunds, 29 November 1961 - 'Thank you for sending the pieces of iron. We have had a good look at them but can offer no explanation of them. It may well be that we shall come across something like it again in the future so with your permission I will keep them for the time. All one can say is that the pieces all belong to each other. Part seems to have been set in brickwork and the curved pieces hinged on to the fixed strips.'
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_14322.tif - High resolution image