Victorian Cucumber Straightener
Name/Title
Victorian Cucumber StraightenerEntry/Object ID
2025.1.91Description
Victorian Cucumber StraightenerContext
The cucumber straightener was invented by the great engineer George Stephenson (1781–1848), a keen fruit grower who took great pride in the growth of his cucumbers. Stephenson ordered blown glass cylinders to be made at his Newcastle steam engine factory for his garden at Tapton House, Derbyshire, where he spent the last ten years of his life. The elongated glass funnel was placed over the cucumber at an early stage to encourage the fruit to grow straight. Technological innovations in the 19th century had a great impact on food production in Britain. The straight cucumber, a purely aesthetic advancement, symbolises the Victorian obsession with rationalising nature.Category
Horticultural Sundries