Mechanical bellows
Side of mechanical bellows showing the wheel
Name/Title
Mechanical bellowsEntry/Object ID
2025.1.671Description
Brass, copper and wood machine to simulate the action of hand-action bellows. The handle is turned which rotates a wheel inside the bellows which pumps air out of the funnel. The bellows are set on a wooden base with a hole for hanging. There is also a possible makers mark 'T. H. Cragild', incised three times in a triangle. The bellows are beautifully crafted with precision and care.Context
Illustrations show the use of bellows in 1450 BC to raise the heat in kilns for firing clay pots. Over the centuries they have in one form or another been used from toolmaking to cooking. These mid Victorian Mechanical bellows, were probably for domestic use and part of the desire to mechanise everything during the 19th century.Category
Domestic, Tools