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Portrait Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware portrait-plate was made at the Cambrian Pottery during Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn's period of management (1831-1850). It is transfer-printed in underglaze black with a portrait of Wesley and inscribed 'Revd John Wesley AM'. The border is painted in overglaze and consists of a continuous wreath of green leaves and red berries. It's size and border decoration indicate that this plate is from the Cambrian Pottery's second series of portrait plates. The base of the plate is impressed 'Dillwyn & Co.' and '1' in capitals in a semi-circle. This plate is part of Colonel Wm. E. Ll. Morgan's 1927 bequest to Swansea Museum.


Orange Plate
Ceramics
This plate is from a white-ware luncheon set produced at the Cambrian Pottery and decorated by Thomas Pardoe c.1800. It "has the impressed mark 'Swansea' and is decorated with a mottled orange powdered (dusted) ground-colour, and a small border of conventional looped ribbon pattern in sepia between black stripes and brown rims." (NANCE, The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw p.62)


Nelson's Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was found near the home of Lord Nelson at Merton in Surrey. It was decorated by Thomas Pardoe in underglaze blue, overglaze red and gold, "and may be easily recognized as Pardoe's work from the characteristic border of intersecting ellipses within gilt bands, and the gilt spray and star decorations which occur on other pieces by him, and also from the star ornament which forms its central decoration." (Morton Nance, p.63) In The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, Morton Nance also describes how "On or about August 13th, 1802, Lord Nelson, who was then making a tour through Monmouthshire and South Wales, visited Swansea - on the following day a banquet was given by the Portreeve in honour of the occasion - after the banquet an expedition was made to the harbour, pier and Pottery. Subsequently an order arrived from Nelson for specimens of local pottery - on December 7th, 1802 a letter was written by Nelson to Messrs. Haynes, Dillwyn & Co. from his seat at Merton, Surrey".(p.81) - a dinner service was ordered of which this plate is part. During the Pottery visit it is likely that Nelson would have met Thomas Pardoe, Evan Evans and George Haynes who were all volunteers in the Western Regiment of Glamorgan Volunteers.


Lady Slipper Plate
Ceramics
This creamware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea during the period 1795-1800 (Coles and Haynes ownership - c.1786-1802). It is decorated with a 'Two-leafed Lady's Slipper' painted by Thomas Pardoe in overglaze colours after the illustration in Curtis's Botanical Magazine and has a chocolate rim. 'Swansea' is impressed on the plate base along with a playing-card pip - a spade and is also inscribed in grey overglaze script, with its botanical name, in the artist's hand.


Harpoon Grenade
Nauticalia
Harpoon grenades were filled with explosive and were designed to explode deep inside the whale ensuring a quick kill. This is part of a collection of whaling artefacts donated to the Museum Service by a Swansea resident who collected the material while visiting South Georgia (in the Falkland Islands) as a member of an expedition sent to clear some of the remnants of the whaling industry that had been based there.


Harpoon Grenade
Nauticalia
Harpoon grenades were filled with explosive and were designed to explode deep inside the whale ensuring a quick kill. This is part of a collection of whaling artefacts donated to the Museum Service by a Swansea resident who collected the material while visiting South Georgia (in the Falkland Islands) as a member of the expedition sent to clear some of the remnants of the whaling industry that had been based there.


Plug
Nauticalia
A collection of whaling artefacts was donated to the Museum Service by a Swansea resident who collected the material while visiting South Georgia (in the Falkland Islands) as a member of an expedition sent to clear some of the remnants of the whaling industry that had been based there. After killing, a whale was speared and filled with compressed air to keep it afloat to await collection and processing by the factory ship. The compressed air was pumped into the whale through a hollow lance. This wooden plug was inserted when the lance was removed, to stop the air from escaping.


Blubber Hook
Nauticalia
A collection of whaling artefacts was donated to the Museum Service by a Swansea resident who collected the material while visiting South Georgia (in the Falkland Islands) as a member of an expedition sent to clear some of the remnants of the whaling industry that had been based there. This Japanese pattern blubber hook was used to man-handle large pieces of blubber (or whale-fat) during processing.


Flensing Knife
Nauticalia
A collection of whaling artefacts was donated to the Museum Service by a Swansea resident who collected the material while visiting South Georgia (in the Falkland Islands) as a member of an expedition sent to clear some of the remnants of the whaling industry that had been based there. This is a flensing knife which was used to cut the flesh from the whale carcass before processing.


Vine-leaf Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1824-1831. A circular plate with a vine-leaf embossed on a basket-work ground, it is transfer-printed in underglaze blue in a pattern of shells, flowers and scrolls, with a blue rim. It is impressed 'Dillwyn & Co. Swansea' in horseshoe form on the base. This plate is part of a dessert service, described by Morton Nance in his definitive work The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, "Designs of flowers and shells were perhaps next after the willow and the black-ship plate, the most frequently employed of all Swansea transfer patterns. The combination is incongruous and certainly not beautiful, and suggests a decline in taste from the earlier combination of shells and seaweed." (p.152)


Cobalt Blue Jug
Ceramics
This earthenware jug was made at the Cambrian Pottery c.1831-1850. The jug is pouch-shaped on an octagonal base, it has a wavy edge and a foliated double-scrolled handle and is deep underglaze cobalt blue in colour. The jug is marked 'Cymro Stone China' within an embossed rococo scroll. In The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, Morton Nance explains, "The Cymro Stone China body is harder than ordinary earthenware but softer than Mason's Ironstone China, which contains a proportion of slag from an iron-smelting furnace." (p.172)


Floral Jug
Ceramics
This earthenware jug was produced c.1831-50 at the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea. It is pouch-shaped on an octagonal base, with a wavy edge and a foliated double-scroll handle. The jug is painted in overglaze colours in a conventional pattern of flowers and buds, three detached stylized floral sprays, an ochre edge and the handle edged in green. The base is marked 'Cymro Stone China' within a raised moulded scroll. This Swansea body seems to have been made of flint, china-stone, china-clay and ball-clay.


Damask Border Platter
Ceramics
This earthenware platter was produced at the South Wales Pottery, Llanelli c.1840-60. It is rectangular in shape with indented sides and an up-turned lobed edge. It is transfer-printed in underglaze blue with a pattern consisting of an Eastern landscape (minarets and towers, an aquaduct, two figures in Turkish costume). This scene is surrounded by a 'damask border' (rococo leafy scrolls containing vignettes of arctic scenes, a reindeer pulling a sled alternating with a hunter ploughing his way through snow) on a wave-patterned background representative of the texture of damask linen. The copper-plate for this pattern is now held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The dish is marked 'South Wales Pottery' and 'Damask Border' in underglaze blue as well as being impressed with a six-petalled floret and the number '12'. In The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, ceramics expert Morton Nance reveals, "The pottery at Llanelly became from its inception a formidable rival to the Cambrian Pottery, especially in supplying the Welsh market, and through the little coasting vessels which visited the port, the West of England and other ports; and as time went on the competition between Swansea and Llanelly became more intense." (p.160)


Oriental Vase
Ceramics
This ornamental earthenware vase was produced at the South Wales Pottery in Llanelli c.1850-60. The vase has an oviform fluted body on a wide-spreading lobed base and it has an out-curving oval neck with a deeply scalloped rim. It is flanked by two foliate moulded scrolled handles. The whole is transfer-printed in underglaze brown with the pattern known as 'Bombay Japan', showing a Chinese urn with a shrub and a butterfly flanked by large sprays of anemones. The inner and outer borders consist of large floral sprays, while round the base a border of rococo panels is broken up with formal blossoms. The base of the vase is marked 'South Wales Pottery' (in script) and '5' with 'Bombay Japan' and the number in a cartouche and a vase all in underglaze brown.


Oriental Basket Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate is one of a pair (the other being decorated in brown) produced at the Cambrian Pottery. It is decorated with a green 'Oriental Basket' pattern, described by Morton Nance thus, "a rococo vase or basket of flowers, on a tall ornate stand, and two quarrelling birds, with a background of Oriental architecture, mountain and water, and a European ship in the distance, the whole surrounded by a wide festooned border of flowers, birds and fruit." (The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, p.167) The plate is marked 'Dillwyn' and 'Oriental Basket' is printed on the reverse. There is also an inscription: Elizabeth Rees / Saint Ives / Swansea / 1837. (The Saint Ives Arms was an inn in Caer Street, Swansea) This plate is part of Colonel William Morgan's bequest to Swansea Museum in 1927.


The Railway Arch - Wind Street
Industry Topography
This is the Railway Arch at the bottom of Wind Street decorated for the Visit of the Prince of Wales in October 1881. The Prince's visit was to open the Prince of Wales Dock and the town was decorated with ceremonial arches along the route to the docks. Various groups were responsible for the decoration of the numerous arches. This photograph is from an album which was put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers studios in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They are a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events such as this one as well as pictures of the local countryside.


Castle Square
Topography
This is Castle Square, decorated when the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) visited the town to open the Prince of Wales Docks. This photograph is from an album which was put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Mary would have bought the prints from one of the nine photographers studios in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They are a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events such as this one and also pictures of the local countryside.


South Dock
Industry Topography
The South Dock opened in 1859, the first vessel into it was the steam tug, Beaufort. Of special interest in this picture is the machinery for loading coal on to the ships. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers studios in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They are a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events, such as the visit of the Prince of Wales and pictures of the local countryside.


Harbour Offices
Industry Topography
The Harbour Offices Building was very important in the life of the town. One of its functions was to act as a contact point for the day-labourers, the men in the street who were probably hoping to be hired for a day's work in the docks. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea in July 1882. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers studios in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They are a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events such as the visit of the Prince of Wales as well as scenes of the local countryside.


Mumbles Road
Topography
The road along the foreshore across the sand dunes with the lines for the Mumbles Railway running parallel to it. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They are a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events such as the visit of the Prince of Wales and pictures of the local countryside.


North Dock
Industry Topography
The North Dock was opened in 1852. As can be seen in this photograph the dock was full of ships taking coal and manufactured metal goods all over the world and bringing back raw goods including copper ore from South America. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They are a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church, (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events, such as the visit of the Prince of Wales and pictures of the local countryside.


St.Mary's Church
Topography
This interior view includes one of the few images of the altarpiece given to the church by Dr.Thomas Bowdler. It is from his name that we get the term to 'Bowdlerize'. What Doctor Bowdler did was to edit and publish the 'Family Shakespeare' in which "words and expressions are omitted, which cannot with propriety be read aloud to the family." The altarpiece was a Virgin and Child by Sassoferrato (or possibly Ludovico Caracci), unfortunately the picture was destroyed when the church was gutted during the Blitz in February 1941. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Mary would have bought such prints at one of the nine photographers in the town. The photographs reflect the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea.


St.Mary's Church
Topography
The exterior does not look like a typical medieval church because part of it had to be rebuilt in 1739. A portion of the church fell down just before the congregation entered for Sunday morning worship. The church was completely rebuilt in the 1890s. On top of the tower is the weathercock, which is now in the collection of Swansea Museum. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Some of the images in the album are very well known, with a number of prints known to exist. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers in the town. The photographs reflect the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. There are a mix of scenes with which Mary would have been familiar, not only this church (where she was married in 1885), but also the nostalgia of the horse drawn Mumbles Train, contemporary events such as the visit of the Prince of Wales and pictures of the local countryside.


Mumbles Train
Transport Topography
The Mumbles Train, the first passenger line in the world, started in March 1807. The coaches were drawn by horses on the rails laid in 1804 to carry lime-stone from Mumbles to Swansea docks. Steam locomotives replaced the horses in 1877. This photograph is from an album put together by 19 year old Mary Graham Oldham of Rodney Street, Swansea, in July 1882. Some of the images in the album are very well known, with a number of prints still known to exist. Mary would have bought the prints at one of the nine photographers in the town. The photographs show something of the interests of a young woman in late 19th century Swansea. They consist of a mix of scenes which Mary would have been familiar with, such as St. Mary's Church (where she married in 1885); the nostalgia of the horse-drawn Mumbles Train; contemporary events, like the visit of the Prince of Wales and pictures of the local countryside.


Hand Flanging
Industry
Hand flanging of a copper firebox plate for a steam locomotive. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The working conditions of the employees is illustrated, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Steam Hammer
Industry
A steam hammer for shaping copper plates and varying the thickness according to the customers requirements. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also illustrated, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Brass Casting
Industry
Brass casting. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The working conditions of the employees is apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Copper Circles
Industry
Copper circles were used for a variety of purposes including the making of large pans. Many smaller discs were supplied for the making of master-discs for early gramophone records. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s.


Tube Plates
Industry
Finished tube plates ready for dispatch to locomotive boiler manufacturers. These tube plates were a major product of the Vivian Works and railway engines all over the world were fitted with them. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s.


Zinc Distillation Furnaces
Industry
Zinc distillation furnaces in the Upper Bank Spelter Works. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The working conditions of the employees is apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Iron Ladles
Industry
Hammering out iron ladles for the copper casting department at the Hafod Foundry. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Splatching
Industry
"Splatching" - flattening copper sheets by hand. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The working conditions of the employees is apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Vivian's Works Entrance
Industry
The original entrance to Vivian's Works. Before the works railway was made, connecting to the G.W.R. sidings, all the manufactured copper goods were transported by a team of horse-drawn wagons along the canal to the docks. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s.


Copper Pan Production
Industry
A copper pan being hammered out by a steam hammer. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Rolling Mills
Industry
Plate and sheet rolling mills. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Garrett Articulated Locomotive
Industry
The Garrett articulated locomotive with the Vivian & Sons engine sheds in the background. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s.


Rolling Mills
Industry
Plate and sheet rolling mills. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Hand Ladling Of Copper
Industry
This picture shows the hand ladling of copper from the reverberatory reforming furnace. Plain cast iron moulds were used and the copper castings were afterwards heated and rolled out into sheets and plates. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The working conditions of the employees is also illustrated, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Copper Casting
Industry
Copper casting by hand ladling from the Reverberatory furnace in the Morfa Refinery. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The working conditions of the employees is also illustrated, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Brass Casting Shop
Industry
Brass casting shop with the Ajax Wyatt melting furnace. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent in the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Spelter Distillery Furnace
Industry
The spelter distillery furnace. Spelter is crude, smelted zinc and also an alloy of various ores, including zinc, tin and copper. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent from the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Plate Rolling Mill
Industry
The 12' 6" (3.81m) Plate Rolling Mill which was driven by steam with a Coil reversing gear. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographs, at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared. The working conditions of the employees is also apparent from the photographs, mechanization is evident and there is no doubting the hot, dusty, hard-working environment.


Hafod Copper Works
Industry
Interior view of the Power Station at Hafod Copper Works. Shown are two 300K.W.Sulzer engines and two 600K.W.Sulzer engines and the Mather & Platt generators. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore, Swansea. The photographs were taken by Colquhoun - Photographers at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s. The technical detail of the machinery is of interest as the physical evidence for Swansea's metal industry has largely disappeared.


Hafod Copper Works
Industry
Exterior view of the Power Station and the Boiler House at the Hafod Copper Works. This photograph is taken from a set of albums of the Vivian & Sons Works at Landore in Swansea. They were taken by Colquhoun-Photographers at the request of Captain Hugh Vivian. There is no date in the albums but other evidence suggests they were taken early in the 1920s.


Flint Tool
Archaeology
The Egyptians preferred to use blades of stone rather than metal when preparing the dead for mummification. This flint came from Thebes in Upper Egypt.


Flint Tool
Archaeology
The Egyptians preferred to use blades of stone rather than metal when preparing the dead for mummification. This flint came from Thebes in Upper Egypt.


Feather-Edged Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1824-31, the period marked by the return of Lewis Weston Dillwyn to the pottery. The only decoration is 'feather-edging' in underglaze blue. 'Dillwyn & Co. Swansea' and '8' are impressed in horseshoe form on the base. Of this plate, Morton Nance says in The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, " The general tendency of this period, however, was towards a gradual disuse of enamel colours on domestic ware, for it was no doubt increasingly felt by both the Dillwyns that underglaze transfer, because of its great durability, was more suitable for articles of everyday use. Still, the most ordinary form of decoration for such articles, particularly dinner sets, during this and later periods, was a simple painted edging, generally in underglaze cobalt, which formed a pleasing contrast to the otherwise plain white or cream surface of the ware. The rim was sometimes plain, but more commonly moulded in a variety of patterns; and the painting also varies, for while usually in underglaze blue, an edging of copper-green is occasionally found. This type of decoration, known as 'edging' or 'feather-edging', was also very usual in the potteries of Staffordshire or Yorkshire, and appears to have been introduced to Swansea during the Bevington period, or shortly before it, and was of all painted patterns the cheapest to produce, as the painting consisted in no more than the mere application of a brushful of pigment to the edge of the piece while slowly revolving on a wheel." (p.145)


Exotic Bird Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate is a product of Swansea's Cambrian Pottery c.1831-1850. The plate is decorated, in overglaze enamel colours, with an exotic long-tailed bird on a pedestal, surrounded by a fence and conventional flowers within an orange circle. The plate rim is lined with black. The base of the plate is impressed with 'Dillwyn & Co.' in capital letters. It is possible that this plate was painted by Mrs Eliza Lewis of Mathew Street, Swansea who was one of the last women painters employed at the pottery.


Cymro Stone Jug
Ceramics
This jug was made at the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea c.1840. Its decoration consists of a conventional pattern of flowers and buds in underglaze blue and overglaze colours. The jug is pouch-shaped on an octagonal base, it has a wavy edge and a foliated double-scrolled rustic handle. It is marked on its base 'Cymro Stone China' in moulded, foliated cartouche accompanied by a workman's mark of four dots in a lozenge formation in underglaze blue. Cymro Stone China is harder than ordinary earthenware, the Swansea body seems to have been made of flint, china-stone, china-clay and ball-clay.


Harpoon Grenade
Nauticalia
Harpoon grenades were filled with explosive and were designed to explode deep inside the whale ensuring a quick kill. This is part of a collection of whaling artefacts donated to the Museum Service by a Swansea resident who collected the material while visiting South Georgia (in the Falkland Islands) as a member of an expedition sent to clear some of the remnants of the whaling industry based there.


Swansea From Mayhill
Topography
Paul Padley's view of Swansea in the 1790s takes in the Cambrian Pottery, with its conical kilns, middle left on this side of the River Tawe. Slightly to the right is the church and graveyard of St. John's, now called St.Matthew's, in High Street. Swansea was tiny then compared with today. Mayhill and most of St.Thomas were still farmland, and the river flowed into the open expanse of Fabian's Bay.


Ship In A Bottle
Nauticalia
This 'ship in a bottle' is displayed in an elaborate wooden frame, it is a model of the S.V. Ogmore Vale.


Fid
Nauticalia
This wooden fid was used by sailors to make and finish small holes in canvas.


Sail Maker's Awl
Nauticalia
This sail maker's awl (or pricker) was used for making holes in canvas. It consists of a metal shaft attached to a wooden handle. In the nineteenth century when tools like this were essential and therefore precious, it is likely that the original owner carved his initials into the handle.


View of Swansea
Topography
This is the view of Swansea from the top of Kilvey Hill in the 1830s. At this date the town has not expanded much beyond its Medieval shape and size. The river is still the main harbour, but the bay has been made more sheltered by building an east and west pier between 1794 and 1807. The nearest group of buildings on the bank of the Tawe is Tir Landwr farm. On the far side of the river, at the seaward end of the town are the fine buildings of Somerset Place. Behind them, set amongst trees, is a large house known as Burrows Lodge. Nowadays the site of Burrows Lodge is the site of the National Waterfront Museum Swansea. At the other end of the town, you can see the conical kilns of the Cambrian Pottery. Notice the costume of the figures in the foreground, the women wear typical 'Jane Austen' style muslin dresses and large hats. The man, in his cut away, large collared tailcoat, helps the little boy use a telescope and one of the women sits on a tripod stool to sketch the scene.


Sailor's Seaming Palm
Nauticalia
This seaming palm was used by sail makers when sewing canvas. Secured around the thumb and wrist, the end of the needle would then engage in the small depressions on the round metal section, allowing the needle to be pushed hard through the thick canvas without fear of injury.


The Strand, Swansea Castle & Townhill - Thomas Baxter
Topography
This view of Swansea has been executed with architectural precision, it has been attributed to Thomas Baxter although it is untitled, unsigned and carries no date. The artist presents us with the view from Ferryside. Bernard Morris and John Wilstead, authors of Thomas Baxter: the Swansea Years 1816-1819, describe how "The nearest house is undergoing some roof repairs. It fronts the road to the ferry and the passing trade supports an earthenware shop there. Above its roof can be seen the masts and rigging of vessels lying in the tidal River Tawe." (p.108) On the left are the newly-built houses of Prospect Place. While against an unusually rural Townhill can be seen "the noble fourteenth century arcade of Swansea Castle [which] crowns what was, even in the early nineteenth century, the town's largest building."


Grease Horn
Nauticalia
This was a convenient way for sail makers to carry the grease which they needed to lubricate and protect their steel needles from rust.


The Church at Briton Ferry - Thomas Baxter
Topography
This print shows the church of St. Mary's and its surrounding graveyard at Llansawel, Briton Ferry as seen from Vernon House (the mansion-house residence of the Vernon and Mansel families: the Earls of Jersey). However this rural idyll was soon be overtaken by industrial developments and urban expansion. Bernard Morris and John Wilstead, authors of Thomas Baxter: the Swansea years 1816-1819, reveal that "Most of the church shown by Baxter was demolished and rebuilt in 1891-92, but the small square tower survived the Victorians' enthusiasm. The print shows the old limewashed church standing in the wooded churchyard, with just a glimpse of the river through the trees. Two exquisitely drawn Baxter ladies stand in the foreground amongst the ancient table tombs. Swansea Museum's copy of the print, shown here, has been coloured with delicate washes." (p.106)


Needle Case And Needles
Nauticalia
This wooden case contains steel needles and bodkins for use in sail-making. A sail-maker's needles have to be very strong to puncture sail canvas.


Pier Head - Thomas Baxter
Topography
This work is unsigned but is dated 1813, which sets up something of a puzzle as Thomas Baxter's time in Swansea has been recorded as being 1816-1818/19. Morris and Wilstead, authors of Thomas Baxter: the Swansea Years 1816-1819, offer as a solution "an early, unrecorded, visit to the town" or it possibly being "the work of another artist" - although this is swiftly dismissed in the light of the proximity of style to Baxter's other works. This eastward-looking view has been drawn at low tide, both the eastern (1805-09) and western (1795-99) piers can be seen. A pair of bathing machines wait patiently to be used, while small groups of people stroll either with their children or with their dogs, enjoying the fresh air. "When the South Dock (now the Marina) was under construction in 1852-59, these foreground sand dunes were excavated and moved forward towards the sea. Most of the area is now below the modern promenade, but a small section of the ancient dunes ('once removed') remain near the long steel and concrete successors of the piers drawn by Baxter." (Morris & Wilstead, p.114)


Oystermouth From Varanda
Topography
Although this work is neither signed nor dated, it does carry its title in what is believed to be Thomas Baxter's writing. It shows the view across to Oystermouth from the mansion named ' Varanda' (or 'Veranda'), today it would be the view from the Botanical Gardens at Singleton Park. Over the years 'Veranda' was home to some of Swansea's most notable citizens and at the time of this sketch, it was Calvert Richard Jones' residence. Bernard Morris and John Wilstead, authors of Thomas Baxter: the Swansea Years 1816-1819, explain that Calvert Richard Jones was " a gentleman who owned much of what is today Swansea City Centre." He was " a close friend of William Henry Fox Talbot, originator of the negative-positive process on which modern photography is based." 'Veranda' was built originally in the early 1800s - "in the Cottage Style of Architecture" on the site of an old farmhouse. Morris and Wilstead also make a fascinating point pertaining to the artwork itself "On this drawing, alone of all that have been seen in preparing this work, a thin vertical band of strong dark green and blue colours has survived along the left-hand edge, where the mounting has protected it from the light. It reminds us that Baxter's sketches, now delicate pencil lines and faded washes, were originally bold strong watercolours." (p.113)


Oystermouth Castle
Topography
This view of Oystermouth Castle is signed 'T.Baxter', dated 1817 and also carries its title in the artist's hand. Oystermouth Castle was founded in the twelfth century and was one of the principal residences (along with Swansea) of the Lords of Gower. The first image of this romantic scene was executed in 1678 by Francis Place. In the nineteenth century when Swansea was building a reputation as a seaside resort, Oystermouth Castle was a popular destination with the leisured classes, just four miles outside Swansea and easily reachable on the Oystermouth Railway (the forerunner of the Mumbles Train) which began in 1807 and was the first passenger-carrying service in the world.


Rhyddyngs from Swansea - Thomas Baxter
Topography
This panoramic view shows an area of sparsely populated countryside in the early 19th century however the changes wrought by the passage of time have been phenomenal. When Thomas Baxter sketched the scene it was to record the house known as The Rhyddings, which between 1811-1825 was home to Thomas Bowdler (the 'expurgator of Shakespeare'). Morris and Wilstead , in Thomas Baxter: the Swansea Years,1816-1819, reveal that "the avenue of trees in the left foreground appears in several other artists' views of Swansea so we can be confident of its location. Today it would mark the line of Oxford Street, in the vicinity of the present Swansea Market. The first of its two immediate predecessors was built here in 1830 on a new site to the left of these trees. Its site was known as 'the Ropewalk Field' and Baxter's avenue of trees defines the course of the former ropewalk, shown on an estate plan of c.1760. The thick grove of trees on the extreme right of the view marks the course of the main road leading out of Swansea to Gower. We know it today as - The Kingsway ! Although this work is unsigned, its title is in Baxter's hand, as is the note on the back ('Rhyddings - T.Bowdler Esqr.'). However the work is dated 1813, that is prior to Baxter's recorded time in the town. Morris and Wilstead suggest "an early, unrecorded visit to the town" by way of explanation.


Burrows Road 1828
Topography
This pencil drawing looks remarkably like the work of Thomas Baxter, however it is not signed and bears no original title. It is dated 1828 (on the wall of the building, centre foreground) which is seven years after Thomas Baxter's death. It also carries an impressed watermark which states 'J. Whatman Turkey Mill 1822' which is a year after the artist's death. But opinion remains divided, there are those that believe the date was added later, in error, and that the work is Baxter's. While there are those that think this is the work of one of Baxter's students. Morris and Wilstead explain in Thomas Baxter: the Swansea Years 1816-1819: "It will be remembered that he earned at least part of his living in Swansea as a drawing master and it may therefore be expected that at least some of the artists working locally after his days would show some of his influence in their work." (p.96) The view is of "Burrows Road (close to the Museum) with one of the large lodging houses and bathing establishments which were a feature of this area when Swansea was still a fashionable resort." (p.96)


Serving Mallet
Nauticalia
Part of a sail maker's tool kit, used when serving a rope when maximum tautness is required. The curved area held the rope, while the small grooves at the top held the lashing they wound around the rope.


Jug
Ceramics
This earthenware jug is oviform in shape with a high straight neck and a spreading gadroon base. It has a foliate loop handle with a thumb-rest and a kicked-off lower terminal. It was made at the Cambrian Pottery in 1835 as indicated by its inscription, in chocolate brown, which states: "Thomas & Hannah Williams / Dylais Rock [an inn in the Vale of Neath]." It is also decorated with two large bouquets of garden flowers in pink, blue, red and ochre, with smaller sprigs around the neck. The handle, rim and base lines are, like the inscription, in chocolate brown.


Vase
Ceramics
This earthenware vase has a thistle-shaped body on a spreading base. It was produced at the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea c.1824-1831. It is transfer-printed in underglaze black with vignettes of scrolls, shells, flowers and foliage with a hearts and lunettes border.


Washer Women Plate

This earthenware plate was made at the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea, c.1824-1831, the period marked by the return of Lewis Weston Dillwyn to the Pottery. This circular plate, with an eight-lobed edge, is transfer-printed in underglaze black with a scene known as 'The Washer Women', probably by Elijah Brindley. This design is unique to Swansea Ware and it is likely that the scene portrays some local pursuit in the preparation of Welsh wool or tweed. The plate is impressed 'Dillwyn & Co., Swansea'. E.Morton Nance describes how, "Above all things Dillwyn concentrated on the manufacture of really first-class transfer-printed earthenware, for which evidently a large demand existed. In many respects the transfer-printed patterns of this period are the finest and most interesting ever produced at Swansea. Unfortunately the names of the engravers of the copper-plates remain unknown, but in all probability many of them were local craftsmen, for most of the designs are distinctly original and unlike those produced by any Staffordshire or other Pottery, as, for instance, the design of two women with baskets." (The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw p.146)


Jug
Ceramics
This earthenware jug was made at the Cambrian Pottery c.1831-1850. It is octagonal in shape with a protruding waist. It has a rustic handle and a flat base. Its decoration, painted in underglaze blue and overglaze colours, consists of an urn with flowers and an ochre edge.


Tureen, Cover and Stand
Ceramics
This earthenware tureen, cover and stand were made at the Cambrian Pottery c.1824-1831. Each piece is transfer printed in underglaze brown, the decoration consisting of sprays of formal flowers, scrolls and shells. The borders consist of small hearts and lunettes, while the cover has a floral knob.


Dessert Dish
Ceramics
This creamware dessert dish was made at the Cambrian Pottery c.1800. The dish is oval with segmental recesses, indented corners and a gilded edge. It is painted in overglaze colours, after Curtis's Botanical Magazine by Thomas Pardoe, who also inscribed the base 'Scarlet Impomoea' in black. It is impressed 'Swansea' on the base.


Calendar Tile
Ceramics
This earthenware plaque was made at the Cambrian Pottery in Swansea in 1823. It is transfer-printed in overglaze red with the calendar for 1824. It was donated to Swansea Museum by a lady whose grandfather, John Griffiths of the Hafod, had been a foreman at the Pottery.


Classical Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1848. It is part of a creamware dinner-service decorated with the patterns which were originally engraved for Dillwyn's Etruscan Ware. This plate is transfer-printed in underglaze green with a winged cupid. "Designs and border alike are printed from the same copper-plates that were engraved for Dillwyn's Etruscan Ware".(Nance: The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw p.178).


Rural Scene Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was made at the Cambrian Pottery c.1831-50. It is part of a series decorated with 'Rural Scenes'. With an embossed, gadrooned border, it is transfer-printed in underglaze black with a scene showing a mother and daughter carrying agricultural implements along a country road. This series was made for children. This plate is part of Colonel William Morgan's bequest to the Royal Institution of South Wales in 1927.


Jersey Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was made at the Cambrian Pottery, Swansea c.1840. The circular plate has a wavy edge with moulded beading and black painted linings. The decoration consists of a view of Mount Orguiel Castle, Jersey, transfer-printed in underglaze black. The reverse of the plate carries the impressed mark of 'Dillwyn Swansea' as well as the transferer's mark 'Y' in black.


Oriental Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1830-40. It is transfer-printed in underglaze blue with an Oriental fishing scene.


Ladies of Llangollen Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1831-50. It is circular, with a lobed edge and is transfer-printed in underglaze brown with the 'Ladies of Llangollen' pattern. This is described by E.Morton Nance in The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarw, "It represents two mounted women in riding habits, one of whom is talking to a man with a scythe, in a valley landscape of wood, lake and stream, village, mill and cows, and a residence in the style of a Norman keep with four corner towers. The pattern was very popular and was used largely for dinner and toilet-ware; the same design was used by the Glamorgan Pottery..." "In 1776 Lady Eleanor Butler [1739-1829] and the Honourable Sarah Ponsonby [1755-1831], left society and from that time on lived an independent and secluded life at Plas-Newydd in the Vale of Llangollen, Denbighshire. It was their custom to ride a great deal and they kept their own flocks. Their house (which certainly did not resemble that represented on the plate), grounds and library were unique, as was also their dress - dark-blue riding habits, stiffly starched neck-cloths and men's hats, with a profusion of brooches and jewellery". (p.150) This plate is impressed 'Dillwyn Swansea' on its base.


Oriental Saucer
Ceramics
This earthenware saucer is ogee-shaped with deep sides. It is decorated in transfer-printed, underglaze blue in a pseudo-Chinese pattern (a pattern which could also be found on the wares of Rogers, Dale Hall and Burslem). It was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1831-50. It is impressed 'Dillwyn Swansea'. In 1831, Lewis Weston Dillwyn put his son Lewis Llewelyn (aged 17) in charge of the pottery. The family home at Penllergaer was just six miles outside Swansea allowing for daily contact between father and son.


White Jug
Ceramics
This plain white earthenware jug was made c.1831-50, the period during which Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn managed the Cambrian Pottery. The jug is octagonal with a protruding waist. The rustic handle is decorated with relief moulding. The flat base is stamped 'Dillwyn Swansea'.


Floral Plate
Ceramics
This earthenware plate was produced at the Cambrian Pottery c.1831-50. It is painted in overglaze colours and has a moulded edge. The decoration consists of simple flowers and foliage with a raised shell and acanthus-leaf border. The period 1831-50 saw the installation, by his father, of Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn as head of the pottery at just seventeen years of age.


Table Engine
Industry
This is a model of a type of vertical cylinder stationary steam engine called a Table Engine. Invented in 1807 by the English engineer, Henry Maudslay (1771-1831) it was more efficient than the old "Walking Beam" engines, allowing a more direct connection between the piston and the crankshaft. Both Maudslay's engine and connecting rod engines similar to it rapidly came into widespread use both in factories and steamships. Henry Maudslay served his apprenticeship under Joseph Bramah. Later he was to devise the slide rest lathe which was used in the making of the tools and machinery needed by Marc Isambard Brunel (father of Isambard Kingdom Brunel) for the manufacture of ships blocks.


Turbo-Alternator
Industry
This is an axial flow steam turbine driving an alternator with an output of 6.6Kv. It was built for Swansea Corporation Power-Station in the Strand by the British Thompson-Houston Company in 1929. It was later transferred to Tir John Power-Station as demand for electricity increased and the need was felt for a much larger power-station.


Deck Taff Rail Log
Nauticalia
This late nineteenth century brass instrument, consisting of a log and a rotator, was trailed over the stern of a vessel on a hemp line. Its spinning motion indicated the distance run, the speed was found by dividing distance by time.


Cutter Model
Nauticalia
This finely constructed hull dates from the late 19th century and is based directly on the hull lines of a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter. The sails and rigging have been added to illustrate the simple cutter rig used on these vessels. Joanna Greenlaw describes in The Swansea Copper Barques and Cape Horners how, "The Bristol pilots, through the Bristol Corporation, claimed pilotage jurisdiction over the greater part of the Bristol Channel, but this was never accepted by Swansea by virtue of the Swansea Harbour Act of1791 (31 George III C. 83). The pilot cutters had to be fast, seaworthy and easy to handle. When putting a pilot aboard a ship it was essential to have a sail rig that could be easily handled while alongside and hoisted again quickly when getting away." (p.201)


Ship Model - Isabella
Nauticalia
This is a model of the topsail schooner, The Isabella. The original vessel was constructed by John Stephens of Appledore, Devon, in 1868, and this model of the vessel was built by Richard Williams of Swansea, before being purchased for the museum collection. The ship traded in wood, nails and general cargo to Prince Edward Island, Canada, she carried fruit from Portugal and also carried Swansea coal outward bound for Nova Scotia.


Bombessa
Nauticalia
These were used by folk in South America for making and drinking Maté, a herbal tea. The Maté leaves and hot water were put into the hollowed, pear-shaped gourd. Once it had infused, the resulting tea was sucked through the decorated metal pipe, which acted as a strainer. The bombessa was brought back to Swansea by a local Cape Horner.


Queen Mary's Yacht
Nauticalia
This shipping diorama depicts Queen Mary's yacht. The model was made by a worker from Harris' Dry Dock in Swansea while the yacht was in for repair.


Beadwork Necklace
Craft Work Jewellery
This necklace is an example of 'sailor-made craft' from the nineteenth century, made by Swansea sailors during rest periods on their long sea voyages and brought back for loved ones.


Beadwork Purse
Nauticalia
This beadwork purse is an example of 'sailor-made craft', made during rest periods on long sea voyages and brought back for loved ones.


Armillary Sphere
Nauticalia
A skeleton model of the celestial sphere, generally with the earth in the centre, showing the equator, poles, tropics, zodiacs, etc., on the outer ring, with inner rings for the sun, moon and planets. It is an instrument dating from the late 14th - early 15th century, designed to give the navigator a knowledge of the arrangement and motions of the heavenly bodies. This brass model was made around 1800.


Turtle Shell
Nauticalia
This turtle shell is typical of the gifts and mementos which sailors brought back from their voyages.


Picture Frame
Nauticalia
This double picture frame, made by a seaman, was delicately constructed from interlocking pieces of carved wood.


Model-12-Gun Revenue Cutter
Nauticalia
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, cutters were used for many purposes, especially where small, fast vessels were required. They were used for coastal passenger carrying, for smuggling, by the 'Revenue' men in pursuit of the smugglers and also in large numbers by the Royal Navy. Many of the naval vessels were built in civilian yards prior to being commissioned into the service. Numerous plans held at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich show that the hull shape and layout was well established in the 18th century and changed little in the 19th century. The cutters used enormous sail areas, the characteristic topsail and foresails allied to a huge gaff mainsail. Many cutters set even more sail canvas, using upper and lower stuntsails, flying jib and 'ringtail' extensions to the mainsail. The handling of such a vessel was a highly skilled business, needing a large and experienced crew, well drilled in the skills of sailing. Whilst these cutters were probably the forerunners of the cutter-rigged yachts of the 19th century, they are very remote from the ocean racers of today. Ordinary working vessels, having to pay their way with cargo and small crews could not carry such huge fore and aft sails, until technology advanced to make better ropes, ironwork and sailcloth and eventually provided steam power to hoist them.


Rum Measure
Nauticalia
This half-pint copper cup with a riveted handle is reputed to have come from a ship at Trafalgar. It was used for the issue of "grog". Grog was the daily issue of rum, diluted with water, given to men in the Royal Navy. The practice began in 1687 following the successful conquest of Jamaica, previously men had been given a ration of brandy. The term 'grog' was taken from the nickname of Admiral Vernon, who in 1740, with a view to reducing drunkeness in the Navy, ordered the daily ration to be diluted with water. Admiral Vernon's nickname was "Old Grogam" after the material from which his boat cloak was made. The grog ration was withdrawn completely in 1970.


Amazonian Parrot
Taxidermy
This Amazonian parrot was brought back from Pernambuco, South America, by Swansea seaman Tom Eynon as a gift for his sister, Freda, in 1912-13. On the parrot's demise in 1921, it was preserved and mounted by James Steer, Corn and Seed Merchant and Bird and Animal Preserver of 8 Alexandra Arcade, Swansea. The museum also holds Mr.Steer's invoice for taxidermy services performed and a receipt for 10/= given in return for the Eynon's deposit put down on a 'parrot in case'.


Air Velometer
Mining
This nineteenth century colliery air meter was designed to measure the flow of air through mines. The instrument is beautifully made (by L.Casella of London) and is so sensitive that the slightest breeze will make the vanes rotate and the dials register. Inscribed on the interior of the lid of the wooden carrying-case is the name Thomas of Birchgrove, dated November 26th, 1889, possibly the instrument's original owner.
Mathematical, optical and scientific instrument maker, Louis Pascal Casella (1809 - 1897) opened a business at 23 Hatton Gardens, London in 1858.


Miner's Dial
Mining
This miner's dial was used as a general purpose surveying instrument until the 1960s. It was made by Webber & Sons, Oxford Street, Swansea in 1902. Webber and Sons were noted local instrument makers.


Navigational Rules
Nauticalia
These are hinged parallel rulers (shown here in the closed position) which were used for plotting courses and positions on maritime charts. The compass printed on a chart is graduated into 360 degrees, with North at zero. By placing one rule on the selected angle of the compass, this same direction could be plotted across the chart, because the second rule would indicate the same angle. This set are inscribed with 'Captn. Field's Improved'.


Sextant
Nauticalia
This instrument is engraved with its maker's name - B. R. Hennessy of Swansea - and is contained in a wooden case made by Felix Martin, the optician and chronometer maker also of Swansea. The set dates from the late nineteenth century (1870-1899). The sextant (which was invented in 1730) was used to determine a ship's position by measuring the altitude of the sun or the stars. It takes its name from an early instrument which had a calibrated arc that was one-sixth of a circle - a graduated sixty-degree arc.