Victorian-era coal-hole covers were ornately designed even for utilitarian objects, with different designs found on houses along the same street. Interest in these covers grew from the 1960s onward, with exhibits of collected covers and rubbings. Today, people still observe the variety of designs and manufacturers' stamps on surviving coal-hole covers in places like Stoke Newington, though some designs are rarer than others. People also notice that photographers drawing attention to the covers raise suspicions.

1. The Beauty of Victorian
Coal-Hole Covers
Amir Dotan
www.StokeNewingtonHistory.com

6. Manhole covers are everywhere

7. But coal-hole covers are too
beautiful and historical to ignore

9. Form and function

10. Even the most utilitarian and mundane objects of
the Victorian home were ornate and decorative

14. James Matts, Iron and Steel Merchants, General and Builders’ Ironmonger, 107 Star Street, London W2

18. “British pedestrians can be divided into
those who gaze at the sky, those who
eye pretty girls, and those who walk with
heads bowed looking for old and rare
manhole covers.”
(T. Cullen, 1962)

19. 1962
Victor Musgrave, poet, art
dealer and curator
exhibited 40 coal-hole
covers from his collection
in a Mayfair galley

20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL82WFh6TMo&t=

22. 1975
Display of coal-hole
rubbings taken in Chelsea;
from an exhibition at the
Central Library of rubbings
by Lily Goddard
Photos: Top: John Rodgers, Bottom: Laurence Goddard
(Source: Coalhole Rubbings - The Story of Artefacts in our
Streets by Lily Goddard)

23. 1978
Opercula exhibition at
Heffers Bookshop,
Cambridge of coal-hole
rubbings by Lily Goddard
Photos: Gwil Owen
(Source: Coalhole Rubbings - The Story of Artefacts in our
Streets by Lily Goddard)

24. 1978 Opercula exhibition at Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge of coal-hole rubbings by Lily Goddard

28. https://hiddencityphila.org/2018/01/from-prints-to-trivets-art-imitates-life-of-manhole-covers/

29. Coal-hole cover stamps by 3D Designer-Maker Hannah Cameron twitter.com/hancam14

30. Coal-hole cover stamps by 3D Designer-Maker Hannah Cameron twitter.com/hancam14

31. https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/03/pentagrams-overlooked-highlights-the-beauty-of-londons-manhole-covers.html

34. Photos courtesy of twitter.com/Subversivite

35. Photos courtesy of twitter.com/Stroudgreenguy

36. Photo courtesy of twitter.com/Stroudgreenguy

37. I wonder how many coal-hole
designs can be found in Stoke
Newington!

38. Typical Stoke Newington Victorian street

40. Some designs are very
common
Others are very rare…
Observation #1

41. Houses along a street
typically have different
coal-hole cover designs
Observation #2

42. People are suspicious
when they notice you
taking a photo of their
coal-hole cover
Observation #3

49. Badged (Ironmonger of foundry)
Shapes only
Circles only
Circles in circles
Doily
Glass
Star
Misc

50. Badged / Circles only

51. Badged / Circles in circle

52. Badged / Circles in circle

53. Badged / Doily

54. Badged / Glass
Rare!

55. Badged / Star

56. Badged / Misc

57. Badged / Misc
Rare!

58. Badged / Misc

59. Badged / Misc
Rare!

60. Shapes only

61. Shapes only
Rare!

62. Shapes only

63. Shapes only

68. Thank you