Blackpool UK trivet

This interesting trivet was purchased from the United Kingdom in August of 2022. It’s not documented in any of my reference books, including A Collector’s Guide To Trivets & Stands (Kelly & Ellwood, 1990) or British Iron Stands (Hazel Mitchell, 1991).

The design depicts the Blackpool Tower and associated buildings at the base, all of which opened in 1894. At 518 feet, Blackpool tower is half the height of the Eiffel Tower, which was its inspiration. This iconic attraction has been well preserved, remains open to the public, and is very popular.

The trivet

● Cast of bronze, measuring 9″ x 4 3/16″ with three 1 1/4″ legs. Weight = 13 ounces.

● Note the intricate tooling of both the tower and the building facade.

● No cast mark can be identified. No identifying numbers or lettering.

● Backcoping to the reverse, within the handle and heart. (Copper wire hanging loop in use.)

I was curious about how this trivet was constructed and whether it might be one-of-a-kind (OOAK). I contacted eBay UK Seller trinitytrove2014 and received this response.

I am a metallurgist by training and worked in the steel industry for ten years before becoming an antique dealer.

The sections on the back looked as though they were soldered together. This is not how it was done. Three separate sections have been pressed into a sand mould to form the iron stand mould. These all join, so when the bronze was poured it made one casting.

This is a sound trivet. There are no cracks or damage to the original casting. No repairs. A very fine bit of casting for one finished item. It would have been difficult to mass produce. I don’t think there were many made.

If anyone has further information on this design, or an  example in their collection, please Comment below.