Blacksmiths in front of the anchor forge, Söderfors Bruk. Jarnets Metallurgy, Sweden

Chain smiths at Ramnäs Bruk. Jarnets Metallurgy, Sweden

Ship anchor from the year 1676, set up in Söderfors park (made in Söderfors).

  I had to translate the descriptions so they might not be right.  First time I tried that, of course.  If they have been shown on here before, sorry about that.

Great pictures Scott, thanks for sharing them.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

Great pics Scott. Notice the bigger the hammer the more grim the expressions? 

Nobody smiled in old glass plate photos because you can't hold a smile for the length of exposure without cramping. A frown is as close to relaxed as the human face gets. 

How many of these old pics do you have Scott? You seem to always have a couple good ones on tap, I saved a bunch of the locomotive pics you've PMed me.

Frosty The Lucky.

I was thinking the same thing about those big ole hammers Frosty. Isn't it amazing what people can make by hand? Most things I make I make are itty bitty lol. 

Great pictures Scott

  Glad you like them Irondragon.  I will post some more.

  Frosty, I got some pretty good ones of how they tested re-built steam cylinders and stored them.  You might be interested.  Btw, just so you know there was such a thing as "fish trains"...

  Fun to look back, CGL, and glad people like to see these thing...

I'd love to see the pics Scott. Have one of a fish train?

I'm sending this with crossed fingers that the forum is back online. 

Frosty The Lucky.

I very much enjoy looking at these old photos. I've found photos and old film online of blacksmithing, ship building, construction, your name it. I love looking back at how strong hands and backs built this country. The whole world for that matter.  Please keep these great snapshots of history coming

If you respect/enjoy strong backs and muscle that built our world listen to "The Tribes of the Working Draft" by Michael Longcor.  Here is the link:

 

Ooo thank you George! I will definitely give it a watch

That makes me think of a time a few years ago when I went outside one morning and found a donkey and a Haflinger grazing in my yard. We had no idea where they came from. We housed them with our goats for a couple of days and finally tracked down their owners down the road and around the curve for us. They came and she used her car to lead the horse back and my little granddaughter got to ride him to their house. She was only about 4 years old and the only time in her short life she got to ride. That's a sad, but good memory for me

Thank you George, that is a moving video, I'll probably watch it a few times a night. I've spent a little time with Drafts. The ones I met were all gentle giants who would be your best friend for a carrot or a hearty scratching. One was pretty aloof and cost a carrot to pet but the other two actually liked people.

Memories from kidhood, good times. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

  I thank you to Geoerge.  I had the good fortune to visit a logger here and stand next to a Percheron.  My 82 yro mom even stepped up and scratched his forehead.  She was a farm girl though and rode cows around for fun as a youngster.  The fellow still uses them for work, clearing land.  He showed me all his tack and and tackle.  

  Here's some more pictures.

Picture showing guild activity. Group picture of men in lecture hall, blacksmiths in 1918.

  There is one of these similar rollers that is at the flea market every week but he won't budge on it.

 

I love these. Especially the last one. I can just imagine the wisdom of that old man would be vast

You have a serious library of old timey photos don't you Scott, thanks again.

Chellie, if you look at the fellow's expression in the background I can imagine him thinking, "Oh NO, old Rosco's measuring something again."

Frosty The Lucky.

Haha Frosty, you're right. I hadn't noticed the expression on that guy's face 

  I bought a box of old photo's at a farm sale years ago, apparently it was the end of the family line and nobody wanted them, and got hooked.  Lot's of combine/ threshing and harvest photo's but some from the farm smithy. 

  A lot of them are from on line, in public domain (to best of my knowledge), but I have bought the right's a few times, for special ones.  I have a lot of old family ones too.  Rosco's helper might be tired of trying to keep up with him?

  Here's a interesting way of turning the stock?

 

In truth I suppose the fellow in the background is looking at the person taking the photo. 

It does look like they're using a wrench to turn the stock in the press/hammer. I'd have to guess it's a press, there are at least 4 rams and I'm not sure about the smaller one between the two closer ones in the main machine. IIRC it's a small hammer for dressing tools or making small parts. The hammer driver is standing out of sight though I'm not sure where that'd be. 

Something for new folks to notice when looking at old photos is how few wore eye protection. Through history blacksmiths are usually portrayed as one eyed and wearing a patch, including Hepheastus and Zeus.

Wicked cool photos, thanks Scott.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

 

 

Interesting, I'm pretty sure whatever is on the cart is HOT but is it slag or hot iron headed for the hammer, rolls, etc.? I THINK the fellows standing next to the class are getting ready to slap tongs on it and put it under the hammer but . . . 

Thanks again Scott.

Frosty The Lucky.

It is most probably a bloom that would be transported to a press or hammer with such a cart. Directly into the rolling mills wouldn't work, I think.

You can spot one of the likes in one of my favourite works on the topic, Adolph Menzels "Eisenwalzwerk" (eng.: [iron] rolling mill). On the left hand side you can see a worker transporting a readily prepared block of iron/steel to the rollers.

 

Cheers!

That's a great picture, thanks Julian. Zooming in a little it seems most folk have a pipe in their teeth and no safety glasses. A number are stripped to the waist and wetting down with water and on the bottom right having lunch. 

Lots of action though I doubt the werkz would be that crowded, I cringe at the thought of so many people working with HOT and dangerous equipment wigh hardly a step between them. Artistic license makes for good paintings.

Frosty The Lucky.

Common sense, safety, and factory work are not necessarily collocated, even in this enlightened age. That maybe bloom on the cart makes me think of the yelling in A Christmas Story that we never understood as a kid - when the Yosemite Sam cursing dad finally figures out what's wrong with the coal furnace and triumphantly yells "IT'S A CLINKER!!!!!!!"

If you enjoy "A Christmas Story" you should read the original which is a chapter in a book called "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by Jean Shepard.  Here is a link to Jean Shepard relating a somewhat edited version:  

 

I have always enjoyed Jean Shepard because his tales of growing up in Hohman, IN (actually Hammond, IN, Hohman Ave. is the main drag in Hammond) are, in many ways, similar to my growing up near the steel mills on the South Side of Chicago.  One time I was reading aloud to Madelynn while she was driving from Shepard's "Wanda Hicky's Night of Golden Memories" (a tale about going to the prom) and I got her laughing so hard she had to stop the car to recover.

G

Thanks George, that's two good reads and a listen today! You're on a roll Brother.

Frosty The Lucky.

He certainly puts on a 1940s radio theater program, I even recognize some of the commercials. The General Tire commercial was pretty much unchanged when I started noticing them. His pose for the cover photo is disturbing though. 

Frosty The Lucky.

There are quite a number of his tales on You Tube.  He had a weekly broadcast in NYC in the '50s and '60s.  He also has a number of books (available on Amazon in either print or audio) which cover the same stories but I don't know which came first.  The audio versions could be ideal for a road trip.

Years ago I would often drive from Riverton, WY to Salt Lake City, UT (about 5 hours) on Friday nights after I got off work.  I'd listen to KSL which had about 2-3 hours of radio drama on Friday evenings and I found that those hours of the trip went the fastest.

G