Mortar Collection

Diego Velazquez (1599-1660). Old Woman Cooking Eggs, 1618
Diego Velazquez (1599-1660). Spanish Baroque painter. The Old Woman Cooking Eggs, 1618. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Bricklayers 1827
A bricklayer standing on a rather precarious looking scaffold. His assistant mixes mortar behind him; his hod for carrying bricks etc is nearby

Churchill AVRE Tank in France; Second World War, 1944
Photograph showing a Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) tank moving up to the front, France, 1944. The Churchill AVRE tank was equipped with a Petard mortar

Ichthyosaurus as a museum piece
Cartoon of an Ichthyosaurus as a museum piece, in the Ballad of the Ichthyosaurus

London going out of town -- the expansion of London
London going out of town, or, The March of Bricks & Mortar -- Cruikshanks cartoon comment on the expansion of London

Queen Elizabeth visits Lloyds, 1952
Queen Elizabeth II visits Lloyds to lay the foundations tone of their new building in Lime Street. This picture shows her Majesty taking a trowel full of mortar ready to lay the stone

Porthgain lime workings, Pembrokeshire, West Wales
View of Porthgain lime workings on the Pembrokeshire coast, West Wales. Limestone was shipped in from South Pembrokeshire to produce lime

Little Tich
LITTLE TICH (Harry Relph) Music hall entertainer (1867 - 1928), pictured in a school-themed costume with mortar board. Date: c.1905

The Chemist 1827
A chemist with his apprentice in his laboratory. A copper alembic is on his left, to the right a sand heat and a furnace is in the middle. Date: 1827

Emily Davison
The Late Miss E.W Davison Postcard published in commemoration of EMILY DAVISON showing her in academic garb

Periscopes in Trenches
With shells bursting overhead and trench mortar ready, Seaforth Highlanders watch through a periscope for the Germans

Oxford University robes: Proctor (full dress)
A Proctor at Oxford University sporting a mortarboard and long, black gown, with a white fur hood. Date: 1920s

British First Airborne Troops using a mortar, Arnhem; Second
Photograph showing men of the British First Airborne Division using a 3-inch mortar in one of the woods surrounding Arnhem, in Holland, September 1944

The Blackville Medical Man. Yes, dis is a clear case of Difflomania. Wood engraving, American, c1880
SOUTH: ROOT DOCTOR. The Blackville Medical Man. " Yes, dis is a clear case of Difflomania. " Wood engraving, American, c1880

Ww1 / French Mortar
A French shell-launcher

Lionel G. B. Justice Ford, Vanity Fair, Strickland
LIONEL GEORGE BRIDGES JUSTICE FORD (1865-1932) Anglican priest and part-time cricketer who served as Dean of York (1925-1932) after headmasterships at the schools of Repton (1901) and Harrow (1910)

Rev. Edward Hale, Vanity Fair, Spy
Reverend EDWARD HALE (1828- ) Master at Eton College, England, here dressed in gown and mortar board. Caption: Badger Date: 1828-

Cheery Families - Mr Switch the Schoolmaster. 1890s

Mortar Calculations - Fort Wright - Fishers Island, New York
Directing the range of the Mortars - Fort Wright - Fishers Island - New York, USA. Military Cadets using complex higher mathematical formulae and telephone instructions to work out the exact aiming

Beating the Bounds Boats
ENGLAND - BEATING THE BOUNDS Choirboys and dignitaries sailing down the Thames in rowing boats, en route to St. Clement Danes for the beating the parish boundaries ceremony Date: early 1930s

Beating Bounds, 1930
ENGLAND BEATING THE BOUNDS Cheerful choirboys pose with rods prior to beating the parish boundaries at Lincolns Inn, London Date: 1930

SILENT STILL: LABORATORIES. Warner Baxter as Dr. Samuel Mudd, The Prisoner of Shark Island, 1936

C16 CHEMISTs SHOP
MEDICINES WHILE YOU WAIT: a druggist of the 16th century prepares a medicament, pounding the ingredients with pestle and mortar while two customers wait with their dog. Date: circa 1570

Happy Schoolboy Days
Satire on the compulsory education act. Those not attending school are now committing a criminal offence. A truant is put in chains by 2 school board policemen

A woodblock engraving depicting hands using a pestle and mortar, 18th century
5310980 A woodblock engraving depicting hands using a pestle and mortar, 18th century; (add.info.: Date: 1795); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Apothecary in his shop using a mortar and pestle to prepare a medicine. Handcoloured woodcut engraving from The Book of
FLO4577808 Apothecary in his shop using a mortar and pestle to prepare a medicine. Handcoloured woodcut engraving from The Book of English Trades and Library of the Useful Arts.; (add.info)

Austrian soldiers using a 305 mm, mortar during World War One, from The Pageant of the Century, pub.1934
3502758 Austrian soldiers using a 305 mm, mortar during World War One, from The Pageant of the Century, pub.1934; (add.info.: Austrian soldiers using a 305 mm, mortar during World War One)

A Sub-Lime Character, building labourer carrying hod of mortar. Early 19th century (aquatint)
536460 A Sub-Lime Character, building labourer carrying hod of mortar. Early 19th century (aquatint); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Chinese paper-making, second process: workers mixing glue from the hao-teng vine while another pounds farina of rice in
FLO4590201 Chinese paper-making, second process: workers mixing glue from the hao-teng vine while another pounds farina of rice in a pestle and mortar

American Revolution, French 13" Mortar
3031430 American Revolution, French 13" Mortar; Private Collection; (add.info.: French 13" iron siege mortar dated 1772 at Fort Ticonderoga.); © Don Troiani. All Rights Reserved 2023.

Seven Years War- American Revolution, French pattern 1732 bronze mortar
3501352 Seven Years War- American Revolution, French pattern 1732 bronze mortar; Private Collection; (add.info.: French pattern 1732 bronze mortar); © Don Troiani. All Rights Reserved 2022.

Carronade, short piece of naval ordnance with large calibre chamber, like a mortar
530460 Carronade, short piece of naval ordnance with large calibre chamber, like a mortar. Name said to come from Carron Ironworks, Scotland. Wood engraving, c1884.; Universal History Archive/UIG.

Casting a mortar at Grissell's Regent's Canal Ironworks, City Road, London, 1855 (engraving)
538551 Casting a mortar at Grissell's Regent's Canal Ironworks, City Road, London, 1855 (engraving); (add.info.: Casting a mortar at Grissell's Regent's Canal Ironworks, City Road)

The Druggist, using pestle and mortar to grind ingredients. By Jost Amman, 16th century (woodcut)
538125 The Druggist, using pestle and mortar to grind ingredients. By Jost Amman, 16th century (woodcut); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Carronade, short piece of naval ordnance with large calibre chamber, like a mortar
530461 Carronade, short piece of naval ordnance with large calibre chamber, like a mortar. Name said to come from Carron Ironworks, Scotland. Wood engraving, 1850; Universal History Archive/UIG.

American Revolution, British bronze cohorn mortar captured at Stony Pt
3501346 American Revolution, British bronze cohorn mortar captured at Stony Pt; West Point Museum, New York, USA; (add.info)

The beauty of fruit.
Saskia Dingemans

American Revolution, British bronze cohorn mortar captured at Stony Pt
3501347 American Revolution, British bronze cohorn mortar captured at Stony Pt; West Point Museum, New York, USA; (add.info)

Lime Kilns: burning limestone to produce lime for cement and mortar, and for agricultural use. Wood engraving 1872
535996 Lime Kilns: burning limestone to produce lime for cement and mortar, and for agricultural use. Wood engraving 1872; Universal History Archive/UIG.

French grocer and druggist. 16th century (print)
538128 French grocer and druggist. 16th century (print); (add.info.: In foreground a boy uses pestle and mortar to grind ingredients)

King Geo. studies trench bombs, 7 Jul 1917. Creator: Bain News Service
King Geo. studies trench bombs, 7 Jul 1917. British officers explaining trench mortar to King George V and Edward, Prince of Wales at the Trench Warfare School, Helfaut, France during World War I

King George V sees trench bombing, 7 Jul 1917. Creator: Bain News Service
King George V sees trench bombing, 7 Jul 1917. Trench mortar bombardment during King George V's visit to the Gas School, Helfaut, France on July 7, 1917 during World War I.

Austrian 24 cm. mortar captured by Russians, between 1914 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Austrian 24 cm. mortar captured by Russians, between 1914 and c1915. Russian soldiers and civilians with a mortar weapon during World War I.

The Shors demonstrate the main tools for cultivating the land (hoe - "abyl", harrow) and..., 1913
The Shors demonstrate the main tools for cultivating the land (hoe - "abyl", harrow) and grain (hand winnower, mortar, millstone), 1913

Autour de la Bataille; Canon de 138, 6 de la marine, 1918. Creator: Unknown
Autour de la Bataille; Canon de 138, 6 de la marine, 1918. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" [L'Illustration, Paris, 1924]

Autour de la Bataille; Mortier de 370, 1918. Creator: Unknown
Autour de la Bataille; Mortier de 370, 1918. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" [L'Illustration, Paris, 1924]

Lighting a mortar in an armoured battery, 1832, (1833). Creator: Auguste Raffet
Lighting a mortar in an armoured battery, 1832, (1833). Batterie de mortiers blindee - Etabli sur la Courtine qui joint le Bastion de Tolede au Bastion Pacioto'

Mallet's Three-Foot Mortar, 1857. Creator: Unknown
Mallet's Three-Foot Mortar, 1857. British shell-firing mortar built for the Crimean War, but never used in combat. Mr

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"Mortar: A Timeless Binding Force" Throughout history, it has served as a powerful symbol of unity and progress. From the vibrant brushstrokes of Diego Velazquez's masterpiece "Old Woman Cooking Eggs" to the diligent bricklayers in 1827, this versatile substance has played an integral role in shaping our world. In times of war, mortar took on new meaning as it propelled the Churchill AVRE Tank through the battlefields of France during World War II. Its strength and resilience became synonymous with courage and determination. Yet, mortar's significance extends beyond conflict. It found its place among ancient fossils like the Ichthyosaurus, standing proudly as a museum piece that bridges past and present. Even Queen Elizabeth herself recognized its importance when she visited Lloyds in 1952, acknowledging how it binds nations together. As London expanded outward, mortar became a cornerstone of growth and development. The Porthgain lime workings in West Wales stand testament to its ability to transform landscapes and build communities from scratch. But mortar is not just about grandeur; it also celebrates individuality. Little Tich danced his way into hearts using his unique style while showcasing how even small fragments can create something extraordinary when combined with care. Science too owes much to this humble material - whether it be depicted by "The Chemist" in 1827 or utilized for periscopes in trenches during wartime surveillance - demonstrating its versatility across various fields. Mortar witnessed pivotal moments throughout history – none more impactful than Emily Davison's brave act at the Epsom Derby which sparked change for women's rights worldwide. In her sacrifice lies a reminder that sometimes we must break down barriers before we can rebuild stronger foundations. Finally, within Oxford University robes worn by Proctors stands another testament to tradition upheld by mortar – reminding us that knowledge is built upon centuries-old wisdom passed down through generations. From artistry to warfare, expansion to individuality, it has been the binding force that holds our world together.