A complexity of coppersmiths
Week 57 I’ve been trying to sort out the company history of the Pontifex family of coppersmiths, well known in the 19th century for their splendid brewing coppers, like the two by Pontifex and Wood at the former Ram Brewery in Wandsworth. There were many, many Pontifexs (must be Pontifexes surely?) and since I don’t … Continue reading
The sands of time
Week 56 Good progress on writing this last few weeks, as the weather (today it is pouring slush) prevents practically anything else. Finished chapter 5 yesterday, bang on time, so that’s three-fifths of the book done – aside from the dreaded captions. So four shortish chapters to go, the first on power in the brewery, … Continue reading
A brewery on the mat
Week 55 Half way through the chapter on brewers’ engineers and their manufactures – have sorted out the history of the various Pontifex firms, as best I can, and looked at all the other big firms – Briggs, Worssam and so on; just have to look at what they made now – coppers, mash tuns … Continue reading
Only here for the beer
Week 54 To continue the New Year cheer, here’s an irresistible comic card which immediately says ‘brewery’ – must be those towers and chimneys. The artist was Rollo Paterson (1892-1978), Scottish but born in Australia, a dedicated painted who designed comic and other cards to make himself enough money to carry on painting. He worked … Continue reading
Built for Brewing 