Object number
66/277
Description
This watercress basket, known as a ‘half-pad’ in Surrey and a ‘half-flat’ in Essex, was used to collect watercress from the beds and send it to market. It was used by R. Coe and Sons, a family firm of watercress growers in Gomshall and Abinger Hammer, Surrey. Watercress baskets like these were superseded by chip baskets. This basket is coarsely made of brown willow and wire. It is rectangular in shape, with a slightly domed lid, and has a twisted handle at each end and two finger holes in the front.
Physical description
1 basket with lid: willow, metal
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: Basket (watercress) (unknown maker) // Acc. No.: 66/277 // Group: MARKETING. Vegetables // Neg. no.: 60/7892 60/9974 // Place of origin: Essex // Period in use: Still in use. Pre-1900 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Brown willow. Wire // Shape and construction: Oblong hamper coarsely made. Bottom: 5 sticks. Sides: 6 & 8 stakes = 28. Border: 4-beh [behind]-2. Slewed. Twisted handle each end. 2 finger-holes in front. Cover: Made on a wire frame. 4 sticks. Randed. Slightly domed. // Dimensions: 12” wide. 16” long. 7” deep. // Use: At Abinger Hammer, Surrey for dispatch of watercress to market. Returnable. // Dialect names: “1/2-FLAT” in Surrey “1/2-PAD” in Essex // Distribution: General in the past. // Additional notes: Now superseded by chip baskets.'
Production date
1966
Object name
Material
Technique
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_7892.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\66_277_cob.tif - High resolution image
