Samuel Withers and Co. Ltd, West Bromwich safe plate

Arcade Al

This plate was taken from a disused RAF base in the UK, the building that it was in dates to the 1930s but the safe could be older?

Fortunately it survived because it’s had a thick layer of black paint applied and so it wasn’t too obvious that it’s brass. All the other safes and vaults on the site have had their plates removed by persons unknown…
:@:

Timbo

Very common Withers plate. should clean up nice..

Arcade Al

Any idea on date please?

In theory I can probably get the rest of the safe (and another one without plate) if I can get the demolition people to remove them out of the solid brick column that they are mounted in!
Not sure if it’s worth bothering though…
:=-:

Timbo

I would suggest that early 1900’s was somewhere right on date for this plate.
If the actual safe is in very good condition, it might be worth salvaging, if it is open. If so, make sure the door operates fine and doesn’t bind as the hinges can wear and cause the door to drop, dragging in the bottom of the frame.
Hope this helps
Tim

Arcade Al

Thanks Tim, that’s most helpful. I assume the Ministry must have re-used earlier safes in the later building, that does make sense.

The two safes are not unusually mounted in a corner but in a brick column set at an angle into the corner, it’s a very strange method. Unfortunately I don’t seem to have a picture. From memory one is open and one is locked. I will do my best to salvage them when demolition takes place.

Tom Gordon

Arcade Al wrote
The two safes are not unusually mounted in a corner but in a brick column set at an angle into the corner, it’s a very strange method.

Corner fireplaces were quite common and then it would have been easy to let the safes into the chimney breast when they no longer wanted the open fire perhaps.

[unknown]

Arcade Al

Tom Gordon wrote
Corner fireplaces were quite common and then it would have been easy to let the safes into the chimney breast when they no longer wanted the open fire perhaps.

That does make a lot of sense but I don’t think it was the case with this one. It may even have been built like that from when the building was new. I will see if I can get a copy of the plans.

[unknown]