Chubb cast iron plate

1036emperor

Hello everyone,

I’m a new member and have just purchased a cast iron Chubb plate. The seller told me it was recovered from Chubb’s actual premises after an air raid in 1941(?) had bombed the building. Can anyone advise if this is from a safe,or from some other item the firm manufactured please?

Tom Gordon

I believe that this quite a large plate which would probably been on a lower quality Chubb vault door. Good find!

1036emperor

Thanks Tom,that is very interesting.If the story I was told is correct,perhaps this item came from one of Chubb’s own fixtures inside their own building.Apparently it was saved by an employee as the building was in ruins,and the firm had to re-locate to another part of London after this.

Huw Eastwood

Chubb’s famous 128 Queen Victoria Street premises were indeed destroyed during an air-raid, in 1940 if memory serves me right.

I think they had two strong rooms, both of which were basic in terms of strength and security.
‘Standard quality’ and ‘Book room quality’ spring to mind, And amazingly both held up and basically saved the company by protecting all their records.
Proving the plate is one of these actual ones removed, assuming this is the story the seller is referring to, would I imagine be the tricky part, but its a nice example whatever its history and makes a change to see different from the usual brasses- a good find.