Interesting radiators in Edinburgh

dgn

I thought this might be of interest to radiant heat fans on the forum. I was recently in Edinburgh at the Nation Museum and, in addition to many interesting exhibits, found these radiators fascinating. They are found throughout the older building of the museum and appear to be hot water rads. They were heating up.

ratio

Sure are pretty. Interestingly, there seems to be two different castings, one with a bung for a bleeder, and one without. Even more interesting are the bleeders installed in some of the bungs, but not others. And yet more interesting is the order of the castings with the bungs!

Jamie Hall

They do work! That's a wonderful museum, by the way — if you are ever in Edinburgh, do visit. It's worth the time.

HeatingHelp.com

Thanks for sharing, @dgn! They are beautiful.

We spotted some of these in Washington, DC. Here's a video:

https://youtu.be/I0ScIA3gH_o?si=tUDKXY6m53LjMENb

And @Nick_Castrads shared more photos of these types of radiators in the National Museum of Scotland in the link below. They are circular American Radiator Company Perfection radiators.

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/198392/circular-radiators-in-scotland

KC_Jones

If you like that, you'll love the ones at the Henry Ford Museum.

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/170619/heating-at-the-henry-ford

dgn

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1904518#Comment_1904518

Oh, even better photos - thanks!

Steamhead

The Perfection radiator is shown in this 1897 catalog from American Radiator Co.- go to page 55 of the PDF:

https://www.heatinghelp.com/systems-help-center/american-radiator-company-catalog-1897/

The larger radiator manufacturers in this country all had export offices here, and partners or subsidiaries in other countries. I have a 1904 catalog from American Radiator's British subsidiary that shows these Perfection rads- interestingly, in the U.K. they were only offered in circular (as in the museum) curved, corner and dining-room (with a space for keeping plates or food warm) types.

The London office and showroom was at "89 and 90, Shoe Lane, London, E.C.". The boiler and radiator warehouse was shown as "Silvertown, London, E."- no specific street address though. This particular catalog contains a price sheet showing discounts that was provided to "Rushton Proctor & Co., Ltd, Shear Ironworks, Lincoln". The catalog does not list any other facilities they might have had there.

@dgn and anyone else reading this in the U.K.- do any of these places still exist?

Nick_Castrads

@Steamhead some of the buildings do still exist but unfortunately none of the foundries are still operational. The two biggest UK foundries were both American-owned - Crane in Ipswich and NRC / Ideal (ARC subsidiary) in Hull. I have a friend whose father grew up in Hull, very close by, and remembers hearing the bell ringing for the shift patterns at the ARC / NRC / Ideal foundry!

The National Radiator Company building in London - Palladium House, formerly Ideal House - was styled very much after the ARC Building in Bryant Square by the same architect, Raymond Hood. Here's a terrible, drunken, end of night photo from our 2022 Christmas staff party in London when us radiator lovers stumbled upon that very buillding!

Steamhead

Looks like good times, @Nick_Castrads ………..

I suppose somewhere along the line, "American Radiator" didn't sit well with some folks there, so they changed the name. It would be interesting to read an account of that change. I've read the British Post Office was looking at using AT&T's first big-city telephone switching system for use in London after its success in New York City, but their factory was in Antwerp so that killed the deal. BTW, that operation later became part of ITT.

Some of American Radiator's buildings still exist here. I still haven't found the one in Baltimore:

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/166575/american-radiator-company-building

mattmia2

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1904652#Comment_1904652

look in the polk directories and find the address then look on google street view.

HeatingHelp.com

That Polk directory is a neat tool, @mattmia2. Looks like it was at 336 N. Charles St. Cheers! -Andrew

Steamhead

Thanks! And to remove all doubt, VERnon is one of the downtown phone exchanges- it's now called 410-837.