The firm of Alexander Shanks & Sons Ltd of Arbroath, were engineers, founders and boiler makers the company was incorporated in the year 1893. At the Dens Iron Works, purchased by the firm in the same year, a wide variety of products was manufactured including cranes, hoists, pumps and lawnmowers. In the 1960s the firm was taken over by Alexander Shanks (1801-1845) was an Inventor of the modern lawnmower, who lived in Arbroath Scotland. While credit is usually given to the Englishman Edwin Budding (1795-1846) for the invention of the lawnmower, it is Shanks' machine which was the direct predecessor of the modern mower. Shanks' innovation was a machine which rolled the grass as well as mowing it. Although Shanks himself died at a young age, his son showed the mowers at the Great Exhibition in 1851 which led to a successful business that continued into the 20th century, supplying mowers to cut the tennis courts of Wimbledon, the cricket grounds at Lords and the Old golf course at St Andrews. The firm was also well known for the manufacture of portable steam engines and steam cranes. In 1968, the company was taken over by Giddings & Lewis Fraser Ltd, Engineers of Arbroath. The subject item is a good example of an early lawn mower made by the company that is credited with being the first to patent and manufacture such a machine. The company Alexander Shanks founded was known throughout the world as significant manufactures of large steam machines used from the middle of the 19th century to the first quarter of the 20th century. The subject item is now regarded as a collector's item.Lawnmower, cast iron handles has two wooden ends and two wooden rollers at front. Blades driven by chain fixed to metal roller. Shanks's Standard Chain. Shanks's Standard Chain Arbroth London. Alex Shanks & Sons Ltd Engineers Arbroth Londonflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, hand mower, lawn mower, mower, shanks, arboth