This bean slicer was made about the 1920s by the British firm of Spong & Co. This firm was founded by James Osborn Spong in 1856 in London. James Spong invented over 100 labour-saving devices during his lifetime and his firm became well-known for its production of domestic labour-saving and safety devices, especially its grinding machine and its bean slicer. These domestic items were to be found in most households from the 1880s to the 1950s prior to the advent of electrical items that carried out similar labour-saving processes. This bean slicer is of interest as a reminder of the many labour -saving devices that were available to most women early in the 20th century, even those in the rural and more remote areas in AustraliaThis a heavy metal bean slicer with a circular piece with a rounded cut-out at the top for the insertion of the bean and an attached bolted handle with a wooden top. Attached to the circular top is a circular revolving piece with three cutters. Welded on to the top piece is a metal clamp with a large screw for attaching the slicer to a table or bench. The slicer is painted green and has the name of the manufacturer etched on the top piece.Spong & Co Ltd Made In England No 632 Bean Slicervintage bean slicers, spong & co london, vintage household items

This large bean slicer was first manufactured in the late 1800's in England and exported to Australia. Due to the transportation costs it was not used in many Domestic kitchens. This slicer would have been in a kitchen of a higher socio/economic family within the Kiewa Valley. In the 1930's the manufacturer traded this slicer as "domestic labour-saving slicers". This was the beginning of new generation of the kitchen "gadget". The introduction of the Asian "gadget" manufacturer from the late 1950's saw English export diminish by the cheaper Asian products.This item has great significance because it demonstrates that even "remote rural" locations, such as the Kiewa Valley in the early 1900s still were able to optain "state of the art" labour saving "kitchen" appliances. It was these English and European goods that were made "to last" which brought the mind set "British is best" This mindset was only altered by periods of Australian economic down turns and the cheap Asian product availabilityThis bean slicer is made from cast iron with a round body housing three rotating blades screwed into a riveted spinning base plate. The whole body of this slicer is green with a "natural coloured" handle. A "G" clamp is part of the main frame to fasten the slicer onto a table/counter top (when in use). On the side of the handle and along the top plate "SPONG & Co Ltd" and opposite "BEAN SLICER" below this "No 633"domestic kitchen time savers, food processors, bean slicers

1 x red bean slicer (1930's)Spong & Co Made in England No G32kitchen, appliance, bean slicer,

Cast iron Bean Shredder, hand-cranked with wooden knob on handle.Gesciizlich Geschütztbean slicers

Cast iron, hand-cranked bean shredder, with a wooden handle, on a wooden base.bean slicers

This bean slicer is one of the household labour-saving devices that became increasingly popular in the early to mid 20th century. In those times vegetables such as beans were often grown in the backyard of a house or farm and bean-cutting was a laborious task, especially when providing for a large family. Processed sliced beans were not then freely available.This bean slicer has no known local provenance but is retained as an interesting example of a 20th century household labour-saving device. This is a metal object with a round disc with three metal blades underneath on a turntable for slicing. The blades are attached by six screws. There are two funnels on the top of the disc for inserting the beans. A handle that turns the blades is attached by a screw to the round disc. Attached to the disc also is a vice that enables the slicer to be bolted to a bench or table. The slicer has been painted green but the paint is wearing off and the whole object is rustywarrnambool, bean slicer, household items

Antique cast iron tobacco cutter (almost certainly a McMillan cutter). It is a guillotine style cutter used to cut plugs of tobacco to put into smoking pipes. The cutter is held to a wooden base with screws and has a well worn wooden strker plate. (Originally painted black). May have been used in Anglesea to slice beans.None visible.tobacco cutter

Used in the kitchenMetal frame painted blue, has four holes in base so it can be bolted to a bench. Rotating handle with wooden grip connected to a slicing disc with three slots. Has hole in the front into which a bean is inserted.None

Kitchen gadget used in the 1930s/1940s to be a labour saving deviceGreen metal domestic slicer with three blades on a wheel turned by handle, can be clamped to benchInitials KBC, Cast irondomestic object, kitchen, bean slicer, ken bowes & co ltd, labour saving