There must be billions of them in the world. We pass them every day. We walk on them. We do not take any notice of them. They are heavy, and usually made of cast iron. They come in many different shapes, sizes and patterns. Look, and you will find them everywhere.
What are they? MANHOLE COVERS, that provide access to local service systems such as water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications.
Post photos of any interesting ones you find here.
Raphael Nadolny
Sicily, around the city of Syracuse ..... this summer.

Aug 18, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Sicily, around the city of Syracuse ..... this summer.
Aug 19, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Sicily, around the city of Syracuse ..... this summer.
Aug 20, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Sicily, around the city of Syracuse ..... this summer.
Aug 22, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM DAVID HERMAN, COPENHAGEN; DENMARK
Aug 22, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM DAVID HERMAN, VEIJE; DENMARK
Aug 26, 2022
Bradford
The swirly one looks like a crop circle; mesmerizing.
Aug 26, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
Two manhole covers at railway station Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena, the Netherlands. Who also function as bubblegum collecting item.
Aug 26, 2022
Carien van Hest
Aug 30, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
Bonsoir Carien!
This 'block' of 9 is fantastic.
Did you find and photo them all yourself?
If so, will it be possible for you to send me some of them in a larger format?
Many thanks, Val
Aug 30, 2022
Bradford
Aug 31, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVER PHOTO EXHIBITION -- SIGEAN, FRANCE, WINTER/SPRING 2023
I am considering having a photo exhibition of Manhole Covers in Sigean, France (where I live) sometime next year.
I would like to include some of the Manhole Covers you have been kind enough to share with our Group. In the notes accompanying the exhibition I will acknowledge who has taken each photo, and where the Manhole Cover is located.
If you do NOT want any of your Manhole Covers to be included in the exhibiiion please let me know.
If I do not hear from you by the end of September I will assume that it's OK to include your Manhole Covers in the exhibition. And for that I thank you in advance.
I'll provide more information about the exhibition later.
(Next week I'm going to Holland for a few days and hope to find some interesting Manhole Covers there.)
Sep 7, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
Such a nice idea, Val!
You can use my photos if you want (although the manhole covers on my photos aren’t the most exciting/beautiful/interesting..).
Sep 7, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
Thanks Heleen -- that's very gracious of you. I have about 400 photod of Manhole Covers so far, and it won't be easy to select those I will exhibit. It depends on the location -- there are 2 possibilities, one large in which I could show about 40 (I have enough frames for them); the other smaller, in which I could show about 20-25. And as you say, some are better/more interesting, more beautiful, etc than others. Regards, Val
Sep 8, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
THREE FROM PORTO, PORTUGAL -- OBRIGADA, PENN COATE
Sep 12, 2022
Carien van Hest
À coté de ll’autoroute du Soleil:
Sep 14, 2022
Carien van Hest
Encore en France:
Sep 21, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM BAANHOLT IN THE NETHERLANDS AND LANAKEN IN BELGIUM
Sep 28, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
How funny, there is a manhole cover from Weert (a city in the south east of the Netherlands), too in the city Bilthoven (in the middle of the country)
Sep 28, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
Some manhole covers in The Hague (NL)
And an unfortunate one sighing under heavy load):
Sep 28, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
WHO IS PAM? CARIEN MIGHT KNOW (see her posting on 21 September). SHE (PAM, that is, but maybe Carien as well) GETS AROUND
From Maastricht ( the Netherlands)
She's also been seen in Sigean (France)
And again in Sigean
Sep 29, 2022
Carien van Hest
I am not Pam
Sep 29, 2022
Carien van Hest
She is from the European Union though:
Sep 29, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
ANOTHER EU MANHOLE COVER. Note the direction of the arrow: downwards. So this obviously a post-Brexit manhole cover
Sep 29, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
I AM NOT SURE THAT THIS IS A MANHOLE COVER (from Maastricht's Vrijthof) BUT IT SORT OF LOOKS LIKE ONE...AND IT'S ANDRE'S 73rd BIRTHDAY TODAY.
Happy Birthday, André (who is a violinist and conductor)
Oct 1, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
Happy birthday to André :-)
I think your photo fits well here, too.
By the way, it is World Postcard Day today, too.
Oct 1, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
A manhole cover in Alkmaar, a city in the west of the Netherlands ,
with the name Doetinchem, a city in the east of the Netherlands:
There were too many bikes lying on the floor due to a strong wind, too many to put them up all.. anyhow, bicycle wheels appear to be nice, semi-transparent manhole-cover-covers.
Oct 1, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
ANOTHER ONE FROM MAASTRICHT 5the Netherlands)
Oct 6, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVER AND/OR SOME SORT OF E-BIKE CHARGING POST? (rom Maastricht, the Netherlands)
Oct 8, 2022
Carien van Hest
Val, this is a water tap point.
Oct 8, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań (Posen)......
Oct 18, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Rzeszów, town in south-east part of Poland....
Oct 19, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Examples from Piła (Schneidemühl), a town halfway between Poznań (Posen) and the Baltic coast. Until 1945, it was German Reich territory.
Oct 20, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
Finally found a manhole cover in Amsterdam
which says it is from/in Amsterdam:
Oct 21, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
1 cover, 2 covers
Oct 21, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
Thanks Heleen.
Do you have any idea why (and when?) Dutch towns and companies put their names on Manhole Covers?
When i was in Maastricht (and two neighboring villages) last month, I found various Covers that included Terborg, Weert, Dordrecht -- but none from Maastricht.
I keep meaning to look at the design, manufacture and placement of Manhole Covers, but haven't got roud to it....yet.
Oct 21, 2022
Raphael Nadolny
Example form Poznań (Posen).....
Oct 26, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
WAVY GRAVY MANHOLE COVER FROM SIGEAN, FRANCE
Nov 3, 2022
Heleen de Vaan
Great finding! And matching with mail: it looks as if it is a (part of a) postMark!
Nov 3, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
OSLO, NORWAY, MANHOLE COVER WITH CITY'S COAT OF ARMS, from NICKOLAS ASK
Nov 7, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO MANHOLE COVERS IN SIGEAN ABOUT TO BE REPAIRED
More photos of these Covers to follow later
Nov 10, 2022
Bradford
Mais, bien sûr!
Nov 13, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM JIMMY ISAKSSON IN SWEDEN
Nov 25, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
OPEN MANHOLE COVERS IN CHENNAI, INDIA, FROM VIDJA
Nov 29, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
LONDON, ENGLAND, MANHOLE COVER FROM THOMAS SERRE
Dec 3, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVER WORK IN SIGEAN, FRANCE
This was the situation a few days ago: two Manhole Covers about to be repaired (or something)
This is where the other Manhole Cover used to be, but now it has gone. Where to??
wonder?
(Post and Package extra: it's very heavy)
Dec 6, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM JACKIE SERRE, BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Dec 6, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM VIDJA JAYAPRAKASH, CHENNAI, INDIA
Dec 10, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
Dear Raphael, Where are you and are you OK? You haven't sent us any Manhle Cover photos for 6 or so weeks, and I'm wondering how you are? Regards, Val
Dec 13, 2022
Valentine Mark Herman
ANOTHER SELECTION OF SWEDISH MANHOLE COVERS FROM JIMMY ISAKSSON
Dec 13, 2022