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.
Valentine Mark Herman
MORE MANHOLE COVERS FROM WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND -- FROM DAVE SANDERS
Dec 31, 2023
Raphael Nadolny
Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia, manhole "made in GDR", imported from DDR during communist time.
Jan 4, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS, WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND -- FROM DAVE SANDERS
Jan 10, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM BOGOTA? COLOMBIA, SENT BY BRIAN O'K
Feb 10, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poland - Warsaw.
Feb 11, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Examople from Poland - Warsaw.
Feb 14, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań/Posen - Poland.
Feb 22, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
Many thanks, Carl.
Great covers.
Can you tell us, please, where you found them?
Regards, Val
Feb 23, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań/Posen - Poland.
Feb 27, 2024
Heleen de Vaan
Manhole cover in Diemen (pronounced as dee-men), a city close to Amsterdam. I never knew that Diemen has three ducks in their coat of arms until I saw this manhole cover :-)
Feb 27, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND -- SENT BY JOANNE BRUNT-BOWCOCK
We have lots of Manhole Covers from Wivenhoe sent by Alan Brignull, Dave Sanders and now Joanne Brunt-Bowcock. Why is Wivenhoe so polular? It's where the Ubiversity of Essex is located, and where Alan, Dave, Joanne and I have all been associated with.
Feb 28, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw, Poland.
Mar 4, 2024
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Found another manhole cover with STARS:
and it has a tiny "heart", too...see it? From 2010-2011
Mar 11, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw.....
Mar 18, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Examples from Warsaw, Poland.
Mar 25, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
FOUR GREEK ONES FROM JOANNE
Mar 27, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- with Sydney Harbour Bridge -- FROM ADAM CARPENTER
Mar 28, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
THREE GREEK MANHOLE COVERS FROM PROFESSOR THEMIS BOWCOCK
Apr 5, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
DID YOU KNOW YOU ARE AN 'OPERCULIST?
Extract from an article in The Independent (of UK) newspaper of 26 September, 2015
"Drain-spotting is not a new hobby. An article published in a newspaper in the United States in 1962 declares that Britain “is full of operculists”, a term derived from operculum, meaning fish gill cover. The article also noted that the poet and art dealer Victor Musgrave actually collected coal-hole covers “like some people collect Picassos”.
“My object,” said Musgrave as he showed off 40 of his choicest specimens at a gallery in Mayfair in 1962, “is to force people to look at coal-hole covers and to admire them. After all, our streets are full of them, and children use them for hopping and jumping games."
Apr 8, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Prague, Czech Republic, "Hlavni Nadrazi" - with main train station.
Apr 11, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM JIMMY ISAKSSON IN THAILAND. MOST OF OUR MANHOLE COVERS ARE ROUND OR SQUARE AND OF A HIGH STANDARD. THIS ONE ISN'T ANY OF THOSE -- BUT IT IS A MANHOLE COVER, OF SORTS. TAK JIMMY!
Apr 16, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO MORE WEIRD OENS FROM JIMMY ISAKSSON IN THAILAND
Apr 17, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM VERBANIA, ITALY, FROM ANTONIO BLANCO
Apr 26, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw, Poland.
May 6, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM ANNE IN PARIS -- MERCY BUCKETS!
May 7, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
ADVANCE WARNING: COMING SOON....
.... THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY, FRIDAY 31 MAY
A JOINT IUOMA AND DULL MEN'S CLUB EVENT
DETAILS AND A REQUEST FOR ONE OR MORE PHOTOS OF MANHOLE COVERS WILL BE SENT LATER
MEANWHILE, DO MARK THIS DATE IN YOUR DIARY!
May 7, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM SERBIA -- SERNT BY ZORICA OBRVADOVIC: Хвала вам!
May 8, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw, Poland.
May 12, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań / Posen, Poland.
May 20, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
SECOND ADVANCE WARNING: NEXT WEEK....
.... THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY, FRIDAY 31 MAY
A JOINT IUOMA AND DULL MEN'S CLUB EVENT
To support the First International Manhole Cover Day on Friday 31 May (date suggested by Carien), please post a photo of a Manhole Cover near your house, apartment, villa, ranch, tent or château here... on or near The Day.
The Manhole Covers will feature in an exhibition to be held in the South of France in September 2024 that has already received publicity in the local and regional press.
This inaugural and very special event is held with the support of our very own International Union of Mail Artists (IUOMA) and the Dull Men’s Club (DMC).
Thank you, Val
May 21, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
PLEASE DON'T FORGET.....THIS FRIDAY (31 MAY) IS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY!
SEND ME A PHOTO OF A MANHOLE COVER ON THAT DAY.
THANKS! Val
May 27, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
THEFT OF MANHOLE COVERS/SEWER LIDS FROM RHODE ISLAND, USA
"CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) – Cranston police say a second man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of manhole covers in the city.
Donald DeLuca is being charged with larceny and conspiracy.
Police say eight cast-iron manhole covers were missing from city streets earlier in the week. They cost up to $350 to replace, depending on the size.
Ryan Yeadon was arrested earlier this week at a Johnston scrap metal yard with some of the manhole covers in theback of his pickup truck. He was ordered held without bail for violating conditions of his release on a previous offense.
Police say it was just luck that no one got hurt falling into an uncovered manhole in the street"
May 29, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
TOMORROW IS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY! PLEASE JOIN IN!
May 30, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
TODAY IS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY!
May 31, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY.
Two examples from Poznań / Posen, Poland.
May 31, 2024
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
May 31, 2024
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Manhole Cover Day ...
in the City of Athens :-)
May 31, 2024
Bradford
May 31, 2024
Lisa Cox
South Florida, USA
Jun 1, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
RESULTS OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY
I would sincerely like to thank the following members of this Group for contributing Manhole Covers:
** Lisa Cox
** Bradford
** Katerina
** Raphael Nadolny
So to all four of you THANKS!
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the other 20 members of this Group did NOT contribute to this very special day. I could name you, but I will not shame you -- although I would like to think that you are feeling contrite.
Jun 1, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
A BERLIN MANHOLE COVER, FROM IVAN PIQUERAS (sent on the 1st International Manhole Cover Day -- which most of you ignored)
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Jun 3, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw, Poland.
Jun 12, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
SARREBRUCK, GERMANY, MANHOLE COVER FROM FERDINAND
Jun 18, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw, Poland, with mystarious hand.....
Jun 19, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO MANHOLE COVERS THAT CALINDA FOUND IN JAPAN -- THEY CELEBRATE THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE JAPANESE MARITIME SELF DEFENSE FORCE (JMSDF)
Jun 22, 2024
Valentine Mark Herman
VERY, VERY OLD MANHOLE COVER FROM JERUSALEM -- SENT BY MICHEL LANYANI. And a challenge for Katerina....
The photos are of a Roman /Herodian manhole cover (from about the time of Jesus) ( +/-40 CE) situated at the foot of the western Wall of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, where a huge street (via) used to stand, with underneath it a large canal draining the sewer and waterfall toward the Cidron Valley a the east of the Temple. ( See 2nd photo) "You can see the two hole that were used to remove the cover and enter the canalisation if needed," says Michel.
The challenge to Katerina -- or anyone else who wants to take it up -- is to see if you find an older Manhole Cover....in Athens or elsewhere. Happy hunting!
Jun 26, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań / Posen, Poland.
Jul 4, 2024
Raphael Nadolny
Two examples from Warsaw, Poland.
Jul 5, 2024
Heleen de Vaan
The Dutch city Apeldoorn revisited. ‘Infiltratie’ manhole cover.
Jul 6, 2024
Heleen de Vaan
And I found an other, similar, interesting manhole cover. However, I was not able to take a picture of the upper side of the manhole cover. Because two friendly men were patiently investigating the manhole!
Jul 6, 2024