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
Prague, Czech Republic/Czechia
Nov 6, 2023
Raphael Nadolny
Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia
Nov 9, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
LIMERICK, IRELAND -- FROM BRIAN O'C
Nov 11, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
Well, as not one of you replied to my suggestion for an International Manhole Covers' Day, I'll think of something else.
And so, a Manhole Cover from Ceret in France
Nov 12, 2023
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
So sad, Val,...there is no official "International Manhole covers Day", is there?
I discovered news about this:
"Manhole Summit in Tokorozawa, japan, on Nov. 19"
but that was last year , an exhibit of painted manhole covers.
Nov 12, 2023
Raphael Nadolny
Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia
Nov 14, 2023
Heleen de Vaan
I just saw a message of Val in my email (not the IUOMA mailbox) about Manhole Cover day, and I think it a good idea!
However, I cannot find the message to reply to - the link in the message in the email leads to this website and not to a message-to-reply-to...
I would suggest 31 May as The MHC-day, because that is the day Val posted his first manhole cover photos in this group. And May is in spring (that is, here in the northern hemisphere), which is the perfect season to go out for manhole cover hunting spotting.
Nov 14, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
Nov 15, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS CAN BE DANGEROUS....IF YOU ARE DRIVING A FORMULA 1 CAR AT THE US GP AT LAS VEGAS
"F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Practice sessions chaotic with track problems
The first day of the much-vaunted Las Vegas Grand Prix descended into chaos as practice was hit by problems with the new street track.
The first session was called off after just nine minutes of running when Carlos Sainz's Ferrari hit a loose manhole cover, badly damaging his car.
Esteban Ocon's Alpine was also damaged - like Sainz's Ferrari, losing a chassis - after he hit the same manhole as Sainz on his return to the pits after the red flag."
(From BBC News)
Nov 17, 2023
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Yay! Manhole Cover Day!
May Las Vegas fix its manhole covers by then?
Nov 17, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
Thanks Katerina. That's very good. If you don't mind, I will steal that idea -- the writing on a cOver, not the smiley -- and use it closer to The Day.
And yes LA seems to have soerted out the problem for the F1 GP.
Bestest, Val
Nov 18, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
2 MORE PARISIAN ONES FROM PIP
Nov 18, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
ENVIROMENTAL AWARENESS -- DRAINS AND MANHOLE COVERS CAMPAIGNS IN FRANCE
Closely related – both functionally and spatially to Manhole Covers – are drain covers. Several towns in France (including 9 municipalities in Finistere, and Montpellier, Fitou and Collioure in the South of France) are currently running campaigns to raise civic awareness of the environmental dangers of dumping waste (chemicals, paint, detergents, etc; as well as cigagrette ends, paper, and so on) into drains and manholes. Attached to drains and manhole covers are metal plaques containing various messages. ‘NE RIEN JETER. NE RIEN VIDER. LA MER COMMENCE HIER.’ (‘Don’t throw anything away here. Don’t empty anything here. The sea begins here.’)
,
Nov 19, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM LE MANS, FRANCE -- FROM WILLIAM B.
Featuring the coat of arms of le Mans. "Gules, to the cross Or charged with a key sable in pal and quartered by four candlesticks Argent; to the chief Azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or, the shield edged Or ".
Nov 20, 2023
Bradford
LA MER COMMENCE ICI ("HIER" ist Deutsch).
Nov 20, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
Merci Bradford. Je suis trés 'appy!
'Ow are you?
Nov 20, 2023
Bradford
Très bien, merci!
C'est l'automne le plus chaud depuis 21 ans ici.
Nov 20, 2023
Bradford
Welcome, Carl! Always nice to know there are more of us; makes me feel less weird, but in a good way.
Nov 20, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO DUTCH ONES -- EINDHOVEN AND AMSTERDAM -- FROM HAN FISCHER
Nov 24, 2023
Raphael Nadolny
Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia
Nov 24, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO MORE FROM CERET, FRANCE
Nov 25, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLES UNCOVERED -- SIGEAN, FRANCE
A new drainage system is being installed just around the corner from where I live. These two Manholes have been Uncovered and await being replaced.
Nov 25, 2023
Raphael Nadolny
Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia
Nov 27, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
ANOTHER PARISIAN ONE FROM PIP
Dec 1, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO MANHOLE COVERS FROM BOGOTA, COLOMOMBIA, FROM BRIAN O'K
Dec 3, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
RUBBINGS
Let's either keep this going or cancel it. Nothing is happening rubbing-wise;
Post something if you're interested.
Val
Dec 10, 2023
Raphael Nadolny
Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia
Dec 11, 2023
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
walking near the Acropolis, found a few:
Dec 11, 2023
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Dec 11, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND (where Aan Brignull used to live)-- FROM DAVE SANDERS
Dec 29, 2023
Valentine Mark Herman
MORE FROM ANNE IN PARIS: merci!
Dec 30, 2023
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
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS, WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND -- FROM DAVE SANDERS
Jan 10
Valentine Mark Herman
MANHOLE COVERS FROM BOGOTA? COLOMBIA, SENT BY BRIAN O'K
Feb 10
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poland - Warsaw.
Feb 11
Raphael Nadolny
Examople from Poland - Warsaw.
Feb 14
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań/Posen - Poland.
Feb 22
Valentine Mark Herman
Many thanks, Carl.
Great covers.
Can you tell us, please, where you found them?
Regards, Val
Feb 23
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Poznań/Posen - Poland.
Feb 27
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
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
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw, Poland.
Mar 4
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Found another manhole cover with STARS:
and it has a tiny "heart", too...see it? From 2010-2011
Mar 11
Raphael Nadolny
Example from Warsaw.....
Mar 18
Raphael Nadolny
Examples from Warsaw, Poland.
Mar 25
Valentine Mark Herman
FOUR GREEK ONES FROM JOANNE
Mar 27
Valentine Mark Herman
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- with Sydney Harbour Bridge -- FROM ADAM CARPENTER
Mar 28
Valentine Mark Herman
THREE GREEK MANHOLE COVERS FROM PROFESSOR THEMIS BOWCOCK
Apr 5
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