MANHOLE COVER LOVERS

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.

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  • Valentine Mark Herman

    MORE FROM ANNE IN PARIS: merci!

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    MORE MANHOLE COVERS FROM WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND --  FROM DAVE SANDERS

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Prague/Praha, Czech Republic/Czechia, manhole "made in GDR", imported from DDR during communist time. 

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    MANHOLE COVERS, WIVENHOE, ESSEX, ENGLAND -- FROM DAVE SANDERS

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    MANHOLE COVERS FROM BOGOTA? COLOMBIA, SENT BY BRIAN O'K

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Poland - Warsaw.

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Examople from Poland - Warsaw. 

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Poznań/Posen - Poland. 

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    Many thanks, Carl.

    Great covers.

    Can you tell us, please, where you found them?

    Regards, Val

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Poznań/Posen - Poland.

  • 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 :-) 

  • 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.

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Warsaw, Poland.

  • Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)

    Found another manhole cover with STARS:

    and it has a tiny "heart", too...see it? From 2010-2011

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Warsaw.....

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Examples from Warsaw, Poland. 

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    FOUR GREEK ONES FROM JOANNE

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- with Sydney Harbour Bridge -- FROM ADAM CARPENTER

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    THREE GREEK MANHOLE COVERS FROM PROFESSOR THEMIS BOWCOCK

  • 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."

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Prague, Czech Republic, "Hlavni Nadrazi" - with main train station.

  • 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!

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    TWO MORE WEIRD OENS FROM JIMMY ISAKSSON IN THAILAND

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    MANHOLE COVERS FROM VERBANIA, ITALY, FROM ANTONIO BLANCO

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Warsaw, Poland.

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    FROM ANNE IN PARIS -- MERCY BUCKETS!

  • 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!

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    MANHOLE COVERS FROM SERBIA -- SERNT BY ZORICA OBRVADOVIC: Хвала вам!

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Warsaw, Poland.

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Poznań / Posen, Poland.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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"

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    TOMORROW IS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY! PLEASE JOIN IN!

    Please participate in the FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY which I am organising that will take place TOMORROW  (Friday 31 May, 2024).
    To support the First International Manhole Cover Day please post a photo of a Manhole Cover near your house, apartment, villa, ranch, tent or château here at IUOMA.
     
    They will feature in an exhibition to be held here in Sigean in September 2024.
    Thanks!

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    TODAY IS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY!

    Please participate in the FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY which I am organising that will take place TODAY  (Friday 31 May, 2024).
    To support today's First International Manhole Cover Day please post a photo of a Manhole Cover near your house, apartment, villa, ranch, tent or château here at IUOMA.
     
    They will feature in an exhibition to be held here in Sigean in September 2024.
    Thanks!
    All contributors to the First International Manhole Cover Day will be posted here tomorrow.
  • Raphael Nadolny

    FIRST INTERNATIONAL MANHOLE COVER DAY.

    Two examples from Poznań / Posen, Poland.

  • Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)

  • Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)

    Manhole Cover Day ...

    in the City of Athens :-)

  • Bradford

    My most recent manhole cover photo was taken in Athens, TEXAS on Friday, three days before the eclipse when I was visiting my sister:

  • Lisa Cox

    South Florida, USA

  • 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.

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    A BERLIN MANHOLE COVER, FROM IVAN PIQUERAS (sent on the 1st International Manhole Cover Day -- which most of you ignored)

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Warsaw, Poland. 

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    SARREBRUCK, GERMANY, MANHOLE COVER FROM FERDINAND

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Warsaw, Poland, with mystarious hand..... 

  • Valentine Mark Herman

    TWO MANHOLE COVERS THAT CALINDA FOUND IN JAPAN -- THEY CELEBRATE THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE JAPANESE MARITIME SELF DEFENSE FORCE (JMSDF)

  • 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!

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Example from Poznań / Posen, Poland. 

  • Raphael Nadolny

    Two examples from Warsaw, Poland. 

  • Heleen de Vaan

    The Dutch city Apeldoorn revisited. ‘Infiltratie’ manhole cover.