Mortar Collection

Diego Velazquez (1599-1660). Old Woman Cooking Eggs, 1618
Diego Velazquez (1599-1660). Spanish Baroque painter. The Old Woman Cooking Eggs, 1618. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Bricklayers 1827
A bricklayer standing on a rather precarious looking scaffold. His assistant mixes mortar behind him; his hod for carrying bricks etc is nearby

Churchill AVRE Tank in France; Second World War, 1944
Photograph showing a Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) tank moving up to the front, France, 1944. The Churchill AVRE tank was equipped with a Petard mortar

Ichthyosaurus as a museum piece
Cartoon of an Ichthyosaurus as a museum piece, in the Ballad of the Ichthyosaurus

London going out of town -- the expansion of London
London going out of town, or, The March of Bricks & Mortar -- Cruikshanks cartoon comment on the expansion of London

Queen Elizabeth visits Lloyds, 1952
Queen Elizabeth II visits Lloyds to lay the foundations tone of their new building in Lime Street. This picture shows her Majesty taking a trowel full of mortar ready to lay the stone

Porthgain lime workings, Pembrokeshire, West Wales
View of Porthgain lime workings on the Pembrokeshire coast, West Wales. Limestone was shipped in from South Pembrokeshire to produce lime

Little Tich
LITTLE TICH (Harry Relph) Music hall entertainer (1867 - 1928), pictured in a school-themed costume with mortar board. Date: c.1905

The Chemist 1827
A chemist with his apprentice in his laboratory. A copper alembic is on his left, to the right a sand heat and a furnace is in the middle. Date: 1827

Emily Davison
The Late Miss E.W Davison Postcard published in commemoration of EMILY DAVISON showing her in academic garb

Periscopes in Trenches
With shells bursting overhead and trench mortar ready, Seaforth Highlanders watch through a periscope for the Germans

Oxford University robes: Proctor (full dress)
A Proctor at Oxford University sporting a mortarboard and long, black gown, with a white fur hood. Date: 1920s

British First Airborne Troops using a mortar, Arnhem; Second
Photograph showing men of the British First Airborne Division using a 3-inch mortar in one of the woods surrounding Arnhem, in Holland, September 1944

The Blackville Medical Man. Yes, dis is a clear case of Difflomania. Wood engraving, American, c1880
SOUTH: ROOT DOCTOR. The Blackville Medical Man. " Yes, dis is a clear case of Difflomania. " Wood engraving, American, c1880

Ww1 / French Mortar
A French shell-launcher

Lionel G. B. Justice Ford, Vanity Fair, Strickland
LIONEL GEORGE BRIDGES JUSTICE FORD (1865-1932) Anglican priest and part-time cricketer who served as Dean of York (1925-1932) after headmasterships at the schools of Repton (1901) and Harrow (1910)

Rev. Edward Hale, Vanity Fair, Spy
Reverend EDWARD HALE (1828- ) Master at Eton College, England, here dressed in gown and mortar board. Caption: Badger Date: 1828-

Cheery Families - Mr Switch the Schoolmaster. 1890s

Mortar Calculations - Fort Wright - Fishers Island, New York
Directing the range of the Mortars - Fort Wright - Fishers Island - New York, USA. Military Cadets using complex higher mathematical formulae and telephone instructions to work out the exact aiming

Beating the Bounds Boats
ENGLAND - BEATING THE BOUNDS Choirboys and dignitaries sailing down the Thames in rowing boats, en route to St. Clement Danes for the beating the parish boundaries ceremony Date: early 1930s

Beating Bounds, 1930
ENGLAND BEATING THE BOUNDS Cheerful choirboys pose with rods prior to beating the parish boundaries at Lincolns Inn, London Date: 1930

SILENT STILL: LABORATORIES. Warner Baxter as Dr. Samuel Mudd, The Prisoner of Shark Island, 1936

C16 CHEMISTs SHOP
MEDICINES WHILE YOU WAIT: a druggist of the 16th century prepares a medicament, pounding the ingredients with pestle and mortar while two customers wait with their dog. Date: circa 1570

Happy Schoolboy Days
Satire on the compulsory education act. Those not attending school are now committing a criminal offence. A truant is put in chains by 2 school board policemen

Wichita mortar, c1927. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Wichita mortar, c1927. Wichita woman using mortar and pestle

Cartoon, The Macmillion (Andrew Carnegie)
Cartoon, The Macmillion -- Andrew Carnegie (1835 - 1919), Scottish-American industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist

Picture No. 12480245
Great Grey Owl, wearing glasses and mortar board Date:

Picture No. 12020806
Long-haired Selkirk Rex Cat, wearing glasses and a graduation mortar board. Digital manipulation Date:

CSS battlegroup supporting the First Fusilier Battlegroup at Batus
Pictured are Mortar teams with the First Fusilier Battlegroup conducting training on the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) training area during exercise Prairie Storm

The petard, a medieval explosive device in the form of a metal cone filled with gunpowder attached to a gate to blow it open. Invented in France in 1579 for Henri IV, King of Navarre

13 inch mortar shell, American War of Independence, 1765-83 (metal)
3429546 13 inch mortar shell, American War of Independence, 1765-83 (metal) by French School, (18th century); diam: 33 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Over 200 schoolchildren from Wood Green School, North London, went on a Hovercraft trip from Dover to make a first hand study of the Goodwin Sands

French soldiers raiding a German trench, First World War, 1914-1918, (1933). Creator: Unknown
French soldiers raiding a German trench, First World War, 1914-1918, (1933). French troops making a daylight raid on the German trenches in search of prisoners for information purposes

Study of two mortars able to throw explosive bombs, 1478-1518. Creator: Leonardo da Vinci
Study of two mortars able to throw explosive bombs, 1478-1518. Found in the Collection of Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana

Picture No. 12479632
Cat - Exotic Shorthair wearing glasses and mortar board Date:

Sierra Leone, West Africa - Husking of Rice pestle & mortar
Sierra Leone, West Africa - The husking of rice using a pestle and mortar - common traditional domestic scene of food preparation. Date: circa 1910s

Picture No. 12020805
Cat - Exotic Shorthair wearing glasses and mortar board. Digital manipulation Date:

Picture No. 12020773
Sheep - Ewe - pink heart shaped wool wearing mortar board. Digital manipulation Date:

An unexploded mortar shell fired by Syrian Army is seen in Mleha suburb of Damascus, January 25, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Piece of a mortar projectile is pictured on a road near the airport in Donetsk
A piece of a mortar projectile is pictured on a road near the airport in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, September 1, 2014. Separatists claimed another victory with what they said was the withdrawal of

Europe, Italy. Liguria. Preparing genovese pesto during a cooking course

Italy. Liguria. Genova district. Genova, Genoa. Pesto alla Genovese

Africa, Benin, Taneka Koko. a still life of the open air kitchen and storage huts

Men and women in St Trinians costume, Cornwall
Men and women in St Trinians school uniform, Cornwall, possibly university students during rag week. Date: circa 1980s

U. S. Army soldiers firing a 120mm mortar during combat operations in Afghanistan
October 23, 2007 - U.S. Army soldiers fire a 120mm mortar during combat operations in the Da udzay Valley in the Zabul Province of Afghanistan

Garlic and Pepper
Lydia Jacobs

The beauty of fruit
Saskia Dingemans

The Great War 1914-15, German heavy artillery the 340 mortar - WWI postcard published by A. Richard, Paris 1915 Date: 1915

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"Mortar: A Timeless Binding Force" Throughout history, it has served as a powerful symbol of unity and progress. From the vibrant brushstrokes of Diego Velazquez's masterpiece "Old Woman Cooking Eggs" to the diligent bricklayers in 1827, this versatile substance has played an integral role in shaping our world. In times of war, mortar took on new meaning as it propelled the Churchill AVRE Tank through the battlefields of France during World War II. Its strength and resilience became synonymous with courage and determination. Yet, mortar's significance extends beyond conflict. It found its place among ancient fossils like the Ichthyosaurus, standing proudly as a museum piece that bridges past and present. Even Queen Elizabeth herself recognized its importance when she visited Lloyds in 1952, acknowledging how it binds nations together. As London expanded outward, mortar became a cornerstone of growth and development. The Porthgain lime workings in West Wales stand testament to its ability to transform landscapes and build communities from scratch. But mortar is not just about grandeur; it also celebrates individuality. Little Tich danced his way into hearts using his unique style while showcasing how even small fragments can create something extraordinary when combined with care. Science too owes much to this humble material - whether it be depicted by "The Chemist" in 1827 or utilized for periscopes in trenches during wartime surveillance - demonstrating its versatility across various fields. Mortar witnessed pivotal moments throughout history – none more impactful than Emily Davison's brave act at the Epsom Derby which sparked change for women's rights worldwide. In her sacrifice lies a reminder that sometimes we must break down barriers before we can rebuild stronger foundations. Finally, within Oxford University robes worn by Proctors stands another testament to tradition upheld by mortar – reminding us that knowledge is built upon centuries-old wisdom passed down through generations. From artistry to warfare, expansion to individuality, it has been the binding force that holds our world together.