Royle's main business may have been commercial and industrial, but he is best remembered for a household innovation. It solved a problem facing many Victorian families: in a large household, a large teapot made sense - until you tried to lift it. His solution was the self-pouring teapot, initially produced as a novelty promotional item but later manufactured in thousands. It worked by a pumping mechanism: the lid, lifted and lowered, acted as a piston to increase pressure inside the pot, forcing tea out through its down-curved spout into the waiting cups below. The only disadvantage: the steam hole in the lid had to be covered with a finger, making pouring an uncomfortable if not dangerous experience.
This gorgeous tile and terracotta facade marks the former London showroom of steam engineer John James Royle. The premises in Cock Lane, Smithfield promoted his products made in Manchester: radiators, water heaters, industrial evaporators and the like. Indeed, Royle was such a prolific inventor that he took over a firm of patent attorneys in Manchester, now known as Wilson Gunn.
Royle's main business may have been commercial and industrial, but he is best remembered for a household innovation. It solved a problem facing many Victorian families: in a large household, a large teapot made sense - until you tried to lift it. His solution was the self-pouring teapot, initially produced as a novelty promotional item but later manufactured in thousands. It worked by a pumping mechanism: the lid, lifted and lowered, acted as a piston to increase pressure inside the pot, forcing tea out through its down-curved spout into the waiting cups below. The only disadvantage: the steam hole in the lid had to be covered with a finger, making pouring an uncomfortable if not dangerous experience.
Royle's main business may have been commercial and industrial, but he is best remembered for a household innovation. It solved a problem facing many Victorian families: in a large household, a large teapot made sense - until you tried to lift it. His solution was the self-pouring teapot, initially produced as a novelty promotional item but later manufactured in thousands. It worked by a pumping mechanism: the lid, lifted and lowered, acted as a piston to increase pressure inside the pot, forcing tea out through its down-curved spout into the waiting cups below. The only disadvantage: the steam hole in the lid had to be covered with a finger, making pouring an uncomfortable if not dangerous experience.