Item 57 - Christmas card of Mr Davis's chimney brush

Mr Davis's Chimney Brush was awarded the Society's Silver medal in 1806. In a letter dated 17 October 1806, B M Forster, who witnessed its original use and signed a certificate of approbation wrote :'I am convinced that chimnies may be swept as cleanly and effectually, as is commonly done with climbing-boys, so that the difference to the families who employ your machine will be, that they have the same comfort of a clean chimney, and are satisfied that they no longer use a method which is full of horrors and a disgrace to a civilised country'. The illustration of Joseph Davis's invention is taken from the Transaction of the Society, Vol XXV (1807). He received a number of other awards from the Society for his household inventions. Figures A are four brushes for sweeping the four sides of the chimney; figures B show two of the four springs which expand the machine to chimnies of all sizes; C represents the brush at the top of the machine proper for cleansing the pots; figures D show four lines to draw the brushes near together by a cord E, so that the machine may be forced up the chimney with greater facility. F shows the string to expand the brushes when the machine is at the top of the flue. 16,000 copies sold.