Map pinpoints objects from Worcestershire's 'hidden history'
- Published
The cast iron pole (left) was made by Dutton & Co, while the ornate lamppost on Newport Street had Worcester's coat of arms at its base
A man with a "passion for industrial heritage" has led a project that pinpoints the location of hundreds of objects connected to a county's past.
Adam Šapić found items such as vintage post boxes, old lanterns and signs from Worcestershire's history.
More than 520 of the objects have now been highlighted on an online map by Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology & Local History Society (WIALHS).
People have been asked to add items to Hidden Histories On Our Streets, external.
"It's a very quirky way of learning about history," said Mr Šapić.
He said items such as a cast iron, twisted pole displaying a street sign "got me thinking" about their origins.
The pole was made by Dutton & Co which built a global reputation for railway signal manufacturing, he said.
Mr Šapić, from Stourport-on-Severn, said public areas were "scattered with objects from our past" and it was easy to just walk past them.
"These objects tell stories of how humanity and the fabric of Worcestershire has changed over time and sadly, many objects fall victim to modern development," he said.
Adam Šapić, pictured with a Victorian post box, said historical items could be overlooked
As a marketing consultant he spent "12 hours a day at a desk", he said, so he enjoyed how his passion for history got "me out, having a walk".
He explained: "I don't like gyms. It's about discovering the local area and getting exercise."
This former electricity junction box is a relic from Worcester's electric tram system
Some residents have begun sending in photos of new finds to the resource.
Many are in Worcester but Mr Šapić said he would like to include more items from other areas of the county, including Kidderminster, Evesham and Redditch.
The map pinpoints items including relics of Worcester's electric tram system, which existed for about 20 years, and post boxes marking the reigns of previous monarchs.
Signs and plaques highlighted openings and events, and the project had also "shone the spotlight" on former Worcester businesses and the people behind them, Mr Šapić added.
"Some of it is really niche and we don't have an explanation for everything," he said.
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