Blacksmith’s Bellows

The leather of the bellows has hardened and deteriorated through the many years since this artifact was part of the blacksmith’s equipment at Port Pemberton. It seems to date from the late 1850’s or the 1860’s. [sic] S 17/38 [,] from William Spetch who said it had been brought up from Port Pemberton. [Updated register card entry]: In September 2012, May Walker (nee Taylor) said she remembered a these same bellows hanging in Axel Johnson’s blacksmith shop that was located next to the PX Garage owned by her father R.H.E. Taylor. She is married to Bob Walker, George’s brother, and asked Bob about the bellows. Bob remembers that Axel sold his shop to Philip and June Perkins in the early 1970’s, and they moved it to their land to use as a garage. Bob thinks that George acquired all the blacksmith equipment from this shop via Philip Perkins. Based on this new evidence it is unlikely the bellows are from the gold rush era.