Steel Screen

In an intriguing example of resourcefulness and re-purposing, this metal screen is one of several that were installed on the window of the Powerhouse, which was built in 1937. Cranbrook finally had electricity! Looking at it now, it would be reasonable to think that the screen was purpose-built to allow ventilation while still providing security. However, the shape of the ‘ventilation’ holes is actually the shape of toe-plates for army boots.The metal plate dates from World War I when army boots were in high production and the left-over metal sheets were discarded as scrap metal. Resourceful people realised that the sheet still had many potential uses!