Portland Works: Stainless Steel Cutlery

Portland Works was built by Robert F Mosley around 1880, and in 1914 became the first place to work and market stainless steel commercially. The amalgam had been newly-discovered by Harry Brearley. Every time we use a steel blade, and are able simply to wash it after use, we owe a debt of gratitude to Harry Brearley and to Ernest Stuart, Mosley''s manager. They all had the foresight and the imagination to persevere. This book looks into the history, and explains why Portland Works, although small, is such an important corner of the world. In 2013, nearly 100 years later, this historic place was saved from redevelopment by a community group. It still has many manufacturing tenants, also featured here. To find out more about the Works, and how you can support it, go to www.portlandworks.co.uk. Anna de Lange was born in Sheffield, and has a degree in history and archaeology. She now lives in Sheffield again, and has become involved in the Portland Works campaign. See more