s Rhinoceros wheelbarrow by Richardson & Sons - Hull Museums Collections

Rhinoceros wheelbarrow by Richardson & Sons

This rhino helped people in Hull go to the seaside. The rhinoceros shaped wheelbarrow was used to start a railway line from Hull to Hornsea, on the coast. The man who officially started the railway was Joseph Wade. His family badge had a rhino on it so this wheelbarrow was made especially for him. Joseph was allowed to keep the wheelbarrow as a souvenir. It was made by a firm in Hull called Richardson & Sons. This wheelbarrow is made from high quality walnut. The rhino’s body has been carved or stamped to create a rough texture. This represents the rhino’s coarse hide. The rhino design has been adapted to the function of the wheelbarrow. The rhino’s forelegs are raised to hold the pinion of the carved wooden wheel. The rhino’s hind legs act as the legs of the barrow. The Hull to Hornsea Railway opened on 28 March 1864. It allowed business people who worked in Hull to live in Hornsea and travel to work. The railway also attracted holidaymakers to Hornsea. The wheelbarrow was specially made by Richardson & Sons. Richardson & Sons was Hull’s largest furniture maker in the 1800s. The founder Thomas Richardson first appears in trade directories (the old fashioned equivalent of the Yellow Pages) in 1822. He was listed as working in Castle Street, where he remained until 1840.