RMS Olympic Purser’s Office Hatch Counterweight

Here’s something you don’t see any day. Nor would passengers or crew, because this lead counterweight was tucked away inside the structural frame of the Purser’s Office window. Weighing 4kg, and coming as a pair, this would have enabled the purser to easily slide the sash window hatch up or down, while also holding the window in place.

Made of pure lead and still retaining part of the original chain, this heavy artefact is a unique and one-of-a-kind object.