Researching mines in northern Spain I came across this curious object. It's a canary cage designed to keep the canary alive in the event of a gas leak. If a miner saw the canary laying at the bottom of the cage it was time to abandon everything and leave the mine, but not without first closing the latched glass door and opening the valve of the oxygen bottle to save the bird. A miner would do that on their way out and take the bird with them. It's a signifier of the miner's legendary sense of solidarity, no lives lost to the mine on a miners watch. A solidarity that was also crucial in the fight for workers rights, creating safer and more humane working conditions, achievements of unionization and solidarity that some of us still enjoy today.

@zilog Outstanding!! I had no idea that miners planned ahead to save their canary in the event of a carbon monoxide leak. That's definitely the neatest thing I've learned so far this year.

I did a quick internet search and found another example from the UK Museum of Science and Industry, with a museum curator's description:
https://museumcrush.org/this-device-was-used-to-resuscitate-canaries-in-coal-mines/
#mining #CanaryInACoalMine #canary #CanaryResuscitator

This device was used to resuscitate canaries in coal mines

Museum of Science and Industry curator Lewis Pollard on his favourite museum object - the Canary Resuscitator I’ve been asked many times what my favourite object is in our collection. You’d think that would be quite difficult when there are...

Museum Crush
@joncounts @zilog This was before the resuscitation of canaries became "not cost effective" I guess.