Brass Rubbing in London
 

Yesterday in London we went to St. Martin in the Field and did a brass rubbing in the London Brass Rubbing Center in the Crypt of the church. I've seen it suggested as a fun souvenir or unique thing to do but haven't actually heard of many people doing it so I thought I would post and give my thoughts.

I chose to do an isolated dragon from the bigger piece of St. George and the Dragon, about 10 inches square. It cost 4.50, took about 30 minutes, and is beautiful! They use black paper and I chose to do it in silver and the effect is wonderful! It took a few minutes to get the hang out of it, but they actually have the ability to "erase" so mine looks really nice. It is so unique, so different from any other souvenir I have of London. My dragon was small because I wanted to try it out first, but I'd like to go back to and do a bigger knight for my son. I would highly recommend this to anyone with kids or anyone that loves all the knights and dragons, kings and queens etc.

This post has brought fond memeories of the day, more than 30 years ago, when we went to London and worked on brass rubbings.
In those days, brass rubbings could be done at Westminster Abbey. It was a great expereince. We made two very nice ones. Black paper and gold design. They were not even expensive, but the experience has been memorable.
On our recent trip to London, I went back to Westminster Abbey and found that this facility was no longer available. I wanted to make a couple more of the brass rubbings.
So, thanks to BKP, I will try to go to St. Martin in the Field to do some more brass rubbings.

Brass rubbing is a great way to take home pieces of history. We were lucky enough to have been in England when churches still allowed the rubbings and collected nearly 3 dozen. The biggest and best is of Sir Robert de Septvens, nearly 6 feet tall (framing it was interesting!); the brass is in a small village church in Kent. Usually rubbing that brass required reservations, but it was December 31st and snowing; the person with the reservation failed to turn up, and we were allowed in.

The brass is in the chancel, right up against a wall. My husband was convinced that he froze a kidney lying across on the stone floor to reach the far side of the brass.

We also did rubbings at Westminster Abbey.

When I lived in the UK most country churches still allowed rubbing brasses in situ - but while I was there most eventually stopped the practice and the reproduction brasses/brass rubbing centres developed in most cities. The number of centers has gone down and I think the heyday of brass rubbings is winding down. I agree - they are a really nice memento of a trip to the UK.

Back then one could even rub the brasses in Westminster Abbey -- not the center in the cloisters, but the actual brasses in the floor of the Abbey. One had to make reservations months in advance and had 1 hour to complete the rubbings - which was difficult due to their size. A heal ball (better than using the hard wax crayons you mostly find now) made a wonderful image but was slow. And you definitely had to stay to the lines since cutting/trimming around the edges simply was "not done"!

I think the brasses in the Abbey are covered up now.

BTW - many think the brasses were wearing out - and the reason churches stopped allowing rubbing. But is was actually the stone the brasses were set in that was becoming worn causing them to come loose/get damaged.