Slave shackles

An interesting photo from collector Ian Workman as shown in another group. The riveted shackles attached to a bar are interesting. They appear to be for legs and if each cannot swivel on the bar, maybe they are for fastening to two individuals. 

Fascinating images Ian thanks for posting them I really appreciate it. Certainly beats the cuckoo pictures. 

Notice the pair of ER legirons in the left picture.  I have been keeping track of the known ER cuffs, legirons and shackles for several years.  After a conversation with Ian Workman, he knows of several families in West Virginia who have sets of the legirons and shackles most likely cuffs.  They are very private about it.

So more than likely, there are at least twice as many, which is a small number, than we have documented.

Ron

Great photos, were they Spiritualists/Mediums? At last years Escape Artists Convention Michael Diamond gave an excellent presentation on the Victorian Mediums.

chriscuffs6 wrote: ↑

Feb 22, 2025

Great photos, were they Spiritualists/Mediums? At last years Escape Artists Convention Michael Diamond gave an excellent presentation on the Victorian Mediums.

That's a great point ! Might account for the bar cuff and shackles at each end as some kind of test prop like the post mediums would be tied to by still make manifestations happen.

Left hand photo !  Looks like a plug eight on the floor.

Every ER cuff I’ve ever owned, including the ones I have now only had three chain links connecting the cuffs. Did I count 5 in the photo? And it looks like a German transport chain on the floor in the left-hand picture next to the plug 8’s. I have a huge Spiritualism collection, but I’ve never seen any photos like this. I have read of mediums using a bar with a neck collar attached to immobilize them in the cabinet, but again, never saw a photo or a drawing in any of my books. It gives me hope that there are still more treasures out there to find!


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Ariochmagician wrote: ↑

Feb 23, 2025

Every ER cuff I’ve ever owned, including the ones I have now only had three chain links connecting the cuffs. 

Abolitionist John Brown was thought to have worn this pair when he was accused and hung for his part in the raid at Harpers Ferry on December 2, 1859.
Both pairs of ER's that I have ever had only had 3 links.

I hope to complete part 3 of the ER history soon.  I started it when I first wrote parts 1 and 2, then got blasted with so many safe openings for my business,
My weekends have been consumed with that activity.
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