This little wooden coffin was built for a dead canary by the coal miners whose lives the bird helped save. The bird was a piece of safety equipment to its employer, but somebody on the crew clearly thought of it as a friend — folk art from an unexpected place.
Before electronic gas detectors, coal mines relied on canaries. The birds' delicate respiratory systems made them acutely sensitive to carbon monoxide and other odorless and invisible deadly gases. When a canary went silent or fell from its perch, miners had their warning and knew to evacuate immediately. The practice was especially common in Britain during the Industrial Revolution, when coal powered the nation at enormous human cost.
This particular coffin, dated 1875, holds a bird named Little Joe. According to Got Weird, the inscription reads: "In Memory of Little Joe, Died November 3rd, 1875." Historical accounts say Little Joe fell silent during a routine shift, alerting the crew in time. The care put into the tiny, lovingly crafted box suggests miners saw their birds as companions, not just equipment.
Image: Depositphotos.com
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