Sugar Refinery Collection

The Kedawong Sugar Factory near Pasuruan, Java, 1849. Creator: Herman Theodorus Hesselaar
The Kedawong Sugar Factory near Pasuruan, Java, 1849

The Kemanglen Sugar Factory near Tegal (or Tagal), Java, 1870-1875. Creator: Abraham Salm
The Kemanglen Sugar Factory near Tegal (or Tagal), Java, 1870-1875

Michigan Sugar Co. Saginaw, Mich. c1908. Creator: Unknown
Michigan Sugar Co. Saginaw, Mich. c1908

The International Exhibition: sugar-refining apparatus of Messrs. Caile and Co. of Paris, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: sugar-refining apparatus of Messrs. Caile and Co. of Paris, 1862. European machine processing sugar cane from the colonies

Sugar refinery control desk JLP01_10_12829
Newark Sugar Factory, Great North Road, Muskham, Newark, Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire. A team of staff working in a control room at Newark Sugar Factory

Vacuum-pan at Messrs Finzels Works, will boil about 300 Tons a week (engraving)
5230519 Vacuum-pan at Messrs Finzels Works, will boil about 300 Tons a week (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Vacuum-pan at Messrs Finzels Works)

Pans which will boil daily about 400 tons (engraving)
5230514 Pans which will boil daily about 400 tons (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Pans which will boil daily about 400 tons)

Fire at a Sugar-Refinery, St George s-in-the-East (engraving)
1101744 Fire at a Sugar-Refinery, St George s-in-the-East (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Fire at a Sugar-Refinery, St George s-in-the-East)

Gerrit Boon, 1801. Creator: Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin
Gerrit Boon, 1801

A Sugar Plantation, Cuba. Creator: Unknown
A Sugar Plantation, Cuba. Ox carts laden with sugar cane outside a refinery. Postcard

Sugar refinery in Leman Street, Stepney, London, 1851. Artist: Vincent Brooks
Fireproof Sugar Refinery, Leman Street, Stepney, London, 1851. From Vintage London by John Betjeman. [William Collins, 1942]

Sugar, 3. Crushing the Canes, Java, 1928. From Players Cigarettes - Products of the World: A Series of 50 [John Player & Sons, London, 1928]

Sugar. Vacuum pan, 1866. A print from Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts, Mechanical and Chemical, Manufactures, Mining, and Engineering, edited by Charles Tomlinson, Volume II, Virtue and Co, London, 1866

Clarifying sugar cane juce, Annam, Vietnam, 1922. An Annamese peasant ladles raw juice into copper pans, where it is mixed with ashes, clay, lime or another refining material

Tree growing out old sugar estate chimney, Jamaica, c1905. Artist: Adolphe Duperly & Son
Tree growing out old sugar estate chimney, Jamaica, c1905. Illustration from Picturesque Jamaica, by Adolphe Duperly & Son, (England, c1905)

Cubans Burning Refineries, (1870s), 1920s
Cubans burning a sugar refinery. During the two wars the Cubans burned many refineries to deprive revenue to the government of Spain

Sugar making at the Counterslip refinery, Bristol, 1873. Artist: WB Murray
Sugar making at the Counterslip refinery, Bristol, 1873. A print from the Illustrated London News, (29 November 1873)

The sugar industry, Richmond River, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Artist: JR Ashton
The sugar industry, Richmond River, New South Wales, Australia, 1886. Wood engraving from Picturesque Atlas of Australasia, Vol I, by Andrew Garran

Sugar refinery, Southampton, England, which opened in 1851. The boiler house (left foreground), engine house (centre left) and stove and retort house (centre and centre right)

Interior of a sugar refinery, 1860. Metal cones are being filled with liquid syrup which will crystallise to form sugar loaves

Industrial boiler room, 1897
Industrial boiler room. 19th-century artwork of stokers shovelling coal into furnaces in a factory boiler room. These are industrial boilers constructed by the US company Babcock and Wilcox

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"Sugar Refinery: A Journey Through Time and Technology" Step into the world of sugar refinement as we explore the captivating history and intricate processes behind this sweet industry. At the Sugar refinery control desk JLP01_10_12829, skilled workers meticulously oversee every aspect of production, ensuring quality and efficiency. The control desk serves as the nerve center, orchestrating a symphony of machinery to transform raw materials into refined sweetness. Witness the power of technology at Messrs Finzels Works with their vacuum-pan that can boil an astonishing 300 tons per week. This marvel of engineering showcases human ingenuity in harnessing steam power for mass production. Pans capable of boiling around 400 tons daily demonstrate how these refineries were true giants in their heyday. These engravings depict bustling scenes where workers tirelessly tend to massive vessels filled with bubbling molten sugar, creating a mesmerizing sight. However, not all was smooth sailing in this industry. The haunting image captured by Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin shows a fire engulfing a Sugar-Refinery in St George s-in-the-East. It serves as a reminder that even amidst progress, challenges could arise unexpectedly. Travel across borders to Cuba's vibrant plantations through an unknown artist's eyes. Here lies the heartland where sugarcane thrives under tropical sunsets - its juice destined for refining into crystalline perfection. Closer to home is London's Leman Street Sugar refinery from 1851 depicted by Vincent Brooks' artistry. This bustling hub symbolizes industrial growth during Victorian times when British refineries played a significant role on the global stage. Transport yourself back to Java in 1928 when laborers crushed cane stalks manually – an arduous task that required strength and endurance but yielded nature's golden nectar: sugar. The introduction of vacuum pans revolutionized refinement techniques in 1866.