Vintage Aluminum Oval Porthole Window with Wire-Netting

Product Description

Check out this Vintage Aluminum Oval Porthole Window with Wire-Netting. It’s a really interesting piece of history! The wire-netting inside the glass was first invented in 1892 by Frank Shuman as a safety feature for glass. You can see the wires more closely in the last picture. The nice thing about these aluminum port windows is that they weigh less than their brass counterparts.

There will be slight marking on the glass of this porthole window because it is an authentic salvaged nautical item – you may choose to have a mirror added to this if you dislike the visible salvaged history on the product.

History

The word “porthole” has nothing to with its location on the port side of a ship, but originated thanks to Henry VII of England in 1485. The king demanded mounting guns that were too large for his ships and French shipbuilder, James Baker was brought on to solve the problem. He pierced the ship’s side so that the cannon can could be mounted inside. When there was heavy weather or the cannons were not in use, the openings in the ships were fitted with covers that latched tightly. These were called Porte, which means door in French. Porte became port thanks to the English and eventually, any opening on a ship was called a porthole.

We have uploaded a video to show you how to hang a porthole mirror – click here to check it out! Don’t forget to come back to our site though!