Gardener Scything a Lawn (1870) by UnknownGarden Museum
Until the 19th century lawns were cut with a scythe, or grazed by sheep.
Budding's Lawnmower (c.1850) by Edward BuddingGarden Museum
In May 1830 Edwin Beard Budding patented ‘a new combination and application of machinery for the purpose of cropping or shearing the vegetable surface of lawns, grass-plats and pleasure grounds’.
Actress Marie Studholme with Ransomes Lawnmower (1905) by UnknownGarden Museum
By the 1840s lawn mowers had become fashionable: Mrs Jane Loudon wrote in the "Ladies’ Companion to the Flower Garden" (1840) that it was 'particularly adapted for amateurs, affording excellent exercise to the arms and every part of the body’.
Garden at The Agapemone, Spraxton, Somerset (1860) by Rev. Henry James PrinceGarden Museum
The task of mowing large areas of grass with a manual mower was still hard work and in 1842 the first horse or pony-drawn machine was patented.
Pony Boots (Circa) by UnknownGarden Museum
Lightweight ponies were preferred over horses and a new form of leather boot was used in order to further protect the lawn from hoof marks.
Pony boots animationGarden Museum
Gardeners with Horse-drawn Lawnmower (1905) by UnknownGarden Museum
Photograph of Six gardeners (c.1910) by UnknownGarden Museum
Postcard: Ladies Gardening (1908) by UnknownGarden Museum
The lawn mower’s progress was rapid and revolutionary. The steam mower appeared in 1895, and petrol mowers in the early 1900s. The rotary mower was invented in the 1930s, with the Flymo following in the 1960s.
Advertisement for Ransomes' Lawnmowers (1893) by Ransomes'Garden Museum
Lawn mowers were an essential tool for every gardener and companies developed stylish marketing campaigns to encourage sales and alert customers to new technical innovations.
O'Brien Thomas Lawnmower Leaflet (1894) by Thomas O'BrienGarden Museum
Catalogue for Ransomes' Lawnmowers (1896) by RansomesGarden Museum
Atco Lawnmower Catalogue (c.1950) by Charles H PughGarden Museum
Artwork: Ransomes 'Ajax' Lawnmower Advert (c.1955) by RansomesGarden Museum
Some campaigns were targeted at women for whom lightweight mowers were seen as a stylish addition to their gardening equipment.
Leaflet for British Anzai Lawnmower (1965) by British Anzai and power mow'Garden Museum
J.C. Withers General Gardening Catalogue (1963) by J.C. WithersGarden Museum
Pony boots animation by Ruth Emma Fox.
