![Art_Deco_Entrance_of_the_Minimax_Factory_(now_Re-developed)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Art_Deco_Entrance_of_the_Minimax_Factory_%28now_Re-developed%29.jpg)
Minimax Limited was a British manufacturer of
fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...
s founded in England in 1903. Their unique conical fire extinguisher was known as 'The Minimax'. The company was purchased by
The Pyrene Company Limited in 1955.
History
Minimax Limited opened their first office in England in 1903 in Leadenhall Street,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, with one salesman. In 1905, they won the 'highest award' for extinguishers in a
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
exhibition. In 1907 Minimax were suppliers to
King Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...
for protection of his motor car, and were exporting to countries such as
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, and
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
. In England, extinguishers had been supplied to
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
,
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original cast ...
,
Winchester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...
, and
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
universities.
A new factory was built at
Feltham
Feltham () is a town in West London, England, from Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it became part of the London Borough of Hounslow in 1965. The parliamentary constituency of Feltham and Heston has been held by Labour Party ...
,
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
, in 1911, at the junction of Staines Road and Fagg's Road, 'Minimax Corner', which became a famous landmark.. Soon 1,000 extinguishers a month were being produced. The
Czar of Russia
This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. It includes the princes of medieval Rus′ state (both centralised, known as Kievan Rus′ and feudal, when the political center moved northeast to Vladimir and finally to Mo ...
placed an order for extinguishers for his yacht ''Polar Star'', and the
Siberian Railway
Krasnoyarsk Railway (russian: link=no, Красноярская железная дорога) is a subsidiary of the Russian Railways headquartered in Krasnoyarsk and serving the south of Siberia.
Main information
Its mainline is a link in the ...
was supplied with Minimax extinguishers. Two hundred extinguishers a day were produced during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, along with many thousands of aerial bombs. Between the wars, many new developments were introduced, including CO
2 extinguishers. Colliery protection with remote-controlled extinguishers became a speciality. Distillation plants for producing fresh water from salt water were made from 1939 to 1945, with one order for 600 from the Dutch Navy.
![Blandblusser minimax Ukkel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Blandblusser_minimax_Ukkel.jpg)
Minimax was purchased by
The Pyrene Company Limited in 1955. Pyrene was taken over by
Chubb Security
Chubb Fire & Security Ltd is a British firm specialised in fire protection and security systems, and is a subsidiary of APi Group Corporation (NYSE: APG).
History
The company was founded by Charles and Jeremiah Chubb, who patented their Chu ...
in 1967.
The factory was closed and demolished in the 1980s, the site has now been refurbished by Nevill Long & Encon Ltd and is their West London Interiors Distribution Centre. The factory's Art Deco gateway was saved and now stands as
public art
Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...
overlooking 'Minimax Corner'.
A nearby cul-de-sac is also called Minimax Close.
See also
*
Chubb Fire
Chubb Fire & Security Ltd is a British firm specialised in fire protection and security systems, and is a subsidiary of APi Group Corporation (NYSE: APG).
History
The company was founded by Charles and Jeremiah Chubb, who patented their Chub ...
*
Chubb Security
Chubb Fire & Security Ltd is a British firm specialised in fire protection and security systems, and is a subsidiary of APi Group Corporation (NYSE: APG).
History
The company was founded by Charles and Jeremiah Chubb, who patented their Chu ...
*
Chubb Locks
Chubb Locks is a former brand name (expired 2010) of the Mul-T-Lock subsidiary of the Assa Abloy Group, which manufactures locking systems for residential, secure confinement and commercial applications.
History
Chubb was started as a ship's ...
*
Read and Campbell Limited
Read and Campbell Limited was a British manufacturer of firefighting equipment founded in 1878. The company was an early pioneer in the design and manufacture of portable fire extinguishers.
History
The company was founded in 1881 by two Scottis ...
*
Rampart Engineering The Rampart Engineering Company was a British manufacturer of fire extinguishers founded in 1910.
Company timeline
*1910 Rampart Engineering Company was formed in 1910 by Leonard Jones to make fire extinguishers for the trade. Their first factory ...
*
The Pyrene Company Limited
References
External links
* http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Minimax
* http://www.chubb.co.uk
{{Authority control
Firefighting equipment
Defunct manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom
Manufacturing companies based in London
Companies based in the London Borough of Hounslow
History of the London Borough of Hounslow
1955 mergers and acquisitions