Bob Evans would be grateful if anyone could identify this wood found as part of the restoration work on the Newport Transporter Bridge.
The wood appears to be a tropical hardwood and would normally be described as "Mahogany". This is a generic description and it would be really helpful tob e able to establish whether it has an African origin (as did the bulk of timber used in mahogany furniture in the 19th Century) or whether it has an East Asian or even South American origin. Having previously worked on a project where 19th Century oak doors turned out to be a varietyof teak, I am well aware of the dififculties of identification.....
One of the interesting products of the work to restore the Newport Transporter bridge is the variety of wood which was used in its construction and in building the surrounding wharves. The river has offered up mahogany, elm and even a wall made of billets of Lignum Vitae.