Making a ‘Puss & Mew’ replica for Bow Street Police Museum

Last week, I had the pleasure of witnessing one of the replica objects I created earlier this year for the Bow Street Police Museum being used during a tour. It was a very fun project, as I hand-carved my interpretation of a “Puss and Mew” machine into a small, handheld replica.

The small, handheld replica of a ‘Puss and Mew’ machine that I made for the Bow Street Police Museum.

I learned that the Puss and Mew was an ingenious way to get around the restriction on gin enforced by the Gin Act of 1736. As the police didn’t have the authority to enter the building, this device allowed sellers to bypass the act by placing the cat figure outside. Customers could walk up to the cat and ask, ‘Puss, do you have any gin?’ The seller would ‘mew,’ and the customer would insert coins into the cat’s mouth. Then, gin would flow out of a pipe in the cat’s paw.

Starting the carving process.

Carved and sanded, ready for drilling the mouth and paw holes.

Alan, the museum tour guide, demonstrating how the ‘Puss and Mew’ was used during the walking tour.

I highly recommend the museum’s walking tour ‘Stages and Cells of Covent Garden’ to anyone interested in history, crime and theatre. Plus, you could have a go knocking on the puss and mew yourself to get some gin!