Unearth a variety of artefacts revealing the understanding and treatment of physical disability from the 16th century up to today, central to which is one of the finest collections of artificial limbs in the world.
Orthopaedics
1925-1935
Artificial wooden "peg leg", (sometimes known as a "socket" leg) issued to above knee amputees. There have been extensive 'home' repairs. Made c.1930. (Weight: 5.75 lbs 2.6 kg).
1801-1880
Iron orthopaedic corset for children
c. 1921
Metal left above knee prosthesis with wooden socket, repaired internally with certalmid. Rigid pelvic band, central knee control with knee lock (just above front of knee). Metal shin with strip riveting. Wooden foot with ankle and toe joints. Made by Hanger, 1921.
c.1920
General purpose mechanical spring split-hook, fitted with rotating head to allow free movement, for heavy working arm. There is a spring bolt which will hold the hook in any fixed position. Made by McKay c.1920.
c. 1920
Brace & chisel holder with smooth faced jaws and rotating spline adaptor for heavy working arm. Made by McKay c.1920.
c. 1930
Ball pein hammer with fixed plain adaptor for heavy working arm. Made by Mckay c.1930.
1801-1830
Pottery statue, entitled "Old Age" depicting a man on crutches, Staffordshire, 1800-1830.
1966
Pair of "swivel-walkers" designed for another child, born with complete absence of lower limbs (amelia). Designed at the Ontario Crippled Childrens Centre - Canada and modified in U.K. Made by Fletcher/Hanger 1966.
1771-1800
Child's spinal support, iron, perhaps French, late 18th century
Left below elbow arm, leather socket, suspended by means of a narrow leather upper-arm band. Oval wrist with screw-on wooden hand, articulated fingers and tenon thumb. Palm-box fitting in which a fork has been positioned. It is presumed the wearer had limited elbow movement hence the unusual position of the fork. Date & origin unknown, probably 1930's but repaired more recently by Steepers.
1993-1995
'Shadow Mono-ski' sports wheelchair with accompanying hand held guide skis, for alpine events, manufactured by Quickie for Sunrise Medical Ltd, England 1993-1995
Carpenter's tool-holder with square clamp to allow for varying sizes of tool handles, for heavy working arm. Keyed plain adaptor (to hold appliance in a locked position). Made by McKay c.1920.
1916-1918
"Openshaw" carrying hand with broad leather wrist gauntlet. Spring thumb with catgut thong and small ring, for opening by pull-cord. Made by Anderson & Whitelaw, c.1914-18 war.
1918
Hobbs, left mechanical hand. Linked index and middle fingers articulated at middle joint. Other fingers and the opposed thumb are rigid. Round wrist. Bowden-type cable routed centrally through wrist. Patent specimen 1918.
1921-1930
McKay heavy working arm for a right below elbow amputation. Blocked leather socket with duralumin cuff and reinforcing side steels. These extend up the forearm from the wrist rotary and the latter has a heavy-duty spline fitment for terminal devices. Adjustable leather side suspension straps fitted to a detachable leather upper-arm corset (the strap and buckle fastening is missing). The small metal housed roller on the medial side, near the elbow, is for a round leather operating cord (missing). The harness appendages are also missing. Light-weight certalmid hand. Made by McKay, c.1925.
1795-1820
Admiral Grindall's knife and fork
c. 1962
Right arm, with a doll's hand, for a young child with a congenital below elbow deficiency. The prosthesis has a leather extended 'cup' socket contained within a plastic forearm. There is a friction wrist rotary. The 'press-bar' on the wrist releases the hand to allow a split-hook to be substituted. A 'cushlon' and velcro harness appendage is used for retaining the prosthesis and for 'split-hook' operation. Made by Steeper c. 1962.
1991
Left below knee prosthesis worn by an Army parachutist who lost his leg as a result of an IRA bomb, c1970s. Lace-up leather thigh corset with 4-point socket suspension. Above the knee restraining strap. Strap-type trouser guard. Polycentric knee joints fitted to the side steels. Foot is moulded and similar to a shop dummies with texture of skin and nails. Metal shin and plastic foot with imitation toes. Following the supply of his first prosthesis the patient was picked for the 'Red Devils' Display Team. The prosthesis was also worn by him on the "Time & Tide" which competed in the Global Challenge Yacht race in 1996.
1975
Pair of non-articulated metal legs for a male Thalidomide affected teenager with short lower limbs and short upper limbs (phocomelia), by Hanger Orthopaedic Group, Roehampton, Wandsworth, London, England, 1975. Blocked leather sockets with a front velcro flap (to facilitate the insertion of the respective feet). Adjustable feet-retaining straps are used to overcome the 'piston' action when walking. Rigid pelvic bands with hip joints and 'ring-catch' locks have been fitted. To aid stability the wooden feet have completely flat soles and a leather imitation shoe covering. N.B. The projecting bars on the hip locks have been fitted to facilitate their operation by the child's rudimentary hands and arms.
1940-1960
Fabric infant doll, wearing a Denis Browne type splint for congenital dislocation of the hips, probably used to demonstrate prospective orthopaedic treatment, with wooden model chair, photograph of child patient, and one large and one small descriptive labels, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, 1940-1960.
1942-1945
Right above knee prosthesis, constructed from crashed aircraft in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp in Singapore during World War II. It was made by Royal Engineer prisoners, under the direction of Col. Julian Taylor FRCS and a Sergeant Armourer. Made c.1943. (Weight: 7.5 lbs 3.4 kg).
1980
Teapot stand, hinged plywood, for use by arthritics, England, 1980
1915-1920
Shipley plate for one-armed men, supplied by T. Goode and Co., made by Booth, English, 1915-1920
1970-1985
Child's adjustable quadruped walking aid, with crutch-like arm support and shaft branching into four rubberised feet, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, 1970-1985
1915-1925
Certalmid hand with fully opposed thumb with a grooved tip. The index and middle fingers are 'canted' to enable a pen or pencil to be held. In the palm is a screw box fitment for securing a driving cup (for holding a ball on the steering wheel of a car). Probably made by A.E. Evans, c.1920.
1880-1920
Artificial hand, wood, with metal wrist-plate and leather glove, European, 1880-1920
1891-1930
Artificial leg for amputation just above right ankle, 1891-1930
1964
Pair of CO2 gas powered prostheses for a Thalidomide affected child with complete absence of upper limbs (amelia). Valves are sited over both shoulders and activated by the acromion processes. Friction shoulder and elbow joints, for passive positioning. There is a powered right split-hook and wrist rotation unit and a passive left wrist unit with a powered split-hook. Elbow flexion is achieved by means of a perlon cord passing through a pulley and attached to a waist belt. Groin straps are necessary to prevent the belt from riding upwards in a very young child. Made by Steeper 1964.
c.1995-2001
'Explorer' stair-climber mobility chair, a powered wheelchair with retractable caterpillar tracks that allow the user to climb stairs, manufactured by TGR Electric Traction Vehicle, Bologna, Italy, c.1995-2001
1970
One-piece forearm and foam hand for a young child with a congenital left below elbow deficiency. The prosthesis has a plastic socket with a 'cushlon' and velcro above-elbow cuff suspension. Two-tone plastic cosmetic glove. Made by Steeper c. 1970.
1998
Artificial leg for an above-knee amputee, of a type provided for landmine victims in Cambodia, developed and manufactured by the Cambodia Trust charity, 1997-2002
1967-1972
'Crash helmet', used by Eddie Freeman, a child affected by the drug thalidomide, made at The Limb Fitting Centre, London, 1967-1972
A pair of lower limb prostheses for a Thalidomide affected child who was born with complete absence of upper limbs (amelia) and phocomelic lower limbs (absent femora, absent tibiae. Fibulae and feet present with additional toes). Blocked leather sockets, embracing both hips and buttocks, open ended to allow the natural feet to hang free. Well padded rigid pelvic bands. Non-jointed dural side struts to wooden feet with imitation shoe covering. Soles are completely flat to aid balance. Note the valve housings on both sockets, these were positioned to permit the natural toes to control valves which operated CO2 wrist rotation units and terminal devices on her upper limb prostheses. A CO2 gas cylinder is located in the left prosthesis. Made by Hanger in 1966.
1934
Metal right above knee prosthesis, evidence of attempts to repair the socket. Made by Hanger in 1934.
Artificial right hand, aluminium with hard rubber cover, known as the McKay, from Aberdeen Hospital, Scottish, c.1920
1914-1918
Left above knee leg made of fibre with detachable metal socket. Wooden tenon and mortice knee. Universal ankle joint by means of 4 springs. Wooden foot with toe joint. German, made circa 1915 during the First World War (Weight: 6.25 lbs 2.8 kg).
1918-1990
Model of a No.8 (below knee) prosthesis made by the late Alex Munro Armstrong of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. He lost his leg, below the knee on 24 April 1918.
Left metal below knee prosthesis with leather thigh corset made for a Cypriot truck driver during 1914-18 War. Made in Cyprus.
1850-1910
Artificial arm, steel with brass wrist mountings, leather top piece, European, 1840-1940.
1950-1970
Poem entitled "Spinal Babies", typed on hospital notepaper and mounted on cardboard backing with cut out illustrations and string loop for wall hanging, from the Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England, 1950-1970.
1981
Earthenware mug, commemorating the marriage of HRH Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer, unsigned, Ireland, 1981. As presented in July 1981, to all child patients at the, Lord Mayor Treloar Orthopaedic Hospital, Alton, Hampshire, England.
1601-1800
Plated metal artificial nose, 17th-18th century.
1915-1918
Austrian gutter leg splint captured by the British on the Piave in 1918 in Italy
1903
Peg leg made in the shipyard at Blyth (Northumbria) by the father of a 3 year old boy who lost his right leg below the knee in 1903. The patient was still wearing a conventional below knee prosthesis at the age of 79.
Temporary wooden right below knee leg made for Erskine House (Scotland). Both socket and thigh corset are made of 3-ply wood. Side struts with simple knee joints. "Clapper" type foot and ankle. Made during 1914-18 war. (Weight: 5.25 lbs 2.3 kg).
Austrian gutter leg splint captured by the British in Italy 1918
1830-1900
Mathieu apparatus, wood and metal, frame with canvas supports, for Scoliosis, by Mathieu of Paris, 1830-1900 (see note)
1946-1955
Invalid carriage, electric model 44, by Carters (J. & A.) Ltd., registration number KDD 78, c. 1950, Great Portland Street, London, England
Artificial foot of rubber and wood, made in Jaipur, India, 1981
Artificial left arm, leather and wood, fully articulated, probably English, 1850-1910
