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Astronomical quadrant with stand, 1685-1724

Astronomy

1685-1724

Brass quadrant of 23-inch radius with diagonal scales on a wrought iron stand by Butterfield of Paris. The quadrant is fitted with a telescopic sight and an enclosed plumb bob. This fine brass and iron quadrant was displayed at the Special Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus exhibition held at the South Kensington Museum in 1876.

Surveyor's compass used by James Watt, by George Adams

James Watt's Garret Workshop

c. 1760

Surveyor's compass used by James Watt, by George Adams, London, circa 1760.

Wooden printing press

Printing & Writing

1701-1734

Wooden hand-operated printing press, differing little from that of the early Caxton press, 1701-1734. Reputedly used from the workshop where Benjamin Franklin worked as a journeyman printer.

Stjerneborg Observatory

Johannes Blaeu

1634 (print); 1581-1587 (observatory)

Stellaeburgum sive Observatorium Subterraneum. A Tychone Brahe... MDLXXXIIII. Amstelaedami: Joannes Blaeu excudebat. Print of Tycho Brahe's Observatory, Stjerneborg, on the Danish island of Hvaena [Hven], by Johannes Blaeu 1634 (1584). Bookplate, two page folio spread pictorial diagram, text in (Spanish?) on verso; plate published Amsterdam. Engraving, coloured in wash, with gilded detail, 45x55.5 edged to 47x57.5cm. Showing multiple instruments in balustraded walled garden

Ivory model of a skeleton, articulated, possibly 1

Anatomy & Pathology

1601-1700

Ivory model of a skeleton, articulated, possibly 17th century

Clay tobacco pipe by Henry Norman, made in Hull, 1

Smoking

1670-1690

Clay tobacco pipe by Henry Norman, made in Hull, 1670-1690

Culpeper Compound microscope, with accessories, by Scarlett

Microscopes

1735-1745

Scarlett-Culpeper Compound microscope, with accessories, London, England, c. 1740.

European horary quadrant, 1650-1725

Astronomy

1650-1725

Boxwood Gunter quadrant (6-inch radius)

Allen & Hanburys Limited

1715

1715-current (2017), pharmaceutical manufacturer, England, British

Ivory and horn anatomical model of the eye, Italy, 1674

Ophthalmology

1674

Ivory and horn artificial eye, complete with eyelids, by Giovanni Batista Verle of Venice

F. Casartel, alcohol thermometer, 1720-1750

Meteorology

1720-1750

Alcohol thermometer in wooden glazed case by F. Casartel, Amsterdam, Holland, 1720 to 1750. Scale plate marked with Fahrenheit and Florentine divisions.

Mining compass in engraved ivory case, Italian, 17th century

Surveying

1601-1700

Mining compass in engraved ivory case, Italian, 17th century

Dutch warship, c. 1660

Water Transport

1650-1675

Model of Dutch War Vessel (17th century)

English horary quadrant, 1623-1700

Astronomy

1623-1700

English brass Gunter quadrant, 17th century (4-1/2 inch radius) with degree scale and shadow square. Unsigned but design, lettering and decoration identical to 1938-386.

Islamic horary quadrant, 1727-1728

Astronomy

1727-1728

Persian wooden horary quadrant (15 cm radius), with painted scales and compass in leather case, by Muhammad Abd al-Hadi-Safadi and dated AH 1140 (1727-8).

Acupuncture training model, China, 1725-1730

Asian Medicine

1725-1730

Acupuncture training model, with bronze acupuncture figure, in silk covered box bearing text of an Imperial decree of Yung Chen, China, c. 1727

Goa stone, Europe, 1601-1700

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1601-1700

Oval goa stone, used as a remedy for many diseases, bears traces of gold foil on outside, in elaborate silver case, on a silver tripod, possibly 17th century

Armillary sphere

Astronomy

1601-1700

Small decorative brass armillary Sphere, supported on shoulders of a bronze figure of Atlas mounted on a ebonized wooden plinth. The horizon ring and supporting stand is a later 19th century addition, probably French, while the rest appears to be part of an original 17th century armillary sphere.

Italian draw-tube refracting telescope with stand, 1701-1730

Astronomy

1701-1730

Italian draw-tube refracting telescope, on altazimuth wooden stand 17th-18th century.

Arithmetical Jewel, 1619.

Mathematics

c. 1619

Arithmetical Jewel : a seventeenth century calculating device of ivory and brass in tooled leather binding, 5" x 3", with brass stylus 5 inches long, bound with 33 sheets of contemporary MS instructions and 7 blank sheets

Rose engine lathe

Hand and Machine Tools

c.1740

Rose engine lathe, Lord Macclesfield, about 1740

Whole model of battleship HMS 'Captain'

Water Transport

1708-1714

Contemporary model, 1:60 scale, of HMS ‘Captain’ built 1708 to the 1706 Establishment (naval specification), a 70-gun, 3rd-rate, man-of-war navel vessel, without rigging or masts with cut-away to show construction, built by William Hammond, shipwright at Portsmouth naval dockyard, 1714. The 'Captain', was involved in the defeat of the Spanish fleet off Cape Passaro with the British forces commanded by Admiral Sir George Byng.

Spittoon, England, 1660-1760

Public Health & Hygiene

1660-1760

Spittoon, blue tin-glazed earthenware, English, 1660-1760

Ivory and horn model of an eye, Europe, 1601-1700

Anatomy & Pathology

1601-1700

Ivory and horn model of an eye, Europe, 1601-1700

Wooden backstaff

Navigation

1730; 1967

Wooden backstaff or Davis quadrant made by John Gilbert on Tower Hill, London, England in 1730 for Thomas Wells. The navigational instrument is fitted with boxwood circular scales (30°arc 0-25, 60°arc 0-65 & 0.5’ divisions), signed ivory insert and decorative stars are stamped on the frame and arcs. The backstaff is fitted with a replacement Flamsteed Lens and a shadow vane made in the Science Museum workshops in 1967 (copied from Inv. No.1908-158).

Touchpiece used in the ceremony of healing by touch, 1685-88

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1685-1688

Gold touchpiece, given in the ceremony of healing by touch, issued by James II, English, 1685-1688 (see note)

Replica of Lightning Conductor by Benjamin Franklin, United States, 1730-1760

Geophysics

1730-1760 (original); 1931-1939 (replica)

Replica of an early iron lightning conductor erected by Benjamin Franklin in Pennsylvania, America, 1730-1760 (original), 1931-1939

Trade card for James Ayscough, optician, London, England, 1749-1750

.Unattributed

1749-1750

Trade card: James Ayscough, at the Great Golden Spectacles, in Ludgate -Street, near St. Paul's, London. optician. (Calv. 18) 13 1/2 x 8 in.; 343 x 203 mm

model experimental cart

King George III

1753

Model experimental cart with six wheels, maker unknown, before 1753.

Wooden statue depicting a plague sufferer, Europe, 1601-1700

Classical & Medieval Medicine

1601-1700

Wooden statue depicting an emaciated figure suffering from plague lying on the ground surrounded by a frog and a lizard possibly 17th century

Bleeding bowl, England, 1671-1730

Therapeutics

1671-1730

Pottery bleeding bowl, c.1700, English

Remains of the models of silk machinery introduced by Sir Thomas Lombe

Textiles Machinery

1732

Remains of the models of silk machinery introduced from Italy by Sir Thomas Lombe, Derby, England, c. 1732; the remains being: a reel, three spindles with bobbins and flyers and a segment of a circular frame, all half size.

Steel Mill used with Flint for Mine Lighting, 1730-1750

Mining & Ore Dressing

1730-1750

Steel mill formerly used with a flint by the colliers of N. England to give light in places subject to fire-damp, pre 1865

Mine model, Slovakian, c. 1700.

Mining & Ore Dressing

1695-1705

Model of a mine in silver and copper gilt, c.1700, from the mining region of Central Slovakia around Schemnitz (Hungary) now Banska Stiavnica (Czechoslovakia)

Pedometer, gilded brass and silver, cord operated

Surveying

1682-1720

Pedometer, gilded brass and silver, cord operated, by Johann Willebrand, Augsburg, Germany, 1682-1720.

Spring-driven pendulum clock by Johannes van Ceulen of The Hague, c. 1695

Time Measurement

1670-1680

Pendulum bracket clock, spring driven, with black japanned wooden case by Johannes van Ceulen of the Hague, Netherlands, 1670-1680.

Pair of child’s leg supports, possibly French, 1601-1650

Orthopaedics

1601-1650

Pair of childs leg supports, iron, possibly French, 1601-1650

Italian off-set circumferentor, 1601-1700

Surveying

1601-1700

Circumferentor ("ipodimeter") with eccentric alidade, Italian, 17th century

French armillary astrolabe, 1661

Astronomy

1661

Astronomical circles, or armillary astrolabe by Pierre Sevin, Paris and dated 1661. The astrolabe plate has a Gemma Frisius universal projection with pointer on one side while on the reverse there is a shadow dial with unequal scale and a sighting vane. One sight missing, cleaned and laquered by Chief Attendant W.E. Page 29/7/27. He made and added a small brass key piece which was missing

Altazimuth theodolite, British, 1725-1747

Surveying

1725-1747

Altazimuth theodolite, 4 1/2-inch, by Jonathan Sisson, Styrand, London, England, 1725-1747

Mummy of a crocodile, Egypt, 2000-1001 BCE

Classical & Medieval Medicine

2000-1001 BCE

Mummified crocodile, no provenance, Egyptian, 2000-1001 BCE.

Model Savery engine, before 1754.

King George III

1698-1744

Model of Savery's engine.

Gourd bottle, believed to be a pomander, cased, Europe, 1659

Wellcome (general)

1659

Gourd bottle, intricately carved, possibly used as a pomander, in case, 1659

Simple theodolite, Italian, 1676

Surveying

1676

Simple theodolite by Johannes Macarius of Modena, Italy, 1676

Brass scarificator

Therapeutics

1669

Scarificator, brass, by G.B. Boeller, 1669, in tooled leather case

Selection of gold and silver pomanders, Europe

Pharmacy-ware

1601-1700

Silver pomander, segmented and with four compartments, each inscribed with name of contents, neroli, mace, caraway, cochineal (?), 17th century (see note).

Incomplete aerial telescope, 1686-1691

Astronomy

1686-1691

Selection of components for Huygens's 210-Foot aerial telescope. The objective lens for the instrument has been retained by the Royal Society along with 2 other Huygens lenses. The component parts consist of an iron cylinder with wooden spar to carry the main object glass lens along with 4 eyepieces of 10 inch, 7 1/2 inch, 6 inch and 4 1/8 inch focal lengths.

Brass syringe

Therapeutics

1601-1630

Brass syringe, in case, French, early 17th century

Parturition chair

Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception

1601-1700

Parturition chair or commode, with removeable keyhole seat, and carved leaf motif on back and sides, elm and oak, English, 17th century

Surgical instrument set, Europe, 1650-1685

Surgery

1650-1685

Silver mounted shagreen instrument case, which belonged to a Dr. Shumatt about 1685, containing one scalpel and two metal bits, (? curettes), European, 1650-1685