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Presentation scissors, SS Vienna

Miscellanea & Curiosities

1894

Presentation scissors, with ornate sheath, silver gilt, used for the launch of Great Eastern Railway Twin-Screw Steamship Vienna, Hull, 18 July 1894, presented to Lady Seager Hunt. TSS Vienna was built by Earle's Co. Ltd, Hull, renamed TSS Roulers in 1920 and scrapped 1930.

Chain of Office, Railway Queen

Miscellanea & Curiosities

1927

Chain of Office, Railway Queen's, original chain of bronze plaques and silver links made in 1927 by R H Patterson, Jeweller of Liverpool, in glazed case.

Pendant in form of plastic model of "Heinz" gherkin

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1885-1895

Pendant in form of green plastic model of "Heinz" pickled gherkin, brass suspension loop in centre, United States, 1885-1895

St Rollox Collection

Photographic Collections (Railway)

1890-1924

Photographs, a collection of approximately 725 silver gelatin glass negatives, 6 ½ x 4 ¾ to 16 x 12 ins, from the St. Rollox Locomotive Works, Glasgow, of the Caledonian Railway and London Midland & Scottish Railway, featuring locomotives, carriages, wagons places and events, c 1890-1924.

Model Great Western Railway locomotive, "Gooch"

Railway Models

1905

Model steam locomotive, 1/16 scale, Great Western Railway `Armstrong' class 4-4-0 No 8 'Gooch', 1905, Churchward rebuild of the Dean 'No.7' class of 1894.

Copy of Pasteur's flask used in his experiments on spontaneous generation, France, 1888-1927

Microbiology

1888-1927

Glass flask, copy of the one used by Pasteur in his experiments on spontaneous generation with wooden ring stand, labelled

Water pipe from Water Street, Manchester

Water Supply & Sanitation

1890-1899

Cast iron water pipe taken from Water Street; probably dates from the late 1890s; extracted by United Utilities during water pipe replacement which took place in Manchester City Centre 2007-2009

Great Western Railway locomotive headlamp

Locomotives and Rolling Stock Components

1897

Locomotive headlamp, made by GWR , in commemoration of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, in 1897. The object is 31"x 9" and is finished on top with a crown.

carriage ashtray from Quintinshill disaster

Miscellanea & Curiosities

1915

Railway carriage ashtray, brass, mounted on wooden plinth with brass plate engraved ‘Quintinshill 1915’, made by Thomas Henry Barnfather Smith.

Intermediate frame

Textile Industry

1907

Intermediate frame, made by Platt Brothers & Co. Ltd, Oldham, 1907, and used at Roy Mill, Royton.

Bottle of medicinal water from temple of Asklepios at Athens

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1930

Bottle for medicinal water, with contents, from the well at the temple of Aesculapius at the Acropolis, Athens, collected in 1930

Experimental form 1 (Licence to use Wireless Telegraph), 1905

Radio Communication

1905

Experimental form 1 (Licence to use Wireless Telegraph for Experimental purposes) dated 14 November 1905 and made out to Ernest Dundas Gledall Esq BSc, issued by the General Post Office on behalf of the Postmaster General, British, 1905

Two-wire telephone repeater, 1923-1925

Telecommunications

1923-1925

Two-wire telephone repeater, made by Standard Telephones and Cables in collaboration with Western Electric Company, British, 1923-1925

Shell fragment used as an amulet, Germany, 1910-1914

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1910-1914

Shell fragment, metal, used as charm, German, 1910-1914, from Lovett collection

X-ray tube

X-rays

1895-1899

Large pear shaped x-ray tube of form originally used by Prof. Röntgen, manufactured in Germany about 1896. Inside of glass at end of tube eroded by bringing cathode rays to a focus with a magnet; on stand.

One of Fleming's first thermionic diode valves, 1889

Electronic Components

1889

Thermionic valve, one of three original examples, by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, London, England, 1904. This valve uses a lamp with a cylindrical aluminium filament, by Edison & Swan United Electric Company, London, England, 1889.

Wireless World Diary, 1933

Radio Communication

1933

'Wireless World' diary for 1933, published by Iliffe and Sons Limited, City of London, England, 1933

Berry & Bentley Track Bicycle

Road Transport

1934

Track bicycle, made by Berry & Bentley, Manchester, 1934.

D'Arsonval cage for electrotherapeutic auto-conduction

Therapeutics

1890-1910

D'Arsonval cage for electrotherapeutic auto-conduction, octagonal wooden frame, by Richard Heller of Paris, 1890-1910, used by Dr J.-A. Riviere. Patient was insulated from all contact with current carrying wire, and since the wire was carrying high-frequency alternating current, the patient didn't feel a thing, except a slightly warm sensation.

Tooth shade guide, England, 1890-1910

Dentistry

1890-1910

Shade guide, for porcelain teeth, 24 (of 25) samples in circular nickel plated frame, by the Dental Manufacturing Co., England, 1890-1910

Sibbit Tandem Bicycle

Road Transport

1928

Tandem bicycle made by Jack E Sibbit, c.1928.

Cock-feathered male Sebright Bantam

Biotechnology

1914-1924

Cock-feathered male Sebright Bantam, bred by Thomas Hunt Morgan, United States, 1914-1924

'Italian Navy' detector, 1899-1901

Radio Communication

1899-1901

Carbon-mercury-iron semiconductor diode detector, of the type invented by J C Bose in 1899, modified version, unknown maker, 1899-1901. Known as the ‘Italian Navy coherer’, used by G Marconi in Newfoundland to receive the first wireless communication across the Atlantic, December 1901.

Carved figure of breastfeeding woman

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1890-1920

Carved ebony figure of seated woman suckling an infant, woman's face ornamented with tribal scarification, wearing an amuletic necklace, possibly represents Odudua, Earth Goddess in the Yoruba pantheon, probably Yoruba people, West African, 1890-1920

A pair of dice made in imitation ivory celluloid, early 20th century.

Plastics and Modern Materials

1901-1930

One of a pair of dice made in ivory cellulose nitrate, with black markings, first part of 20th century

Section of miniature hospital including entrance and staircase

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1930-1932

Entrance, staircase and lift tower of hospital model, part of miniature hospital made for publicity for King Edward's Hospital Fund for London, 1930-1932

five-line single cord switchboard, 1900-1909

Telecommunications

1900-1909

Five-line single cord switchboard, unknown maker, British, 1900-1909.

checked cloth sample

Textile Industry

1900

Cloth, dark blue and cream check, made in the United States, around 1900.

X-ray film holder, Europe, 1910-1925

Radiomedicine

1910-1925

X-ray Film holder.

Baudot five key keyboard, 1897-1926

Telecommunications

1897-1926

Baudot five key keyboard (without message desk) with 'send' and 'receive' switch for simplex working, Post Office pattern, unknown maker, British, 1897-1926

Morse key with send-receive switch, 1900-1920

Telecommunications

1900-1920

Morse key with send-receive switch, made by the General Post Office, British, 1900-1920

Baird Model B 'Noah's Ark' Televisor

Television

1928

Baird Model B Televisor, 1928. These were also known as the 'Dual Exhibition' receiver, or the 'Noah's Ark' receiver. They were constructed in London at the Baird premises at 133 Long Acre. A very small number were made originally, 'perhaps only a dozen', according to the memoirs of TH Bridgewater, an engineer who worked for the Baird Company at this time. Nonetheless, they represent the first mass-produced television sets.

Brooch to avert the evil eye

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1900-1914

Amuletic brooch, operculum of shell in metal rim with pin, to avert Evil Eye, European, possibly Italian, 1900-1914

Colt's stretcher for narrow trenches

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1915-1918

Colt's stretcher for narrow trenches, first World War, British, 1915-1918

Carbon water filter

Public Health & Hygiene

1890-1915

Late 19th or early 20th century patent moulded carbon water filter by Atkins of London

Vaccination set, London, England, 1925-1928

Public Health & Hygiene

1925-1928

Vaccination case, nickel plated brass, with contents, by Down Bros., London, 1925-1928

Underwood Typewriter, 1897

Printing & Writing

1897

Underwood typewriter, No.1, 10" Pica, No.990, 1897

Artificial left arm, Europe, 1925-1935

Orthopaedics

1925-1935

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.

Plaster model of a human eye, France, 1884

Anatomy & Pathology

1884

Plaster model of a sectioned human eye, French, 1884.

Wall telephone No. 1, 1900-1911

Telecommunications

1900-1911

Wall telephone No. 1, purchased by the National Telephone Company for use in Britain from Western Electric, Antwerp, Belgium, 1900-1911

Openshaw-type artifcial hand, Birmingham, England, 1916-1918

Orthopaedics

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.

Ashadar or time stick, Northern India, 1895-1905

Time Measurement

1895-1905

Tibetan priest's Time-stick from Darjeeling, unsigned, West Bengal, India, 1895-1905. It worked in a simliar way to the column sundial, a wire gnomonwas placed in the hole that corresponded with the month, it was then twisted to align the shadow with the scale.

Henry Babbage's Analytical Engine Mill, 1910.

Computing & Data Processing

1910

Henry Babbage's analytical engine (incomplete), with various spare parts and patterns for casting

Wooden prosthetic hand with rigid fingers

Orthopaedics

c. 1920

Wooden hand with rigid fingers and semi-opposed tenon thumb. Certalmid wrist section. Made by Steeper, c.1920.

Anti-streptococci serum, France, 1888-1932

Public Health & Hygiene

1888-1932

Glass ampoule, of antistreptococci serum, made by Pasteur Institute in wooden box with seal intact, French, 1881

Kent's knife sharpening and cleaning-machine, c. 1905.

Domestic Appliances

1903-1905

Kent's patent rotary disc hand-operated knife sharpening and cleaning machine, size 7 no. 8926, overall design based on patents 10225 and 13920 in 1852 by George Kent, most recent patents in 1895, 1902 and 1903 made by Kent of Holborn, London, and supplied by Halstead and Kestell of Royston, 1903-1905

Papier mache model of human eye

Psychology, Psychiatry & Anthropometry

1913

Papier mache model of eye with French markings, by Anatoinie Clastique Du Auxoux (Auzoux?), Paris, 1913

Cine Kodak Model B camera

Cinematography

1927-1931

Cine Kodak Model B camera. Cine camera for 16mm film, 50'or 100' reels. Claw intermittent mechanism, single continuous sprocket drive. Interchangeable lens, Kodak anastigmat F:25mm f/1.9-16. Folding optical frame finder with parallax correction, reflecting brilliant finder. Back sight for interchangeable lens on side. Rotary footage indicator Clockwork motor drive, single speed, and lck on position. No. 83458. Eastman Kodak. 1927-1931.

Avro 504K Plane

Aeronautics

1930

Avro 504K 'G-ABAA' made by A.V Roe Co. Ltd, Manchester.

great western railway royal cigarette case

Miscellanea & Curiosities

1897

Cigarette case, silver plated, Great Western Railway, from the Royal Saloon, built for Her Majesty Queen Victoria, 1897, comprises ashtray, match strikers, cigar cutter and cigarette box - moulded Crown on front. Overall: 75 mm x 110 mm x 146 mm.