Search our collection | Science Museum Group Collection

Wooden case for throat swab

Clinical Diagnosis

1901-1930

Wooden case for swab. Label printed with the following text: 'Kent County Council. Diphtheria Diagnosis Outfit. The content of the enclosed tube have been sterilised'. Supplied by Kent County Council, early 20th century, for diphtheria diagnosis

Flat steel-spring (or watch-spring) coherer, 1894

Radio Communication

1894

Flat steel-spring (or watch-spring) coherer, unknown maker, England, 1894. Used by Oliver Lodge in his lecture before the Royal Institution on 1 June 1894 on ‘The work of Hertz and his successors’

Model sink and drainage system

Domestic Appliances

1895

Wooden and metal model of sink and drainage system. Brown, grey, white and black. Sticker marked 58. Part of a collection of small models of sanitary appliances, to be used for instruction in hygiene, in cabinet

Glass necklace worn to prevent bronchitis, Chelsea, London, England, 1914

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1914

London bronchitis necklet, Chelsea, London, English 1914

Copper plaque stamped with a Latin cross for protection against cholera

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1900-1909

Copper plaque stamped with Latin cross, used as protection against cholera, Russian, 1900-1909

De Forest Audion 1906-1915

Electronic Components

1906-1915

De Forest Audion, unknown maker, 1906-1915

Notched elder twig amulet

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1901-1913

Notched elder twig, amuletic, cure for warts, Lovett collection, from South Wales, 1901-1913

Therapeutic Exercise Chair, Wiesbaden, Germany, 1901-1905

Therapeutics

1901-1905

Exercise chair for patients with poliomyelitis, made by Rossel, Schwarz and Co., Wiesbaden, Germany, 1901 to 1905

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.

Pohl Omniskop X-ray apparatus, Kiel, Germany, 1925-1935

Radiomedicine

1925-1935

Main component of Pohl Omniskop X-ray apparatus, c.1925-1935 , used by Dr. Rachwalsky until 1962, German

Cover for Stock exchange printing telegraph, 1907

Telecommunications

1907

Cover, wood with glazed panels, serial number 81, for transmitter unit of Stock Exchange printing telegraph, made by the Exchange Telegraph Company, England, 1907

Transmitter unit for Stock exchange printing telegraph, 1907

Telecommunications

1907

Transmitter unit, serial number 81, for Stock Exchange printing telegraph, made by the Exchange Telegraph Company, England, 1907

Popular Wireless no. 1 vol. 1, 1922

Radio Communication

1922

'Popular Wireless' magazine, no. I vol. 1, 3rd June 1922, published by Amalgamated Press Limited, England, 1922

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.

Kymograph

Laboratory Medicine

1925-1935

Kymograph, on table, by C.F. Palmer and Co., London, 1925-1935, used by Sir Henry Dale, 1930-1940

Cot plaque from Great Ormond Street Hospital

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1902

Cot plaque from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, 1900-1904, the Gladys Dean Paul cot, London, England

Plaque for cot, Great Ormond Street Hospital

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1900

Cot plaque from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, The Girl's Realm Cot 1900-1904, London, England, 1900; plaque commemorates the sponsorship of the cot by the magazine 'The Girl's Realm'

Liston-type amputation knife, London, England, 1920-1930

Surgery

1920-1930

Liston's amputation knife with steel blade and nickel plated handle made by Down Bros. of London, English, 1920-1930

Medicinal water from hot spring of Saint Maria Theresa

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1920-1928

Bottle, glass, containing medicinal water from the hot spring of Saint Maria Theresa at Bagneres de Bigorre, France, collected in 1928

Double coherer (experimental), 1895-1906

Radio Communication

1895-1906

Double coherer (experimental), unknown maker, British, 1895-1906. Used by Captain Henry Jackson

Morse tape on which signals were recorded by means of a coherer, 1900

Radio Communication

1900

Morse paper tape, unknown maker, probably British, 1900. Used to record signals received by means of a coherer in 1900 at a distance of 135 miles by Captain Henry Jackson

Shamrock amulet

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1914-1918

Amulet, tin and copper(?), shamrock, probably 1918

Chronometer escapement mounted as an exhibition model in domed glazed case by William T. Heye

Clockmakers

1903

Chronometer escapement housed in a domed glazed case. Made by William T. Hayes.

Eight-day astronomical longcase clock by Thomas Vickery

Clockmakers

1931

Dead-beat escapement longcase clock by Thomas Vickery in a solid oak case. The painted brass dial shows the hours and minutes, equation-of-time, times of sunrise and sunset, the age and phases of the moon, position of the principal constellations, the sun' s place in the ecliptic and has a perpetual calendar. The three-train movement strikes the hours and chimes the quarters. The musical train plays every three hours, a different tune every day: a hymn each Sunday. The tunes chosen are those played by Bath Abbey clock, Bath being Vickery’s birthplace. Seconds pendulum with invar rod. Bridgnorth, Shropshire, 1931

"Ingersoll" wrist watch

Time Measurement

1915

"Ingersoll" wrist watch with leather strap, pin pallet escapement and luminous hour hand, 1915

Burroughs Class 4 1000 hand operated adding and listing machine

Mathematics

1925-1935

Burroughs Class 4 1000 hand operated adding and listing machine with keyboard for Sterling currency, serial number 4-1282626 with bag

Burndept 'Ethodyne' superheterodyne receiver, 1926

Radio Communication

1926

Burndept 'Ethodyne' superheterodyne receiver, with two frame aerials, made by Burndept Limited, probably Blackheath, London, England, 1925

Corona folding portable typewriter, c. 1922

Printing & Writing

1922

Corona folding portable typewriter, c. 1922

Poured wax doll,with head turned to one side; inse

Materials Science Gallery

c. 1900

Poured wax doll,with head turned to one side; inset,large vivid blue glass eyes with inserted lashes, well shaped lips, eyebrows and long brown curled wig, on a fabric body with wax lower limbs, in a white lace trimmed gown.

12"tenon saw by Spear & Jackson

Hand and Machine Tools

1926

12"tenon saw by Spear & Jackson

Soldiers & Sailors canteen mug - Selby Station

Passenger Comforts

c. 1915-1919

Mug, ceramic, white with black lettering "Return to Soldiers & Sailors Canteen Selby Station", by W Gill & Sons, manufacturers, Castleford, Yorks. No maker's marks. Overall: 87 mm x 108 mm x 80 mm diameter, .

Radio tuning coil No. 300, 1922-1923

Radio Communication

1922-1923

Burndept plug-in inductance coil No. 300, made by Burndept Limited, Blackheath, London, England, 1922-1923.

Small steel model of a horseshoe

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1890-1930

Small steel model of a horseshoe, made in Paris, France, with hole for pendant 1890-1930

Coherer, with several needles in contact with crystal, 1894-1904

Radio Communication

1894-1904

Coherer, tiny glass tube with several needles in contact with crystal, designed or used by Sir Oliver Lodge, England, 1894-1904

Lissen Headphones, 1922-1930

Radio Communication

1921-1930

One pair Lissen headphones for radio reception, manufactured by Lissen Limited, London, England, 1922-1930

Co-operative Wholesale Society Bicycle

Road Transport

1935

Co-operative Wholesale Society bicycle, made in Tyseley, Birmingham, c. 1935.

Belsize two-seater motor car

Road Transport

c. 1912

Two-seater motor car with folding hood and dickey seat, made by Belsize Motors Ltd, Clayton, Manchester, c.1912, with an accompanying illustrated catalogue of cars manufactured by Belsize Motors Limited, Manchester printed in 1914.

Richardson's galvanic amulet against diseases

Therapeutics

1881-1900

Richardson's galvanic amulet against diseases, copper, brass, steel, zinc and nickel(?), possibly USA, 1881-1900. PAT in US Feb 3 1880. R.D in Canda Feb 3 1881

Spencer Wells artery forceps

Surgery

1890-1910

Spencer Wells artery forceps, screw-joint, plated steel, by Allen and Hanburys of London, c. 1900

Small muslin bag containing amuletic bread

Ethnography and Folk Medicine

1901-1913

Small muslin bag containing crust of bread, amuletic, to ward off toothache, Lovett collection, from London, English, 1901-1913

Galvanic brooch of black vulcanite

Therapeutics

1890-1910

Galvanic brooch of black vulcanite, with cherub holding fistfuls of lightning on one side and on the reverse, inset copper plate with eight electric bolts radiating from a central object (fist? lightbulb?). Two holes drilled in the copper plate, probably for mounting. Probably London, English, 1890-1910