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Verge escapement watch movement by Ahasuerus Fromanteel

Clockmakers

1685

Verge escapement watch movement, without dial. Signed on backplate ‘Fromanteel’. The fusee arbor comes through the foot of the balance cock, which has two screws. by Ahasuerus Fromanteel, Holland, c. 1685.

Albarello drug jar used for cinchona bark

Medical Ceramic-ware

1731-1770

Tin glazed earthenware albarello, used for cinchona bark, Spanish, mid 18th century

Enema syringe

Therapeutics

1701-1800

Brass enema syringe, piston-action, driven by "lazy-tongs" mechanism, possibly Portuguese, 18th century

Posset pot with lid

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1701-1800

Polychrome tin glazed earthenware posset pot, English, 1701-1800

Earthenware plate showing breast feeding, Italy, 1601-1800

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1601-1800

Tin-glazed earthenware plate, showing breast feeding, Italian, 17th or 18th century

7/8" steel gouge with octagonal hickory handle

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1758-1769

7/8-inch steel gouge with octagonal hickory handle, by Rowe, United Kingdom, 1758-1769.

Demainbray's model scorpion catapult

King George III

1745-1755

Model of scorpion or catapult made between 1745-55, maker and place of production unknow, but once belonged to Stephen Demainbray and used by him in demonstrations of natural philosophy.

Spring-detent escapement watch with gold case by John Arnold and Son

Clockmakers

1796

White enamel dial with subsidiary seconds dial. Gold minute and hour hands with blued steel seconds hand. Spring detent escapement with Z balance and steel helical spring of four turns. Signed ‘John Arnold & Son London Invt. et Fect. 513/814’. Gold case, stamped with casemaker's mark 'TH', and 513.

Pivoted-detent escapement watch by Larcum Kendall

Clockmakers

1786

Silver pair-cased pivoted detent escapement watch by Larcum Kendall, in which the passing spring is operated by an inclined plane on the balance staff. White enamel dial with subsidiary dials for hours and seconds. Brass balance with spiral bi-metallic compensation curb, Signed 'L. Kendall London B+y', London, hallmarked 1786-7

Gold verge watch with red and blue champlevé enamel dial by Edward East

Clockmakers

1650

Gold verge escapement watch with a red and blue champlevé enamel dial by Edward East. The fusee movement has a three wheel train, pinned on balance cock and ratchet wheel set-up. Signed ‘Eduardus East Londini’. c.1650

Model of Vauloue's piledriver

King George III

1737-1752

Model of the piledriver designed by James Vauloue, maker unknown, before 1753, London. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray.

Demainbray's convex mirror

King George III

1752

Convex mirror on stand, maker unknown, 1752. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray.

Demainbray's hydrostatic paradox vessels

King George III

1735-1752

Vessels for demonstration of the hydrostatic paradox, maker unknown, before 1753. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray.

Demainbray's wire cage

King George III

1700-1752

Brass wire cage with wooden terminal and hook, maker unknown, before 1753. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray.

Oval silver pair-cased watch by Sampson Shelton

Clockmakers

1640

Oval silver pair-cased watch by Sampson Shelton. The silver inner case is undecorated, with a crystal in the cover, fixed by a ring. The winding aperture to the back is shuttered. The outer case is covered in fish skin and elaborately decorated with silver piqué work. The watch's silver dial has an engraved chapter ring and central flower and a blued steel hand. The movement has a three wheel train, Egyptian pillars and an oval pierced and engraved screwed-on cock. Worm-and-wheel set-up. Signed ‘Sam Shelton Fecit’. London c.1640.

Half-penny coin

Textile Industry

1799

George III half-penny coin, 1799, from the fourth floor of Decker Mill at Murrays' Mills in Ancoats, found during the archaeological survey of the site.

Demainbray's polemoscope

King George III

1701-1752

Polemoscope and case, unknwon maker, before 1753, but once owned by Stephen Demainbray.

Long mahogany strip brass pin gauge with five pins

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1758-1769

13 Pieces of mahogany with pointed pieces of brass in

Astronomical 'Masterpiece' Clock by Johann Schneider

Clockmakers

1625

The main cylindrical clock sits on a cast octagonal base, and is held up by a group of putti and a dolphin. Above the main clock is a small rectangular clock with a 12-hour dial and a canopy on pillars above it. Under the canopy is an automaton group of St George and the Dragon and above is a figure in Roman dress. The outer ring of the main dial is a year calendar with the Saint’s name for each day. Within this is a narrow minute ring, then a silver hour ring of 24 hours, and then a silver band with shutters showing the hours of light and darkness. The centre is occupied by an astrolabe. The steel hand shows the minutes, the gilt hands the hour and age of the moon. On the back are five small dials, which show the day of the week and of the month and the striking position of the hours and quarters.

Demainbray's optical model

King George III

1752

Optical model of a spectrum brought to a focus, maker unknwon, 1752. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray. A handwritten inscription on the base reads: 'Prism, Screen & Convex Lens/.../Focus '3''.

Demainbray's wharf jib crane model

King George III

1729-1753

Model of a wharf jib crane, maker unknown, England, 1729-1753. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray.

Portrait of Thomas Mudge (c.1715 – 1794) after Nathaniel Dance

Clockmakers

1770-1775

Portrait of Thomas Mudge (C.1715 – 1794) oil on canvas, after Nathaniel Dance, London c.1772.

Portrait believed to be of Edward East (1602 – c.1697)

Clockmakers

1601-1700

Portrait miniature, believed to be of Edward East, c.1650. Artist unknown

Posset pot with Chinese decoration

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1701-1750

Large tin glazed earthenware posset pot, Chinese decoration, Dutch, 1701-1750

Painted head board from a hospital bed

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1601-1800

Carved painted head board from a hospital bed, Austrian, 17th-18th century

Oak medicine chest, Europe, 1701-1800

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1701-1800

Oak medicine chest with a hinged lid, swivel fronts, iron fittings and lock with key. Contains 11 bottles, 4 pewter containers (1 labelled), scales and other items, including 2 small pieces of inscribed bone. Writing on the packets of bone seems to be German, although it is poorly legible. 18th century.

Child's spinal support, Europe, 1771-1800

Orthopaedics

1771-1800

Child's spinal support, iron, perhaps French, late 18th century

Paper packet containing white powder

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1768-1780

Paper packet containing white powder, tied with string

Striking and repeating watch movement by Thomas Tompion and Edward Bangor.

Clockmakers

1701-1708

Watch movement with striking and repeating work, but no dial, by Thomas Tompion and Edward Bangor. Verge Escapement. Signed ‘T. Tompion, E. Banger, London 191’ on backplate.

Gold pair-cased watch with outer case chased in a basket-weave pattern by Charles Gretton

Clockmakers

1702

The outer gold case has been hand chased in a basket-work pattern, and gives the appearance of an engine-turned finish. Inner case plain gold. Hallmarked for London, 1702 – 3. Gold champlevé dial with sunk repoussé name plaque signed 'Gretton, London' in centre. Steel hands. Verge escapement. The top pivot hole of the verge was once jewelled with a pierced ruby, mounted in a silver (although this probably was not original to the watch). Signed ‘Charles Gretton London’.

Silver and leather pair-cased verge watch by Charles Gretton

Clockmakers

1690

Pierced and engraved silver pair-cased verge escapement watch by Charles Gretton with the outer case of leather studded with silver The silver dial has long hour figures with a steel hand and a central alarm disk with steel pointer. The movement has a small balance wheel and spring of two turns. London, c.1690.

Silver and tortoiseshell pair-cased watch with 'six hour' dial by Francis Stamper

Clockmakers

1680-1685

Pair-cased watch by Francis Stamper. The outer case is covered in tortoiseshell, inlaid with silver birds and flowers, the inner case made of plain silver, stamped on the inside, ‘AR 386’. The silver dial has a single steel hand which revolves once every six hours. To indicate the 12 hours for each half of the day, the numbers 7-12 (in Arabic numerals) are laid over the top of the numbers 1-6 (in Roman numerals). The minutes are listed around the edge of the hours, from 1-60 between each hour marker. Around the outer edge is a calendar ring with silver pointer. Movement with verge escapement, and signed ‘Fr. Stamper London 386’. Made c.1685.

Pair-cased watch with astronomical indications by Henry Childe

Clockmakers

1650

A silver and leather pair cased verge watch by Henry Childe. The dial has a silver chapter ring displaying the hours, an inner ring for age of the moon, with a gilt centre showing the moon's aspects and an aperture for its phase. All enclosed by an outer calendar ring, with steel pointer. Pinned on balance cock with balance now missing. Worm-and-wheel set-up, fusee line missing. Signed ‘Henricus Childe Fecit’ on the movement. Outer case covered in leather with silver piqué decoration. London c.1650.

Earthenware posset pot, glazed

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1650-1700

Earthenware posset pot, tin glazed, with spout and repousse decoration, probably London, 1650-1700

Verge escapement watch movement by Thomas Tompion and George Graham.

Clockmakers

1711

Verge escapement watch movement by Thomas Tompion and George Graham c.1711 The movement has a white enamel dial and steel beetle and poker hands. It is signed on the backplate ‘Tho Tompion, Geo. Graham London 4369’

Silver and tortoiseshell pair-cased watch by Ignatius Huggeford

Clockmakers

1675

Silver pair-cased verge escapement watch by Ignatius Huggeford, with an outer case of tortoiseshell studded with silver. The dial has a rotating day-of-month rim, heart-shaped hour plaques and a steel arrow hand. The movement has a four-wheel train, worm-and-wheel set-up with silver regulator disc and a blued-steel balance cock with large ruby/glass 'endstone'. Signed 'Ignatius Huggeford Londini'. Made c.1675.

George III's model crriage body

King George III

1762

Model carriage body, made by George Adams, Fleet Street, London, 1762.

‘Medico-Electrical Machine’ by Nairne and Blunt

Electricity and Magnetism

1782-1793

Cylinder ‘Medico-Electrical Machine’, made by Edward Nairne and Thomas Blunt, with Leyden jars contained within two tin-plate prime conductors; original and complete. Based on Nairne's patented design of 1782. Used by Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution, and depicted in Harriet Moore's 1850s watercolours of Faraday in his laboratory.

Demainbray's yellow disc

King George III

1745-1755

Yellow coloured glass disc, one of two, in wooden frame and stand, unknown maker, 1745-1755. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray.

Silver sector signed by Culpeper

Mathematics

1700-1737

Silver sector made by Edmund Culpeper and signed 'Culpeper Fecit" between 1700-37, Moorfields, London.

Gunter quadrant by Walter Hayes

Astronomy

1648-1687

Gunter quadrant with lead plumb bob made by Walter Hayes, Moorfields, London, 1648-1687. Signed with the monogram of Walter Hayes.

George III's apparatus for oblique and compound collision

King George III

1762

Apparatus for oblique and compound collision made by George Adams, Fleet Street, London, 1762.

Horary quadrant by Henry Sutton

Astronomy

1658

Horary quadrant made by Henry Sutton, Threadneedle Street, London, 1658.

Short mahogany strip brass pin gauge with five pins

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1758-1769

Short mahogany strip brass pin gauge with five pins, by James Watt, Glasgow, Scotland, 1758-1769. Used for positioning the drilling of flute finger holes. Used as markers for body part of D flute, for 3 + 1 finger holes and one marking end of joint.

Three curved rectangular form brass castings

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1782

Three curved rectangular form brass castings, by James Watt, Glasgow, Scotland, 1758-1769. These castings were intended as the vanes of a small rotary steam engine.

Flute maker's stamp for producing impression of 'T. .Lot'

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1758-69

Flute maker's stamp, with lead handle for producing impression of 'T. .Lot', by James Watt, Glasgow, 1758-1769

1 Pulley 2¼” dia. on tapering spindle, with 3 milled ball cutters

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1758-1769

1 Pulley 2¼” dia. on tapering spindle, with 3 milled ball cutters, by James Watt, Glasgow, 1758-1769. Used for undercutting three finger-holes in flute bodies.

Wooden lathe mandrel for turning of flutes

James Watt's Garret Workshop

1758-1769

Wooden mandrel for turning of flutes, with middle joint of a flute, by James Watt, Glasgow, Scotland, 1758-1769

Pair-cased verge watch by Anna Adamson

Clockmakers

1685

Pair-cased verge escapement watch by Anna Adamson, the inner case of gilt metal and the outer covered in leather with some pinwork. White enamel dial with steel hands. Fusee movement with balance cock pierced and engraved in a pattern of lilies. Signed ‘Anna Adamson fecit’ c.1690.

Demainbray's optical model

King George III

1752

Optical model showing the direction of rays through a prism, maker unknwon, 1752. Once belonged to Stephen Demainbray. A handwritten inscription on the base reads: 'Prism, 2 Screens and Convex Lens/ from single ray'..