Thumbscrew, France, 1601-1850
1601-1850
Thumbscrew, steel, probably French, 1601-1850
Box for 'Trilene' tablets, Europe, 1801-1900
1801-1900
Carton for "Trilene" tablets
Rover 'Safety' Bicycle, 1885
1885
Rover safety bicycle of 1885 (first embodiment of the modern arrangement), with saddle re-made by Brooks in 1961.
Sony 'Trinitron' Colour Television, 1969-1970
1969-1970
Sony 'Trinitron' colour television set, model type KV-1320UB, manufactured by Sony, Japan, 1969-1970. Serial No. 505704
Drawings of the 'Great Eastern' steam ship
5 sheets
Cubical polyhedral sundial
1751-1800
German universal cubical sundial in wood with paper scales, signed D. Beringer, compass needle and cover glass missing, c.1780
Difference Engine No. 1
circa 1832
Portion of Charles Babbage's calculating machine (Difference Engine No.1), built by Joseph Clement, London, 1832.
'Over London-by Rail', Engraving, London, England, 1872
1872
Wood engraving from 'London: a pilgrimage', by Gustave Dore, 1872. Signed in the block blc: Over London - by Rail. Depicting [East End] tenements, washing in back gardens, chimney pots, railway in distance.
Crick and Watson's DNA Molecular Model
1953
Reconstruction of the double helix model of DNA, originally by Francis Crick and James Watson, 1953, using some of the original metal plates, made by Farooq Hussain at King's College London, 1977
Smiths De Luxe Wristwatch Worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on His Ascent of Mount Everest 1953
1953
Wristwatch by Smiths English Clocks Ltd, Cheltenham, England, 1953. Steel waterproof case by the Dennison Watch Case Co, marked on the back 'AQUATITE, DENISTEEL BACK, 73359, CASE MADE IN ENGLAND' around 'DQ' in the centre. Silvered dial with Arabic numerals in luminous paint, and a subsidiary seconds dial at six o'clock. Signed ‘Smiths De Luxe' below twelve o'clock, and 'made in England' below the subsidiary dial. 15 jewel lever-escapement movement.
Arkwright's Water Frame, 1775
1775
Improved spinning machine (water frame), by Sir Richard Arkwright, England, 1775.
Packet of 20 Death Cigarettes, London, England, 1999
1999
Packet of 20 Death cigarettes, labelled: 'Manufacturer's advice: Cigarettes are addictive and debilitating. If you don't smoke, don't start. Death is a responsible way to market a legally available consumer product which kills people when used exactly as intended. Death cigarettes: For an honest smoke', made in the EC under the authority of The Enlightened Tobacco Company Plc, London, c.1999.
Philips TCD308 Mobile Telephone, 1997-2001
1997-2001
Philips Cellnet 'Diga' TCD308 mobile phone, made by Philips, France, 1997. CN: VYP09902E04442
Edison telephone, 1879
1879
Wall telephone with Edison chalk receiver, unknown maker, probably United States, 1879.
Packet of 10 'Gold Flake' Cigarettes
1920-1950
Packet of 10 'Gold Flake' cigarettes by W D & H O Wills, England, 1920-1950
Samsung microwave oven, 1990s
1990-1998
Microwave oven, by Samsung, type 'Primo M6234', 1990s.
Babbage's Analytical Engine, 1834-1871. (Trial model)
1871
Portion of the mill of the Analytical Engine with printing mechanism, designed by Charles Babbage and under construction at the time of his death, London, 1834-1871.
Prototype of the Brougham carriage
1838
Known as the prototype or the original Brougham carriage, a comparatively low, light and manoeuvrable design of closed passenger-carrying vehicle drawn by a single horse. The carriage was designed for and made popular by Henry Brougham, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain 1830–1834 and political activist for education and legal reform and the abolition of slavery. Lord Brougham was also a co-founder and prolific contributor to the Edinburgh Review, one of the most influential publications of the 19th century, covering topics from Science to poetry. The Brougham carriage and the Clarence, developed from it, were the most popular type of closed carriage built. They influenced the design of other carriage styles throughout the rest of the 19th century and even cars into the 20th century.
'Build a Better Burger' Game
1984-1986
Game, 'Build a Better Burger' game for 2-4 players ages 5 and over, marked 'All the action of a real fast food restaurant!', made by Action Games and Toys Ltd, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, under license from Lakeside Games (a division of Leisure Dynamic Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA), 1984-1986. Players compete to be the first to assemble a meal according to the menu card they select.
Mortar, stoneware, impressed "Wedgwood Best Composition"
Mortar, stoneware, impressed "Wedgwood Best Composition", "W" and "N"; with ceramic pestle impressed "Wedgwood", "5" and "7", wooden handle
Poster of Valentina Tereshkova, First woman cosmonaut
1963
Poster, translated as the Light of (or Long live) the (World's) first woman (female) Cosmonaut; issued by the Soviet State Publishing House of Decorative/Fine Arts Moscow, 1963. Slogan title in Czech 'At Zije prvni kosmonautka sveta'; imprint in Russian. Featuring design of Vostok-6 and (photograph) HS portrait of Valentina Tereshkova in space helmet. [orbited Earth June 1963]. Lithograph, col. offset, 57 x 85 cm. In frame 67x95x2cm
Packet of 20 Silk Cut Super Low cigarettes
1999
Packet of 20 Silk Cut Super Low cigarettes, king size, made by Benson and Hedges, Old Bond Street, London, W1, 1999.
Chinese wok, round-bottomed, wooden handle, 1999.
1999
Chinese wok, round-bottomed, wooden handle, 1999.
Fireless locomotive, named Imperial
1956
Fireless steam locomotive, 0-4-0F No 1 "Imperial", built by Andrew Barclay & Sons, Kilmarnock in 1956, worked at Imperial Paper Mills, Gravesend.
'Pedoscope' shoe-fitting X-ray viewer
1948-1953
Pedoscope, by the Pedoscope Company Limited, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, 1948-1953
One of the First Rechargeable Batteries, about 1860
1860
The first practical lead-acid storage battery. Made by Gaston Planté in London around 1860.
Radiation dose calculator
1955-1975
Blackwell Radiation Treatment Time Calculator for use with Theratron model B cobalt 60 radiotherapy machine, used to assess appropriate length of patient exposure to radiation during cancer therapy treatment, made by Abbot Brown, Beaminster, United Kingdom, 1955-75.
Caesium Atomic Clock, 1955.
1955
Caesium atomic clock made by Louis Essen and J.V.L. Parry at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, London, 1955.
Three-ring Enigma cypher machine in oak wood transit case
1934
Three-ring Enigma cypher machine complete in oak wood transit case, together with original German battery (Serial number A6421/1937), unsigned, Germany, 1934 (see Note)
Model of the SS Oceanic (1899)
1899-1919
Model, scale 1:64, of the White Star Line Royal Mail Steamer "Oceanic" (1899), original built by Harland and Wolff Limited for the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited. She was the last British transatlantic liner to be launched in the nineteenth century
Earthenware Phrenological Bust
1860-1896
Earthenware phrenological bust, area divisions and labels marked in underglaze black, by L.N. Fowler, London 1860-1896
De Forest audion 1906-1915
1906-1915
De Forest Audion, unknown maker, 1906-1915
Liquid-filled Plastic Lens Television Magnifier, 1935-1965
1935-1965
'Standlens' liquid-filled plastic lens for magnifying a television picture, mounted on adjustable wooden stand, probably made by Lumex, probably British, 1935-1965
Contraceptive Sponge
1920-1960
Marine sponge, for use as vaginal pessary, possibly English, 1920-1960
Votive uterus
200 BCE - 200 CE
Votive uterus, terracotta, Roman, 200BC-200AD
Bronze mortar and pestle, Europe, 1701-1800
1701-1800
Large light-coloured bronze mortar and pestle, mortar has wide flared rim, straight sided, 2 rounded handles and decoration, decorated shaft of pestle, European, 18th century
Cat-o-nine Tails, United Kingdom, 1700-1850
1700-1850
Cat o'nine tails, whip-cord with wooden handle, reputedly British Navy, 1700-1850
Snuff Box, England, 1771-1830
1771-1830
Papier mache snuff box, circular, detachable lid with sepia print entitled "A Beast" two late 18th century gentlemen at a table, one being sick due to too much smoking, English, 1771-1830
Motorola StarTAC mobile phone, 1997.
1997
STAR TAC mobile telephone by Motorola, Alencon Link, Basingstoke, Hampshire, 1997.
Personal Computer, model Apple I
1976-1979
Personal Computer, model Apple I, devised by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Ron Wayne, and made by Apple Inc, United States, 1976-1979.
Japanese magic mirror
Japanese magic mirror made by Mr. Yamamoto according to the traditional method.
Rotative Steam Engine by Boulton and Watt, 1788
1788
Boulton and Watt Rotative Beam Engine - the 'Lap' engine. This is the oldest essentially unaltered rotative engine in the world. Built by James Watt in 1788, it incorporates all of his most important steam-engine improvements. The engine was used at Matthew Boulton’s Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, where it drove 43 metal polishing (or ‘lapping’) machines for 70 years.
Navigational Computor Mark III
Navigational Computor Mark III, calculating device for aerial navigation
Electronic talking 'Lovable Bear' child's toy
1999
Electronic talking 'Lovable Bear' child's toy, with speech synthesiser, in packaging, 1999
Pampers 'Baby-Dry' disposable nappies
1999
Packet of 28 Pampers 'Baby-Dry' disposable nappies, for newborn babies (2-5kg), 1999.
Skaife's Pistolgraph Camera
1858
Skaife's pistolgraph camera, 1858, made by Thomas Skaife of Blackheath.
Replica of Daguerre-Giroux camera
1839 (original); circa 1988 (replica)
Replica of Daguerre-Giroux camera. Sliding box camera for daguerreotype plates up to 300x220cm. Plate holder replica of original in Museum of Science, Oxford. Achromat lens; sliding lens cover. Ex-Cromer Collection (donated April 1950). Stand is a modern replica by Science Museum workshop about 1988.
'Warflat' 50-ton bogie flat wagon, 1940
1940
Railway wagon, No 161042, 50-ton bogie flat wagon, Warflat WC, used by the War Department and British Railways built by Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon Company Limited, 1940. Later rebuilt to diagram number BR Wagon 73, number built 60. Length over buffers: 43' 10 1/2"; width 7' 10"; height 5'.
Furness Railway steam locomotive 'Coppernob' 0-4-0, No 3, 1846
1846
Steam locomotive and tender, No 3, 'Coppernob', 0-4-0, for Furness Railway, designed by E Bury, built by Bury, Curtis and Kennedy in 1846, withdrawn in 1900. Length over buffers: 37' 3"; width: 7' 4": weight: 19 1/2 tons; driving wheels 4' 9".
Electric locomotive, No. 26020
1951
Electric locomotive, British Railways, Class 76 (EM1) Bo-Bo (Overhead) No. 26020, built at Gorton Works in 1951, withdrawn in 1977.