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20-ton Goods Brake Van

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

1933

Brake Van, London Midland & Scottish Railway, 20-ton Goods Brake Van, No 295987, 1933.

Specimen of the first transatlantic telephone cable, 1956

Telecommunications

1956

Specimen of the first transatlantic telephone cable, intermediate type or shore portion, made by Submarine Cables Limited, Erith, London, England, 1956.

Silver thimble, used to pass a current through the 1866 Transatlantic cable, 1860-1866

Telecommunications

1860-1866

Silver thimble, unknown maker, probably Ireland, 1860-1866. Originally owned by Miss Emily FitzGerald and by means of which an electric current was sent through the two Atlantic telegraph cables in 1866

Fowler's phrenological head

Psychology, Psychiatry & Anthropometry

1879-1896

Fowler's phrenological head, 19th century, English, 1860-1896

Camera obscura

King George III

1701-1752

Camera obscura, maker unknown, before 1753.

Statue of St Mary Magdalene

Classical & Medieval Medicine

1601-1750

Wooden figure of saint Mary Magdalene as a penitent, invoked against plague, ulcers and for children slow or weak, possibly Spanish, 1601-1750

Bottle of quinine hydrochloride tablets, London, England, 1901-1930

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1901-1930

Bottle of quinine hydrochloride tablets, by Burroughs Wellcome and Co., London, 1901-1930

Reflecting telescope by William Herschel

Astronomy

1783-1785

Newtonian reflecting telescope with 6 1/8-inch diameter speculum mirror of 7-foot focal length with mahogany tube and altazimuth stand; includes accessories and a pamphlet of directions for use. Telescope made by Herschel for his friend Sir William Watson in Bath, 1783-1785.

Diesel-hydraulic locomotive, Class 02 0-4-0 No D2860

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

1960

Diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotive, British Railways, Class 02 0-4-0 No D2860, built by Yorkshire Engine Company in 1960.

Wooden alms box

Nursing & Hospital Furnishings

1601-1800

Square wooden alms box, C17 or 18

Radium teletherapy apparatus, the radium 'bomb'

Radiomedicine

1925-1930

One gramme radium teletherapy apparatus, wheeled (the fourth Westminster Hospital "bomb"), probably made by E. Rock Carling at the Hospital, London, c.1930.

Prototype of the Brougham carriage

Road Transport

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.

Double duck-billed speculum

Clinical Diagnosis

1871-1900

Speculum, vaginal, Sims, double duck-bill, metal, nickel plated, by Maw of London, late 19th century

Sans Pareil

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

1829

Steam locomotive, remains of Timothy Hackworth's 0-4-0 locomotive "Sans Pareil".

Table clock by Nicholas Vallin

Time Measurement

1598-1603

Circular table-clock with calendrical and lunar indications made by Nicholas Vallin in London between 1598 and 1603.

Post Office telephone kiosk No. 6, 1936-1968

Telecommunications

1936-1968

Post Office telephone kiosk No. 6, introduced in 1936, with crown motifs to top panels (the Queen's Crown of Scotland), designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott for the General Post Office, made by the Carron Company, Falkirk, Scotland, c.1971

Chronophotographe double-use camera

Cinematography

1890

Etienne Jules Marey's Chrono-photographic camera, without lens (B3030), 1890.

'Pock-marked faces: A curious illusion', anti-vaccination leaflet

Great Northern Railway locomotive Stirling Single

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

1870

Steam locomotive and tender, Great Northern Railway, 4-2-2 No 1, designed by Patrick Stirling, built at Doncaster in 1870, withdrawn in 1907.

Derby Works Collection

Photographic Collections (Railway)

1885-1961

Photographs, a collection of approximately 21,000 silver gelatin glass negatives, predominantly 8½ x 6½ in, also 6½ x 4¾ ins to 26 x 20 ins. Featuring the operations of the Midland Railway, London Midland & Scottish Railway and British Railways (London Midland Region) and covering the construction and repair of locomotives and carriages, together with stations, goods depots, civil engineering, road vehicles, people, places, publicity and events, c1885 to 1961. The work of official photographers based at Derby Works. Complete with sixteen handwritten registers. DY36 to DY46435 (incomplete).

Hand held electric vibrator, English, dated 1909

Therapeutics

1909

Hand held electric vibrator, English, dated 1909

Concept model, British Rail InterCity 250 Class 93 locomotive

Railway Models

Concept model, British Rail InterCity 250, approx 1/20 scale, consisting of Class 93 locomotive, No. 93001 and section of Mark V carriage, in perspex case, made for design company Seymour Powell by Keith Handy, 1514mm x 164mm x 335mm.

'Santa Medicina' sculpture by Eleanor Crook

Eleanor Crook

2019

Bronze, waxwork and glass sculpture by Eleanor Crook entitled 'Santa Medicina'. Commissioned by the Science Museum for the 'Faith, Hope and Fear' gallery in Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries. The bronze female figure holds a scalpel and scissors. Her hair is looped onto her head, crowned with a surgeon's mirror. Open down the back to reveal écorché muscles, her dress appears like an operating gown, the skirts encrusted with amulets. The skirts shelter a fragile waxwork figure in a glass case resembling a reliquary, encased in glass, under a blanket covered with symbolic pins, and surrounded by flickering candles.

Nintendo Game Boy Advance, model AGB-001

Computing & Data Processing

2001

Nintendo Game Boy Advance, model number AGB-001.

Motorola 'International 8700' mobile telephone, 1996

Telecommunications

1996

Motorola International 8700 mobile phone, made by Motorola, 1996. Model no. SUF3839A,

Compagnie Internationale de Wagon-Lits et de Grands Express Europeens sleeping car, 1933

Locomotives and Rolling Stock

1933

Railway carriage, sleeping car No 3792, Compagnie Internationale de Wagon-Lits et de Grands Express Europeens, built in 1933, withdrawn 31st December 1974. Length over buffers: 65' 6"; width 9' 1"; height 12' 7".

National 3000 automatic bookkeeping calculating machine

Mathematics

1935-1945

Main part of National 3000 automatic bookkeeping calculating machine no 101364 42-BT, by National Cash Register Company Limited, England, 1935-1945. Dr. Leslie John Comrie FRS, both owned and used this machine.

Bottle for 'Veronal' powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1903-1950

Glass dispensing bottle with glass stopper for 'Veronal' brand powdered diethylbarbituric acid, with traces remaining. 96 mm x 45 mm, .11 kg. Made by Bayer Product Limited, German, 1903-1950.

Napoleon's Toothbrush, Europe, 1790-1821

Dentistry

1790-1821

Napoleon's tooth-brush 1790-1820

Éclair Cameflex CM3 35mm camera

Cinematography

1946

Cameflex 35mm cine camera No 614, with 400' magazine, six lenses and various filters in a fitted box, matt box, along with a portapower battery. Cameflex Standard (CM3) 35mm film camera, manufactured by Etablissement Eclair in 1946.

Kodak Automatic 8 Movie Camera and carton box

Cinematography

1962

Kodak automatic 8 camera and carton packaging, 1962. For 8mm film, 25' double run; Kodak Ektanar lens F:13mm f/1.6. Auto exposure, direct setting of aperture by photocell. Clockwork drive; DV optical finder, low light signal. In original packing with instructions. Lens: 13mm Kodak 'Ektanar' Lens f/1.6, the lens is limited to a maximum aperture of f/1.9 due to the requirements of the automatic exposure control. Viewfinder: of the telescopic type, incorporating two moulded lenses housed in the top of the case. It includes a zone type low-light indicator. The front finder lens has a parallax correction mark for close-ups from 3-5ft. Finish: the general finish of the camera is a light grey case, front plate and shutter housing with dark blue/grey side panels.

John Logie Baird's test subject 'Stookie Bill'

Television

c. 1926

'Stookie / Stooky Bill' ventiloquist's dummy head. From The Plessey Museum.

Fujica Single 8 P1 camera

Cinematography

1965-1977

8mm cine camera, Fujica Single-8 P1 camera. Uses Fuji proprietary Super 8 film cassettes. Fujinon 1.8 / 11.5mm lens. Made by Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd., between 1965 and 1977. Cine camera for Single 8 film cartridges; Fujinon F:11.5mm f/1.8 lens. Direct vision optical finder with exposure indication; auto exposure electric motor drive; pistol grip. No 435857.

Magellan 1000M GPS receiver, 1990

Navigation

1990

Magellan 1000M GPS receiver, made by Magellan Systems Corporation, California, United States, 1990

Siemens 'C35i' mobile telephone, 2000-2003

Telecommunications

2000-2003

Siemens C35i WAP mobile phone, manufactured by Siemens, Germany, 2000-2003

Technophone 'EXCELL PC105T' mobile telephone, 1986

Telecommunications

1986

Technophone EXCELL PC105T mobile telephone, manufactured by Technophone Limited, Camberley, Surrey, England, 1986.

Home cloning kit, United States, 1993

Biotechnology

1993

Genetic engineering home cloning kit by Genemsco, USA, 1993

Gold plated BBC Micro personal computer

Computing & Data Processing

1985

Gold plated BBC Micro computer with two 1-megabyte disc drives and keyboard, made by Acorn Computers Limited, Cambridge, England,1985. From 'The Micro User' competition.

Bragg X-ray spectrometer, England, 1910-1926

Experimental Chemistry

1910-1926

Original Bragg x-ray spectrometer, developed by William Bragg at Leeds University, 1910-1926

Votive male genitalia

Classical & Medieval Medicine

200 BCE-400 CE

Votive male genitalia, possibly Roman

Bain's chemical telegraph, 1850.

Telecommunications

1850

Alexander Bain's chemical telegraph, unknown maker, England, 1850. Includes key not shown on photograph.

Model of a mobile mass miniature x-ray unit

Radiomedicine

1945-1965

Model of a mobile mass miniature x-ray unit, showing equipment, operators and patients, English, ca. 1955 (?).

Empty bottle for Opium tincture tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1880-1940

Glass bottle with cork stopper for Tabloid brand Opium Tincture (laudanum) tablets, now empty. 76 mm x 34 mm x 23 mm, .03kg. Made by Burroughs Wellcome, English, second half 19th century.

Rotative Compound Beam Engine, 1881

Pumping Machinery

1968-1971

Annotated 1/2 inch scale model (1:24) of a compound beam pumping engine by Worthington-Simpson Ltd, 1881, originally built for the West Middlesex Waterworks, Hammersmith, London.

Ilford Witness camera

Photographic Technology

c. 1959

Ilford Witness camera. 35mm camera; coated Dallmeyer Super-Six anastigmat lens, F:2"; f1.9-22 in bayonet mount, Serial No 373726. Fabric focal plane shutter - two speed rings: 1-T/2/4/8/B-25 and BT/25-1/50/100/250/500/1000. Coincident coupled rangefinder, focussing inf.-3'; movable stop flash synchronising sockets. Accessory shoe.