1850s Collection

British Empire world map, 19th century
British Empire world map. This world map shows the 19th-century British Empire (pink) and its indigenous peoples. Five illustrations (clockwise from upper left) show the people of Australia

Coal mine in England, 1850s
Removing coal in the Bradley mine, Staffordshire, England, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

19th-century alga cyanotype. Cyanotype of the algae Chylocladia kaliformis, as produced by British botanist Anna Atkins (1799-1871). Chylocladia is a seaweed found in European seas and oceans

Inside the Great Exhibition of 1851
The Great Exhibition of All Nations - general view of the interior of the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London

Charles Darwin in his evolutionary tree. Caricature of the British naturalist Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) sitting in his evolutionary tree

Manchester Warehousemen Orphan Schools, Cheadle Hulme
The Manchester Warehousemen Orphan Schools, on Claremont Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. The school was founded in 1855 by a group of Manchester businessmen to care for and educate orphans

A map from On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, 1855 (litho)
1195411 A map from On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, 1855 (litho) by Snow, John (1813-58) (after); 22, 5x14, 2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Snow)

Cutaway view of an American warship
Hull of an American man-of-war cut open amidships, showing deck plans and quarters, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Balmoral castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Two bridges over the River Tamar, Devon and Cornwall
Two bridges over the River Tamar, connecting Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. On the left is the Royal Albert Bridge, a railway bridge designed by Brunel and completed in 1859

Three Coldstream Guards -- Crimean Braves
Three Coldstream Guards posing in uniform, with their weapons, in a photograph entitled Crimean Braves. The men are Joseph Numa, John Potter and James Deal

11th Hussars at Balaclava, Charge of the Light Brigade, Crimean War. Date: 1854

Charlotte Bronte, English novelist, 1850. Artist: George Richmond
Charlotte Bronte, English novelist, 1850. Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was the author of Jane Eyre (1847), Shirley (1849), and Vilette (1852). From the National Portrait Gallery, London

Scene in Main Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA
Scene in Main Street, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, USA -- people on the way to a sheep shearing festival. Date: circa 1840s

Buddon Wood, Mountsorrel, Swithland, Leicestershire
Sketch of the granite (or syenite) district viewed from Swithland Old Slate Quarry, including Buddon Wood, Mountsorrel, Kinchley Hill and Brazil Wood, Leicestershire

Derby County Mental Hospital, Mickleover, Derbyshire
An aerial view of the Derby County Mental Hospital at Mickleover near Derby. It began life in 1851 as the Derbyshire County Lunatic Asylum, designed by Henry Duesbury

Asylum Lodge, Devizes, Wiltshire
The entrance lodge to the County Lunatic Asylum at Devizes, Wiltshire opened in 1851. In 1924 it was renamed Wiltshire County Mental Hospital, then in 1948 renamed Roundway Hospital

Wardian case with plants
A Wardian case, containing several plants

Stone Asylum, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Entrance to the Buckinghamshire County Lunatic Asylum at Stone, near Aylesbury. A porter stands at the right of the gateway

View of the Great Exhibition from across the Serpentine
The Great Exhibition of All Nations in Hyde Park, London - general view of the Crystal Palace from across the Serpentine

19th-century alga cyanotype. Cyanotype of the algae Cystoseira fibrosa, as produced by British botanist Anna Atkins (1799-1871)

Rome, Georgia, in the mid-1800s
Town of Rome, Georgia, viewed from the Coosa River, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Republican Party birthplace, Ripon, Wisconsin
Little White Schoolhouse, the birthplace of the Republican Party, Ripon, Wisconsin. Photograph

Aerial view of Forest Gate Hospital, East London
An aerial view of the Forest Gate Hospital, London E7. The hospital was originally opened in 1854 by the Whitechapel Union as an industrial school for 800 children

Landore Viaduct construction, near Swansea, South Wales
View of construction work on the Landore Viaduct, over the Swansea valley and the River Tawe, on the Great Western Railway, Glamorgan, South Wales

Withington Hospital, Manchester
Entrance to Withington Hospital, Nell Lane, Manchester, opened in 1855 as Chorlton Union workhouse. A horse and carriage stands outside the gates

Union Workhouse Infirmary, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
The Dewsbury Union workhouse infirmary on Healds Road at Staincliffe, West Yorkshire. The workhouse opened in around 1856, with a large infirmary erected in 1895

Poster advertising a Cooks Tours railway excursion
A poster advertising a Cooks Tours railway excursion, described as a charming excursion to the West of England, calling at Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth

Balloon event, Charles Green

Great Eastern laying transatlantic telegraph cable
Steamship " Great Eastern" attempting to lay telegraph cable across the Atlantic, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Australian Gold Rush prospectors, 1850s
Australian prospectors panning for gold, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Orphan Asylum, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
A view of the Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum in the West Midlands. Designed by Joseph Manning, the orphanage opened in 1854 on Penn Road at Goldthorn Hill. The building is now known as the Royal School

Incorporation Workhouse, Birmingham, West Midlands
Aerial view of the Birmingham Incorporation (later Union) Workhouse, opened in 1852 on Western Road, Birmingham. The workhouse, designed by J.J

Prestwich Asylum, Lancashire
View of the Superintendents House at the Lancashire County Lunatic Asylum, at Bury New Road, Prestwich, near Manchester, designed by Isaac Holden and opened in 1851

Essex County Asylum, Brentwood, Essex
The Essex County Lunatic Asylum was established in 1853 at Warley Hill, Brentwood, Essex. It later became Brentwood Mental Hospital and then Warley Hospital

Maps / Australia 1850S
Map showing the location of the GOLDFIELDS, so presumably made fairly soon after the start of the Australian Gold Rush in 1851

Orford Ness Lighthouse, Suffolk
View of Orfordness (Orford Ness) Lighthouse, and the station of the submarine electric telegraph linking England and Holland

Grand Entrance to the Great Exhibition of 1851
The Great Exhibition of All Nations in Hyde Park, London - view of the Grand Entrance to the Crystal Palace, with people milling around

Four hummingbirds with chicks in a nest
Four adult hummingbirds with chicks in a nest -- ornysmia trochilus moschita, ornysmia Vieilloti, ornysmia Sasin trochili cristati (in nest) ornysmia mellivorus

Station In London - Euston
Euston- Station, London serving the London and North-Western Railway. The Euston Arch, built in 1837, was the original entrance to the station, facing onto Drummond Street. It was demolished in 1961

Portraits of Royal Dogs
Portraits of Queen Victorias Stag Hounds. Left to Right: Troilus, Truant, Dragsman, Truman, Rummemede & Traveller

Four members of the Corvidae family -- a raven (corvus corax) and three crows (corvus corone, corvus cornix and corvus frugilegus)

Balloon event, Charles Green
Charles Green ballooning poster, Vauxhall Gardens, Grand Night Ascent amidst the most magnificent fireworks. 16 August 1850

Buddon Wood, Kinchley Hill, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
Sketch of the Swithland area of Leicestershire, looking north-east towards Buddon Wood, Kinchley Hill and Mountsorrel, by Reverend Baden Powell (1796-1860), father of Robert Baden Powell. 1859

Swithland Hall, Church and Rectory, Leicestershire
Sketch of Swithland Hall, St Leonards Church and Rectory, Leicestershire, by Reverend Baden Powell (1796-1860), father of Robert Baden Powell. 1859

CLIPPER SHIP ADELAIDE. Hove to for a pilot. lithograph, 1856, by Nathaniel Currier
CLIPPER SHIP ADELAIDE. " Hove to" for a pilot. lithograph, 1856, by Nathaniel Currier

Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital, Highgate, London
The Highgate Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital, designed by Samuel Daukes, opened in 1850. In around 1896, after a new smallpox hospital opened at South Mimms

Horticultural Society conservatory, Chiswick, London
People inside the large conservatory (or greenhouse) of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick, west London

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The 1850s: A Glimpse into the British Empire's Flourishing Era Step back in time to the 19th century, where a world map adorned with the vast territories of the British Empire unfolds before your eyes. The year is 1850, and as you explore this captivating era, various snapshots offer glimpses into its remarkable tapestry. In England, a coal mine stands tall as a testament to industrial progress. Its chimneys billow smoke that symbolizes both economic growth and societal change. Meanwhile, an alga cyanotype captures nature's intricate beauty through an innovative photographic process. Venturing further, we find ourselves inside the magnificent Great Exhibition of 1851. Amidst grandeur and opulence, inventors showcase their groundbreaking creations while visitors marvel at technological advancements that shape our modern world. Charles Darwin himself can be seen amidst his evolutionary tree—a revolutionary concept challenging traditional beliefs about life's origins. His profound ideas would forever alter our understanding of biology and ignite intellectual debates for generations to come. Across borders lies Crimea, where three Coldstream Guards—known as Crimean Braves—stand resolute in their duty during times of conflict. Their unwavering bravery echoes throughout history alongside other valiant soldiers like those from the Charge of the Light Brigade—an awe-inspiring display of courage etched forever in our collective memory. Closer to home in Cheadle Hulme rests Manchester Warehousemen Orphan Schools—a beacon of hope providing education and support for vulnerable children who have lost their parents due to industrial hardships. Traveling southward unveils Balaclava's battlefield—the very site where the gallant 11th Hussars charged fearlessly during one fateful day known as "the Charge of the Light Brigade. " Their heroic sacrifice immortalized within tales passed down through generations. Nature lovers will delight in Buddon Wood nestled among Mountsorrel and Swithland in Leicestershire.