1880s Collection (#82)

Artillery Emplacement, by Cesare Bartolena, oil on canvas, 1880-1885
Cesare Bartolena (1830-1903), Artillery Emplacement, 1880-1885, oil on canvas, 33.5x47.5 cm

Silver thermometer case, circa 1880 C017 / 0751
Silver case for a medical thermometer. This object is English and dates from around 1880

Hicks patent thermometer, circa 1880
Hicks patent medical thermometer. James Joseph Hicks (1837-1916), was a British manufacturer of scientific instruments who filed several patents of medical and meteorological thermometers

Monaural stethoscopes, 19th century C017 / 6931
Five monaural stethoscopes dating from between 1860 and 1890. These are made from ebony and fruitwood. French physician, Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec invented the monaural stethoscope in 1816

Richardsons sphygmograph, circa 1882
Richardsons sphygmograph, in its case, dating from around 1882. This sphygmograph is nickel and was made in England by Allen and Hanbury

Dudgeon sphygmograph, circa 1880s C017 / 6976
Dudgeon sphygmograph shown in the position for use. It is made out of nickel and dates from the 1880s, England. The sphygmograph, originally invented in 1854 by German physiologist Karl von Vierordt

Robert Louis Stevenson and family. Scottish novelist Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (left, 1850-1894) left Britain to find a more suitable climate for his poor health

Cupping set, 19th century C017 / 3569
Cupping set dating from 1880, France. This set comprises of four cups, a syringe, and a scarificator. This set would have been used in a procedure called wet cupping

Water wheel in Egypt, 1880s C016 / 8989
Water wheel in Egypt. 19th-century artwork of a type of water wheel known as a sakia (or sakiyeh) being used to raise water for use in irrigation

Blackfriars Bridge, London, UK, 1880s
Blackfriars Bridge with St Pauls Cathedral in the background. Horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians are seen crossing the bridge, which spans the River Thames

Enema and stomach pump, circa 1880 C018 / 0361
Nineteenth century enema and stomach pump in a wooden case made from brass, wood, and ivory. An enema is a syringe-like device used to evacuate the lower intestinal tract through introducing fluids

Dr. bolchs sphygmometer, circa 1880
Bloch sphygmometer dating from 1880 France. This was a compression device used for blood pressure measurement. The physician would place his finger over the patients radial pulse

Microscope slides, circa 1880 C018 / 7126
Set of four microscope slides dating from around 1880, England. From left to right the slides show a spider, a centipede, an earwig and stomata

Mushrooms, historical model. 1880 papier mache models of different types of mushrooms

Telescope clock, Sydney Observatory
Telescope clock. Pendulums and gear system of a driving clock used for a telescope. This mechanism, similar to that used in a clock or watch

7. 25-inch telescope, Sydney Observatory
7.25-inch telescope, Sydney Observatory. This refracting telescope, on an equatorial mount, was made by the German company Georg Merz and Sons

Paris Observatory meridian circle, Paris, France. This instrument, also called a transit circle, is used to observe the moment a star or other celestial object passes the meridian

Jekyll and Hyde story illustration, 1880s
Jekyll and Hyde story illustration. 1880s artwork illustrating the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) by Scottish novelist Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850-1894)

Crawford Observatory, Queens College (now University College), Cork, Ireland. This observatory, erected in 1880, is named after William Crawford who funded its construction and outfitting

Lassell Dome at Greenwich, 19th century
Lassell Dome at Greenwich. 19th-century artwork of the 30-foot (9.1 metres) Lassell Dome at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, UK

Gold stamp mill, USA, 1888
Gold stamp mill. Workers cleaning the inside of a stamp mill used to obtain gold from crushed ore. After crushing (at right), the ore was washed over mercury-coated copper sheets (at left)

Dry dock, New York, 19th century C015 / 6081
Dry dock, New York. 19th-century artwork of the dry dock at the Erie Basin, Brooklyn, New York, USA. This is a Simpson dry dock, a type of dry dock patented in 1854 by US engineer James E

Committee for French exhibition of 1888. 19th-century artwork of the members of the committee that organised the French Art Exhibition in Copenhagen of 1888 (Danish: Den Franske Kunstudstilling)

Wall Street financial panic, May 1884 C016 / 4597
Wall Street financial panic. 19th-century artwork of scenes of panic on Wall Street, New York, USA, on the morning of 14 May 1884. This crisis was caused by banks calling in existing loans

Muzzis Retirremiga airship, 1880s
Muzzis Retirremiga airship. 19th-century artwork of the ascent of the Retirremiga airship designed by Italian aeronaut Muzio Muzzi in the 1880s. A patent on this design was granted in 1884

Lick Observatory telescope, 1889 C016 / 4317
Lick Observatory telescope. 19th-century artwork of astronomers using the Great Lick Refractor, the 36-inch telescope built at the Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, California, USA

Crookes cathode ray tube, 1880s C016 / 3666
Crookes tube. A Crookes tube, used to create cathode rays, made in the 1880s. This is a tube containing a near vacuum. A high voltage is applied across the two electrodes

Optical telegraphy, 1890
Optical telegraphy. 19th-century artwork of French soldiers using optical telegraphy. One such early device was the Mangin projector, invented by a colonel Mangin in the early 1880s

Goubet submarine, 1880s
Goubet submarine, 19th-century artwork. This early submarine, built by the French inventor Claude Goubet in 1881, was designed for two people

Goubet submarine, 1880s C013 / 9058
Goubet submarine, 19th-century artwork. This early submarine, built by the French inventor Claude Goubet in 1881, was designed for two people

Linotype typesetting machine, 1889
Linotype typesetting machine. 19th-century artwork showing a printer operating a newly invented typesetting machine called the linotype

Steam locomotive cabin, 1889 C013 / 8796
Steam locomotive cabin. 19th-century artwork of the operating platform for an express locomotive used on the French railways in the 1880s. Various components and levers are labelled with letters

Magnetism experiment, 1889 C013 / 8789
Magnetism experiment. 19th-century artwork of an experiment being carried out with a permanent horseshoe magnet (left), a cylindrical solenoid armature (a temporary magnet)

Magnetism experiment, 1889 C013 / 8787
Magnetism experiment. 19th-century artwork of a permanent iron magnet in a form called a horseshoe magnet, placed on an electromagnet (two coils of wire around metal cores)

Peral submarine, 1889
Peral submarine. 19th-century artwork of the Spanish Peral electric submarine on the surface at docks before submergence. This was the worlds first submarine to be powered by electric batteries

Titan arum flowering at Kew, 1889
Titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) flowering at Kew and being viewed by a visiting family, 19th-century artwork. The titan arum, native to Sumatra, Indonesia, is one of the worlds largest flowers

Telegraph office battery room, 1889
Telegraph office battery room. 19th-century artwork showing workers producing and maintaining wet-cell batteries used to provide power in a telegraph office

Henri Bouley, French veterinarian
Henri Bouley (1814-1885), French veterinarian. Bouley, professor and director at the veterinary school at Maisons-Alfort, was made Inspector-General of veterinary schools in 1866

Wind speed and direction recorder, 1889 C013 / 8785
Wind speed and direction recorder, 19th-century artwork. This meteorological device is an anemo-cinemographe, a form of anemograph

Compound steam locomotive, 1889
Compound steam locomotive, 19th-century artwork. Compound steam engines increased efficiency by expanding steam in two or more phases rather than just one

Paraffin press, 1889 C013 / 8779
Paraffin press. 19th-century artwork of a machine used to produced solid paraffin wax from the paraffin distillate produced from crude oil

Webb compound steam locomotive, 1889
Webb compound steam locomotive, 19th-century artwork. Compound steam engines increased efficiency by expanding steam in two or more phases rather than just one

Speed of sound experiment, 1826
Speed of sound experiment. 19th-century artwork of an experiment that took place in 1826 to measure the speed of sound in water

Spectrum of light experiment, 1889 C013 / 8772
Spectrum of light experiment. 19th-century artwork showing a method of obtaining a spectrum of colours from sunlight. A beam of light allowed in through a shutter is falling on a bowl of water in

Daniel Colladon, Swiss physicist
Daniel Colladon (1802-1893), Swiss physicist. Colladon developed a technique for illuminating water fountains. The principle involved light being trapped in the water by total internal reflection

Eiffel Towers electric lamp, 1889
Eiffel Towers electric lamp. 19th-century artwork of the large electric light (100 amps, 500 horsepower, 8 million carcels)

Viewing platform, 1889 Paris Expo. 19th-century artwork of a display of a new technology, an overhead mobile viewing platform at the Universal Exposition (World Fair) of 1889 in Paris, France

Eiffel Tower lift and hydraulics, 1889 C013 / 8760
Eiffel Tower lift and hydraulics. 19th-century artwork of one of the Roux-Combaluzier cable-driven lifts, as used in the East and West legs of the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

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Step back in time to the vibrant and diverse 1880s, a decade filled with fascinating moments and captivating images. Explore the rich history of this era through snapshots that showcase different aspects of life around the world. Travel to Vancouver Island in the 1870s, where a detailed map reveals the evolving landscape of this beautiful Canadian destination. Witness its transformation as new settlements emerge and nature intertwines with human progress. In another corner of the globe, catch a glimpse of a Buffalo soldier quenching his thirst from his canteen. This powerful image captures both strength and vulnerability, reminding us of the challenges faced by African American soldiers during this period. Delve into phrenology, an intriguing field that sought to understand personality traits through cranial measurements. A phrenological model takes center stage, inviting contemplation on how people perceived themselves and others during this time. Transport yourself to Scotland's Dalnotter Hill as you gaze upon The River Clyde. Marvel at its serene beauty captured in exquisite detail by an artist from the 19th century. Let your imagination wander along its banks while pondering life in those distant days. Leon-Maxime Faivre's painting "Deux meres (Two Mothers)" offers an intimate portrayal of motherhood in 1888. Reflect on timeless themes such as love, sacrifice, and nurturing that transcend generations. Venture further into Scotland's enchantment with Glen Sannox on Isle of Arran. Lose yourself amidst rolling hills and rugged landscapes frozen in time by photographers who aimed to capture their grandeur for future generations to admire. Take a detour across continents to London's Bethnal Green district where The Old George stands tall at number 379. Imagine stepping inside this historic pub bustling with patrons seeking respite from daily life or sharing stories over pints after long workdays. Discover artistry even within miniature realms as you marvel at a bonsai dwarf pine meticulously cultivated in 1889.