Bellows Collection

The Tea Table, Harold Harvey (1874-1941)
Oil painting on canvas, Newlyn School, 1920. The painting shows a mealtime scene around the kitchen table. A traditional Cornish range is pictured in the background

Science / Gillray Satire
New Discoveries in Pneumaticks! A satire on the Royal Institution: Thomas Young experiments on Hippisley, Humphry Davy at the bellows, Rumford by the door

Illustration, Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson -- The building of Saltash Bridge. Date: 1935

Thomas Linley and Sons, Bellows and Portable Forge Manufacturers, 1 Stanley Street
From an original at Sheffield Libraries; arc02596

How Pianola Works 1912
How the player-piano works - air passes through the holes in the piano-roll and acts on the bellows mechanism, causing a hammer to strike a key

George Bellows: Dempsey and Firpo. Lithograph, 1924
BELLOWS: DEMPSEY, 1924. George Bellows: Dempsey and Firpo. Lithograph, 1924

Northumbrian bagpipes and Lowland Scotch bagpipe.. Chromolithograph from an illustration by William Gibb from A.J. Hipkins Musical Instruments, Historic, Rare and Unique, Adam and Charles Black

Alchemist at work
Black and white print of the painting, " L Alchimiste" by David Teniers the Younger, dated 1790. HPF/5C/4"

The Alchemist, after 1558. Creator: Philip Galle
The Alchemist, after 1558

Dressed to Kill 1912
Woman: tailor-made with a narrow skirt, belted long line jacket with bellows pockets & a trilby hat. Man: jodphurs, gaiters or leggings, belted jacket with a pleated back & patch pockets

Swiss Cow Lowing
A Swiss bull, high on an Alpine meadow, bellows breathily

Barbers shop with Monkeys and Cats. Teniers, Abraham (1629-1670). Oil on copper

The Monkey and the Cat
THE MONKEY AND THE CAT A monkey persuades a cat to steal chestnuts roasting on the fire; the monkey eats the nuts and the cat gets the blame

Man in double-breasted suit with wide lapels examining photographic plates
FLO4709902 Man in double-breasted suit with wide lapels examining photographic plates, and another in a single-breasted sports suit worn over a wool pullover. In the background, a bellows camera

Skeleton of death aiming a dart at a woman tending a fire
5893171 Skeleton of death aiming a dart at a woman tending a fire.; (add.info.: Skeleton of death aiming a dart at a woman using bellows in front of a fireplace. Death and the Industrious Wife)

Dressing for the Ball in 1857. Woman being helped by maids into an inflatable hoop frame to support her crinoline
FLO4995447 Dressing for the Ball in 1857. Woman being helped by maids into an inflatable hoop frame to support her crinoline dress

Itinerant Tinker and his boy assistant: Woman brings utensil for repair. Leather tool bag doubles as bellows creating
531765 Itinerant Tinker and his boy assistant: Woman brings utensil for repair. Leather tool bag doubles as bellows creating draught for little forge. Piemonte (Piedmont) district, Northwest Italy

Scenes of psychostasis - SORIGUEROLA, Master of (half 13th century)). Panel of Saint Michael. end 13th c
CUL4866436 Scenes of psychostasis - SORIGUEROLA, Master of (half 13th century)). Panel of Saint Michael. end 13th c. (93 x 234'5 cm)

The making of chains in the Cradley Heath area, 1850
3478713 The making of chains in the Cradley Heath area, 1850; (add.info.: Illustration depicting the making of chains in the Cradley Heath area of the Black Country)

English tinker with portable forge, bellows and tools, Qing Dynasty. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Andrea
FLO4590367 English tinker with portable forge, bellows and tools, Qing Dynasty. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Andrea Freschi after Antoine Cardon from Henri-Leonard-Jean-Baptiste Bertin

Bellows of a large organ, showing blowers working the bellows. Woodcut from Michael Praetorius Syntagma Musicum
528004 Bellows of a large organ, showing blowers working the bellows. Woodcut from Michael Praetorius Syntagma Musicum, 1615-1620.; Universal History Archive/UIG.

A water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod
5310183 A water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod (C,G,)

Assaying copper
863653 Assaying copper; (add.info.: Assaying copper: Furnaces (1,4), ore (3), bellows (5), and aeolipile (6) to supply draught to furnaces. Pot in which flux is prepared (8)

Distillation of alcohol. 19th century (engraving)
672890 Distillation of alcohol. 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture)

Man playing a portable organ while his wife operates the bellows. By Israel van Mecken
528002 Man playing a portable organ while his wife operates the bellows. By Israel van Mecken, late 15th century German (engraving); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Distillation of alcohol. 19th century (engraving)
672891 Distillation of alcohol. 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture)

A pair of bellows worked alternately to give continuous draught
5310185 A pair of bellows worked alternately to give continuous draught; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a pair of bellows worked alternately to give continuous draught)

The King Drinking, mid-18th century. Creator: Franois Eisen
The King Drinking, mid-18th century

Gipsy encampment in the Caucasus; The Caucasus, 1875. Creator: Unknown
Gipsy encampment in the Caucasus; The Caucasus, 1875. From, Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates. [Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London]

Curious musical instruments of the sixteenth century, 1860. Creator: Unknown
Curious musical instruments of the sixteenth century, 1860. An an elaborate but nameless instrument of the Elizabethan era designed by goldsmith Randolph Bull

Allegory of the planet Venus, 1742-1801. Creator: Georg Balthasar Probst
Allegory of the planet Venus, 1742-1801. Venus, sixth planet, and its influence. In the centre floating on a cloud are Venus and Cupid, a set of scales and a bull

Peasant Family Singing, 1640-1677. Creator: Pieter Jacobsz. Duyfhuijsen
Peasant Family Singing, 1640-1677. Woman working while family members make music

Bellows, c. 1937. Creator: Katharine Merrill
Bellows, c. 1937

Bellows, c. 1935. Creator: Benjamin Resnick
Bellows, c. 1935

Bellows, 1935/1942. Creator: Benjamin Resnick
Bellows, 1935/1942

Bellows, c. 1940. Creator: Oscar Bluhme
Bellows, c. 1940

St. Eligius, n.d. Creator: Jean de Gourmont
St. Eligius, n.d

Saint Eligius and King Dagobert, 1520/30. Creator: Jean de Gourmont
Saint Eligius and King Dagobert, 1520/30

Bellows, c. 1937. Creator: Charlotte Angus
Bellows, c. 1937

Self-portrait from another Century
Raffaele Corte

Iron smelting in a furnace, Bronze Age, Kazakhstan area
Craftsmen (blacksmiths) of the Bronze Age in the Kazakhstan area, smelting and shaping metal (iron) using an ancient furnace with bellows. 3000-1200 BCE

Murphy the Dick-tater, alias the weather cock of the walk, 1837. A figure with a potato surmounted by a weathervane for head, globe for body, holding bellows and telescope under right arm

Craftsman at work, surrounded by handcrafted metal objects and by tools. Date of Photograph:1879-1881

A mechanism for activation a bellows, drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, part of the Codex B (2173), c.82r, housed at the Institut de France, Paris Drawing High Renaissance, Renaissance

"Bottega di Caltanine Via Uzzo": group of workers Italy. Date of Photograph:1900-1920

Italian made bellows from the 17th century, in the Museo di Palazzo Davanzati, Florence Florence palazzo Davanzati, Sala dei Pappagalli Baroque, Renaissance-Baroque styles and periods, Europe

Gentleman trying to play footsie with a beauty at the table
Gentleman trying to play footsie with a beauty under the dining table but pressing the wrong foot. More Miseries. Handcoloured copperplate engraving designed

Medieval comedian playing bellows and tongs
Vignette of a comedian holding bellows and tongs as if playing a fiddle, 14th century manuscript. Handcoloured lithograph by Joseph Strutt from his own Sports and Pastimes of the People of England

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"Bellows: A Timeless Tool of Art, Music, and Industry" From the tranquil setting of The Tea Table to the bustling streets depicted by Harold Harvey, they have played a vital role in various aspects of human life. This illustration from Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson showcases the ingenious use in creating whimsical contraptions. Dating back to 1840, Thomas Linley and Sons were renowned manufacturers of circular bellows and portable forges. Their advertisement on Stanley Street in Sheffield speaks volumes about the importance of these tools in industrial settings and can not limited to factories alone; they also find their place among musicians. Whether it be the enchanting melodies produced by Northumbrian bagpipes or Lowland Scotch bagpipes, these instruments rely on carefully controlled airflow provided by bellows. Intriguingly, even pianolas owe their captivating tunes to this humble device. As explained in How Pianola Works (1912), air is pumped through perforated paper rolls using a system that involves none other than. . bellows. The versatility extends beyond music and industry. In Gillray's satirical artwork titled "Science, " we witness an alchemist at work with his trusty pair nearby - symbolizing both practicality and mystery. Venturing into unexpected territories, Swiss Cow Lowing captures our attention with its depiction of cows adorned with bells around their necks—a delightful blend between nature's melody and man-made innovation. Dressed to Kill (1912) takes us into the realm of fashion where elegant ladies flaunt feathered hats while utilizing handheld fans resembling miniature bellows—combining style with functionality. Meanwhile, a barbershop filled with monkeys and cats may seem peculiar until we recall The Monkey and the Cat fable—an age-old tale highlighting resourcefulness as monkeys employ makeshift bellows made from leaves to fan away pesky flies while getting groomed.