Explosives Collection (page 6)

Mine washed up on Suffolk coast, WW1
Two boy scouts pose with a mine at Sizewell, the fuse of which had been removed. It was one of several washed up on the Suffolk coast between Aldeburgh and Southwold in 1914. Date: 1914

French bracelet grenade, which hooked around the throwers wrist with a strap or thong. Innocuous while in the mans hand, the jerk as the grenade extends the strap

The Glorious Fifth by Bruce Bairnsfather
" Ere, Guy Fawkes - buzz off!" A cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather, a soldier is admonished by one of his fellows for carrying around enough explosives to Guy Fawkes jealous. Date: 1916

Berthold Schwarz, German alchemist C013 / 9550
Berthold Schwarz. Historical engraving of the German alchemist and monk Berthold Schwarz experimenting with gunpowder. Schwarz was the first person to use gunpowder to shoot projectiles

German or Austrian soldiers with hand grenades, WW1
German or Austrian soldiers throwing hand grenades during the First World War. 10 September 1917

Excavating the Panama Canal
Workers using explosives to excavate the Panama Canal, 1900s. Printed color halftone reproduction of an early 20th-century illustration

Nobel Dynamite Factory
Nobels dynamite factory at Arigliana, Italy, destroyed by an explosion on 13 May 1890

Chinese Emperor Wu Wang creates loud explosions
The Chinese Emperor Wu Wang (Zhou Dynasty) uses gunpowder to frighten the enemy

Abu Yusuf using gunpowder, Morocco
MOROCCO - Abu-Yusuf, Sultan, use gunpowder to bombard Sidi- Mesa

Congreve / Earthworks
The rockets developed by William Congreve in 1804 are here shown fired from earthworks in bombardments Date: 1827

Congreve / Cavalry Repulse
The rockets introduced by William Congreve in 1804 are here shown used for the repulse of cavalry and for the storming of a town Date: 1827

WW1 - Firing a mortar
WW1 - Three soldiers positioned in a dug-out trench, aiming and firing a mortar at its target. Date: circa 1915

Women workers manufacturing synthetic phenol, WW1
Women munition workers testing the temperature of phenol as it runs into drums during the production of explosives. Date: 1918

Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills
The Stoving house and Traverses at the Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills, Essex Date: 1854

French shells used on Land and Sea WWI
In Toulon arsenal: Finished projectiles after " passing the doctor" ; the necessary wash. Upper photograph: showing big-gun shells

Guy Fawkes - T-shirt / poster print design MR NICE GUY Date: 1605

Magnetic mine and counter moves by G. H. Davis
A battle of wits: the magnetic mine and the counter-moves, a battle of wits: new types of mines countered by the Navy. Naval experts versus the enemy

Britains acoustic shell by G. H. Davis
The acoustic shell: Britains ace killer of flying bombs during the Second World War. The British-invented radio proximity shell, which explodes itself when in lethal range of its target. 1945

New Russian bombs by G. H. Davis
Molotovs breadbaskets: Russias new dual-purpose bomb used during the Second World War. Its false head was filled with small incendiary bombs, released by a cap propeller

Submarine mines, WW1
How submarine mines look when laid on the seabed. Each one contains a charge of gun cotton, and explodes on contact. Date: 1914

Berthelot Photo
PIERRE-EUGENE-MARCELIN BERTHELOT - French chemist noted for work on explosives and dyes, photographed in 1903. Date: 1827 - 1907

Spherical black bomb with a fuse

EOD expert using robot to investigate attache case

Woman countersinking detonator tube hole and filling hole in hand grenade at Westinghouse
XOS909418 Woman countersinking detonator tube hole and filling hole in hand grenade at Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. East Pittsburgh, Pa

Delivering the Goods, 1915 (engraving)
XJF867947 Delivering the Goods, 1915 (engraving) by Raven-Hill, Leonard (1867-1942); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Shell Crisis of 1915 was a shortage of shells on the front lines leading to a)

Pandora nipped in the ice, Melville Bay 24th July, from The Illustrated
XJF324362 Pandora nipped in the ice, Melville Bay 24th July, from The Illustrated London News, 1876 (engraving) by English School

Munitions workers in the canteen, 1918 (b / w photo)
XJF2906467 Munitions workers in the canteen, 1918 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

The manufacture of gun cotton in the 19th century, from Les Merveilles de la Science, published c
KW2619062 The manufacture of gun cotton in the 19th century, from Les Merveilles de la Science, published c.1870 (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; Ken Welsh; French

With his legs twisted round a pipe, Jock Kerr of Tottenham worked over the whirling water at the weir at Lea Bridge Road waterworks to secure a drum of highly dangerous explosive

Method of preparing and setting a Dynamite charge. From La Science Illustree, Paris, c. 1890

Nobel Explosives Company Limited, Ardeer, Ayrshire. Cartridge packed with Dynamite made at the factory. From The Illustrated London News, 16 April 1884

Alfred Nobel (1833-96) Swedish chemist and inventor. Dynamite. Endowed Nobel Prizes

Miners using dynamite for blasting. Wood engraving, Paris, 1879

Inserting detonators into cartridges of dynamite for blasting Flood Rock, East River, part of the Hell Gate Rocks complex which was partially removed in 1876 and again in 1885

Stone quarry worker tamping down a gunpowder charge ready to fit a fuse and blast away a section of rock. Chromolithograph from a childrens book published in 1867

Explosives. Colonel Vivian Dering Majendie (1836-1898), Chief Inspector of Explosives. British soldier who served with the Royal Artillery at Sebastopol during the Crimean War, and at Lucknow

Pierre Eugene Marcellin Berthelot (1827-1907) French organic chemist and politician. Berthelot worked on explosives and dyes

Christian Friedrich Schonbein (1799-1869) German chemist. Began his investigation of ozone in 1839. Worked on nitrocellulose and produced guncotton for use in firearms in 1846

Alfred Nobel (1833-96) Swedish chemist and inventor. Dynamite. Endowed Nobel Prizes

Fenian explosives conspiracy, 1883: Police discovery of nitro-glycerine factory in the Ladywood district of Birmingham. From The Illustrated London News, 14 April 1883

Claude Louis, Comte Berthollet (1748-1822) French chemist, horrified when an experiment on explosives goes wrong, killing the director of Essonne gunpowder factory, Letort, and his daughter

Frederick Augustus Abel (1827-1902). English chemist and inventor. Explosives: (with James Dewar) invented cordite: New method for manufacturing gun-cotton. Abel at 20. Engraving published 1893

Iron Harvest, World War One shrapnel shell, unexploded with shrapnel balls still inside, Somme Battlefield, Somme, Picardy, France, May

Iron Harvest, World War One unexploded grenades, recently recovered from fields, Somme Battlefield, Somme, Picardy, France, May

Iron Harvest, World War One high explosive shell, unexploded, Somme Battlefield, Somme, Picardy, France, May

USA, New York, fireworks display on the East River against the Manhattan Skyline

A firework

DuPont products label display, 1940s C018 / 0640
DuPont labels display. Woman adjusting a display of product labels used in the 1940s by the DuPont Company (founded in 1802). DuPont had primarily been a manufacturer of explosives

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"Explosives: Unleashing Power and Defying Conventions" During the First World War, women shattered societal norms as they fearlessly entered the workforce, including in explosive factories. Their dedication fueled the war effort. A firework rocket on a stick illuminates the night sky, captivating spectators with its vibrant colors and thunderous booms. A symbol of celebration and excitement, it reminds us of our fascination with controlled explosions. In a cartoon by Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, an Irish Fenian revolutionary, explosives become a metaphor for resistance against oppression. The power to ignite change lies within these volatile substances. A German stormtroop officer during WWI demonstrates cluster grenades' devastating potential against tanks—a stark reminder of how technology transformed warfare forever. The French Resistance in WWII exemplified courage amidst danger. These brave individuals clandestinely used explosives to disrupt enemy operations and protect their homeland. G. H. Davis's depiction of Britain's frogmen divers showcases their expertise in underwater demolitions—an integral part of neutralizing threats lurking beneath the surface. Members of the bomb disposal squad meticulously measure the length of a time-delayed bomb—every second counts when defusing these deadly devices that threaten innocent lives. Willingham House stands as a testament to history—a former ammunition depot turned into a memorial site honoring those who handled explosives during times of conflict. WWI witnessed unimaginable destruction on an unprecedented scale—the harnessing of atom depicted by G. H. Davis highlights humanity's relentless pursuit for even more powerful explosives. Various types of grenades were deployed during WWI—each designed for specific purposes but sharing one common trait: unleashing devastation upon impact with unwavering force. Fort de la Bonnelle in Saint-Geosmes, Haute-Marne, France serves as a haunting reminder that once this fortress guarded secrets behind its walls—explosives poised to defend or destroy at command. From women working tirelessly to the French Resistance's bravery, they have played a pivotal role in shaping history.