Explosives Collection (page 7)

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

US Civil War mines, Potomac River, 1861
US Civil War mines. Drawing showing the discovery of Confederate mines (one in foreground) on the Potomac River near Aquia Creek, northern Virginia, USA, on 7 July 1861 during the US Civil War

Blasting trigger mechanism, artwork
Blasting trigger mechanism, historical artwork. The cutaway section shows the internal mechanism that is triggered by the plunger used to set off an explosion

Iron ore mining C013 / 9314
Iron ore mining. Blasting taking place at an iron ore quarry at Lebedinsky GOK, Russias largest iron ore producer. Photographed in Gubkin, Belgorod Oblast, Russia

ULIVIs F-RAYS
Signor Ulivis F-Rays will make it possible for explosives to be detonated by remote control : push-button warfare becomes a freseeable possibility Date: 1914

Military / Weapons / Explosi
Manufacture of Dynamite at Isleten, near Fluelen, Switzerland: filling cartridges. Date: 1893

German mine landed on Dutch coast, 1939
A huge German mine pictured on the beach along the Dutch coast where numerous mines drifted during the first few weeks of World War II

Three boys play with fulminating powder Date: 1950s

Loading pontoon boats with ammunition, Western Front, WW1
British troops loading pontoon boats with ammunition on the Western Front during the First World War. Date: 1914-1918

Gunpowder Factory
The ruins of the old Powdermills in the Cherrybrook Valley, near Postbridge, Devonshire, England, which used to produce gunpowder. Date: 19th century

New Zealand gunners loading ammunition, France, WW1
New Zealand gunners loading a limber with ammunition near Albert, northern France, during the First World War. Date: September 1916

HMS Aurora, British light cruiser with mines, WW1
HMS Aurora, British Arethusa-class light cruiser, launched 1913, served in various locations during the First World War, decommissioned 1918. Seen here with mines lined up along her quarter deck

Airport security, explosives detection
Airport security officer using a dog to check baggage for explosives. Dogs have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, and can be trained to detect different types of chemicals

Mine-disposal robots. Computer artwork of flying robots, a possible future technology, being used to find and detonate mines in a minefield

Cannons with explosive ammunition
Leonardos sketch of explosive cannon balls fired from large mortars. The cannon balls consisted of round shells fitted around iron spacers and stitched inside a pliable casing

Smokestack demolition, 19th century
Smokestack demolition, 19th-century artwork based on a photograph. This is the moment just after explosives have been detonated at the base of the smokestack to to topple it

Mobile X-ray security scanner
Security scanner. Mobile X-ray unit used to scan trucks and other vehicles. The scanner detects weapons and explosives but can also be used at border points to detect people trafficking

Blocks of TNT explosive
Blocks of TNT (trinitrotoluene) explosive. These blocks of TNT are outdated and are due to be disposed of by detonation, a process called utilization. TNT is a powerful explosive

Nickel quarry explosions. Dust clouds rising from explosions being used to mine nickel ore in a quarry. This is the Medvezhy Ruchei (Bear Creek) quarry, being mined by the Norilsk Nickel Company

RDX explosive, molecular model
RDX explosive. Molecular model of the explosive chemical RDX (C3.H6.N6.O6). Also known as T4, cyclonite and hexogen, the full chemical name is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine

Nitroglycerin drug molecule
Nitroglycerin. Computer model of a molecule of the drug nitroglycerine. It is also known as nitroglycerin, trinitroglycerin and glyceryl trinitrate

BUSN2A-00078
Coal miners tamping an explosive charge in a tunnel, 1860s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Training a police dog
A Police Dog and handler at Twickenham Rugby Stadium. The dog is being trained to sniff out suspicious packages that could have been planted under the seats in the South Stand (now re-developed)

Bridge damaged by explosives, Iraq
View of a bridge that has been damaged by explosives, somewhere in Iraq

Bones Make Explosives - World War II poster
World War Two poster encouraging civilians on the Home Front to save all bones for salvage as they can be made into bombs for the war effort

Captured Russian explosive WWII
Captured Russian high explosive bomb during World War II

British and American troops stacking dynamite on the Nijmege
Photograph showing British and American troops stacking dynamite charges against the railing of Nijmegen Bridge, September 1944

Mixing House Girls Rubbing and Mixing Dynamite
Nobel explosives works at Ardeer, Scotland - women mixing dynamite

Mixing Acids Previous to Nitrating
Manufacture of Dynamite at Nobel works, Ardeer, Scotland

Manufacture of Dynamite at Nobel works, Avigliana, Italy

Dynamite at Nobel Works
Manufacture of Dynamite at Nobel works, Ardeer, Scotland

Weapons / Explosives
Title-page of Alfred Nobels patent for nitroglycerine, issued at Stockholm 1866

Gunpowder / I See & Smile
I see and smile The barrels of gunpower are discovered

Nobel Works Scotland
Nobel explosives works at Ardeer, Scotland

Eugene Turpin
EUGENE TURPIN French scientist in his laboratory: he invented melinite, a form of gas warfare, as well as other explosives

Gunpowder Manufacture
Technical depiction of an early Gunpowder Mill

Arms from America
ARMS FOR SINN FEIN Submarines smuggle weapons and explosives into Ireland for Sinn Fein, sent by sympathisers in the United States

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"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.