History Of Science Collection

Celestial mechanics, medieval artwork
Celestial mechanics. Coloured historical artwork depicting a medieval pilgrim looking out from the sky (blue) to see the mechanics of the heavens (upper left)

Mendeleyevs periodic table, 1869. Mendeleyevs periodic table of 1869. This is the first version of the periodic table drawn up by the Russian chemist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleyev (1834-1907)

Title pages of Pacciolis Summa de Arithmetica
^BMathematics book.^b Title page of a medieval book on mathematics. Image taken from the 1523 edition of ^ISumma de Arithmetica, geometria

Mass spectrometer, 1954
Mass spectrometer. Researchers adjusting the controls of a mass spectrometer. This is an all-metal demountable mass spectrometer

Part of manuscript written by Evariste Galois
Part of a manuscript written by the French mathematician Evariste Galois (1811-1832). Galois worked on the problem of finding general solutions for equations of degree n

Stephensons Rocket 1829
Stephensons Rocket, coloured historical artwork. Stephensons Steam Locomotive, patented in 1829, competed in trials held by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company at Rainhill

Dmitri Mendeleev, caricature
Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907). Caricature of the Russian chemist Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev. Mendeleyev (also spelt Mendeleev)

Richard Feynman, caricature C015 / 6715
Richard Feynman (1918-1988). Caricature of the American theoretical physicist Richard Phillips Feynman. As a young man, Feynman worked on the American atomic bomb project at Los Alamos

Marconi radio apparatus
Marconi radio equipment on a ship. The equipment includes headphones and a Morse code key (lower centre). The equipment is labelled (left-right)

Bee anatomy, historical artwork
Bees anatomy. 17th Century artwork by the Italian microscopist Francesco Stelluti, showing the anatomy of bees as seen by him under a microscope

Krakatoa sunsets, 1883 artworks
Krakatoa sunsets. Artwork of the spectacular red and orange sunsets caused in London, England, by the August 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, a volcano thousands of kilometres away in Indonesia

Brunels tunnelling shield
The tunnelling shield, or excavating machine designed by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (1769- 1849) & used in the construction of the lining of the Thames tunnel

Niels Bohr, caricature
Niels Bohr (1885-1962). Caricature of the Danish physicist Niels Henrik David Bohr, blowing orbiting electrons out of his pipe. Bohr won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922

1960s paraffin heater
Paraffin heater, historical image. This portable heater, manufactured in the 1960s, was fuelled by the fossil fuel paraffin (also called paraffin oil and kerosene)

Kapitsa and Androv, Russian physicists. Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa (left, 1894-1984) is listening to a graduate student called Androv (right), who is defending his doctoral thesis

David Hume, Scottish philosopher
David Hume (1711-1776). Historical artwork of the Scottish enlightenment philosopher, historian and economist David Hume. Hume opposed the rationalists such as Descartes in believing that human

Halleys comet, 19th Century artwork. 1835 woodcut print depicting the 1835 appearance of Halleys comet. Halleys Comet is the only naked-eye comet certain to return within a human lifetime

Herschels impression of the Milky Way

Socrates, caricature
Socrates. Caricature of the Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (c.470-399 BC). Socrates is credited with introducing a new and critical attitude in philosophy and science

John Venn, caricature C013 / 7595
John Venn (1834-1923). Caricature of the British logician and philosopher John Venn. Venn is best known for introducing the Venn diagram, which is used in many fields, including set theory

Stephensons Rocket - the 1st steam locomotive
George Stephensons " Rocket", which was one of the first travelling steam locomotives invented. Stephenson was an English inventor who was born in 1781 and died in 1848

19th-century tin mine, Cornwall. Artwork of miners and walkways at the Botallack Copper and Tin Mine at St Just, Cornwall, England. This mine, under various names, dates back to 1721

Solar system map from 1853
Historical map of the solar system, published in Germany in 1853. The main diagram shows the orbits of the first seven planets out to Uranus

Plato, Ancient Greek philosopher
Plato (427-347 BC), Ancient Greek philosopher. Platos spirit of rational inquiry led to todays scientific method. His writings shaped and continue to have a profound influence on Western thought

Aspidonia, historical artwork, 1899
Aspidonia organisms. Historical artwork of Aspidonia organisms, a now invalid name for a grouping of the classes Merostomata and Trilobita

Astrology and medicine, artwork
The Astrology and the Medicine. Organs are connected with special zodiac signs

Brian Cox, caricature
Brian Cox (born 1968). Caricature of the British particle physicist, science TV presenter and former musician Brian Edward Cox

Newtons telescope, historical artwork
Newtons telescope. Historical reproduction of a sketch by Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) of a reflecting telescope and its components

Cave painting of a mammoth, artwork
Cave painting of a mammoth. Artwork of a prehistoric cave drawing from the cave of Font-de Gaume, in the Dordogne region of France. It shows a mammoth (Elephas primigenius)

Iguanodon and Megalosaurus, artwork
Iguanodon fighting Megalosaurus, 19th century artwork. Artwork from the 1886 ninth edition of Moses and Geology (Samuel Kinns, London). This book was originally published in 1882

Plato, caricature
Plato. Caricature of the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC). Platos spirit of rational inquiry led to todays scientific method

Albert Einstein, artwork
Albert Einstein. Cartoon of the Swiss-German physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Einstein is best known for his paper on the special theory of relativity

Perseus constellation. Illustrated card from a 19th century astronomical teaching aid called Uranias Mirror, after the Greek muse of astronomy. There are 32 cards in total

Raining cats and dogs. Historical artwork of cats, dogs and pitchforks raining down on people in a town street. The saying raining cats and dogs is used when referring to a heavy downpour of rain

Marconi radio valve. This is a Marconi transmitter valve of the type M.T.6. Marconi patented his radio equipment in 1896, founding a company in 1897 to build the new equipment

Stanley Steamer car, 1906
Stanley Steamer car. This is the 1906 model of the steam-powered car produced by the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, a US company that operated from 1902-1917

Aristotle as depicted by Raphael in The School of Athens. Athenian philosopher and logician, he studied under Plato in Athens

Distillation, 16th century woodcut
Distillation. Coloured 16th century woodcut depicting apparatus used for distillation. Two liquids to be distilled are being heated in large flasks (bottom left and right)

Cygnus and Lyra constellations. Illustrated card from a 19th century astronomical teaching aid called Uranias Mirror, after the Greek muse of astronomy. There are 32 cards in total

Early fire brigade street alarm
Early fire brigade alarm system. Historical artwork of a fireman testing a 19th-century combined telephonic and telegraphic street fire alarm system

William A. Doberck, Danish astronomer
William A. Doberck (1852-1941), Danish astronomer. Doberck became the first director of the Hong Kong Observatory from its foundation in 1883 until 1907

Illustration of Ferranti testing 10, 000V cable V510 / 0013
19th Century power transmission. Illustration showing Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti (1864-1930) testing his 10, 000 Volt cable in 1890

Early electronic valve, diagram
Audion amplifier. Diagram of an Audion triode valve that was the first amplifier. It was invented by Lee De Forest in 1907

Jelly fish, artwork
Jelly fish (Leonura terminalis). Historical artwork of a deep sea jelly fish observed by Ernst Haeckel during an expedition on HMS Challenger (1873-1876)

The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (Golenishchev Mathematical Papyrus) Detail: 14th problem, ca 1840BC
The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (Golenishchev Mathematical Papyrus) Detail: 14th problem, ca 1840 BC. Found in the Collection of State A. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Supermarine Napier S4 seaplane, 1926
Supermarine Napier S4 seaplane. The Supermarine Napier S4 is most famous for raising the worlds seaplane speed record to about 227 miles per hour in 1925

The four humours, 16th century artwork
The four humours, coloured historical artwork. Here, the head of Christ is surrounded by four male figures, who are personifications of the four humours

Lee De Forest, US radio pioneer
Lee De Forest (1873-1961), American radio pioneer, holding the triode valve, or Audion tube, that he invented. De Forest studied at Yale, gaining his doctorate with a thesis on radio waves

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The history of science is a fascinating journey that has shaped our understanding of the world. From the groundbreaking discoveries to the innovative inventions, each milestone has contributed to our current knowledge and technological advancements. In 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev's periodic table revolutionized chemistry by organizing elements based on their properties and atomic weights. This iconic creation paved the way for further scientific exploration and experimentation. Even in medieval times, celestial mechanics fascinated scholars who depicted this intricate subject in their artwork. The intricate illustrations showcased not only their artistic skills but also their curiosity about the workings of the universe. Richard Feynman, a renowned physicist known for his contributions to quantum mechanics, was immortalized in a caricature that captured his brilliance and eccentricity. His work continues to inspire scientists around the globe. Evariste Galois left behind a part of his manuscript before his untimely death at just 20 years old. This document revealed profound insights into algebraic equations and laid the foundation for modern abstract algebra. Stephenson's Rocket, an early steam locomotive from 1829, marked a significant leap forward in transportation technology. Its design influenced future developments in railway engineering and propelled industrial progress. Historical artwork depicting bee anatomy showcases humanity's fascination with nature's intricacies. These detailed illustrations not only served as educational tools but also highlighted our desire to understand every aspect of life on Earth. The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 resulted in mesmerizing sunsets that inspired artists worldwide. Through their artworks, they captured both beauty and chaos while reminding us of nature's awe-inspiring power. Title pages from Pacciolis Summa de Arithmetica reflect humankind's quest for mathematical knowledge throughout history. These ancient texts demonstrate how mathematics played an essential role even centuries ago. Dmitri Mendeleev himself became a subject of caricatures due to his influential work on chemistry’s periodic table. These humorous depictions celebrated his contributions and made science more accessible to the public.