Mechanisation Collection

Harvesting barley with a combine harvester, Suffolk
Harvesting barley with a combine harvester on a farm in Suffolk, England

Lancashire Weaver / 1890S
A weaver in a Lancashire cotton mill

Himmel The All-Highest has the truth spoken - the worst is behind us. German infantry retreating in panic before Allied infantry supported by tanks

George Cleaver who is trying to develop 177 acres of raw land, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
George Cleaver who is trying to develop 177 acres of raw land. He has five sons. Malheur County, Oregon

Colliery (engraving)
2808341 Colliery (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Colliery. Illustration for The Book of Trades or Circle of the Useful Arts (12th edn, Richard Griffin)

The International Exhibition: centrifugal pump by Easton, Amos, and Co... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: centrifugal pump by Easton, Amos, and Co. - from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Company, 1862

The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: Harrison's sizing-machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: Harrison's sizing-machine, 1862....one among the series of interesting machines exhibited by J. Harrison and Sons, of Blackburn

The International Exhibition: Messrs. Henderson and Co.'s carpet power-loom, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Messrs. Henderson and Co.'s carpet power-loom, 1862. The power-loom exhibited by this firm is adapted for weaving either Jacquard, Brussels, or velvet-pile carpets

The International Exhibition: Gruner's patent folding, stitching and pressing machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Gruner's patent folding, stitching and pressing machine, 1862. This compact little folding-machine

The International Exhibition: Burgess and Key's grain-mower, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Burgess and Key's grain-mower, 1862. Although [Messrs. Burgess and Key's] magnificent display of medals, earned on many hard-fought fields

The International Exhibition: Cranston's Wood's grass-mowing machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Cranston's Wood's grass-mowing machine, 1862. It will be observed that the machine runs on two wheels

The International Exhibition: Ward's night-signal telegraph, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Ward's night-signal telegraph, 1862....an ingenious system of marine telegraph, consisting of flags for day

The International Exhibition: Austrian locomotives - the Duplex engine, 1862. Creator: Mallett
The International Exhibition: Austrian locomotives - the Duplex engine, 1862. This locomotive is the first application of a doubled system of cylinders, pistons

The International Exhibition: sugar-refining apparatus of Messrs. Caile and Co. of Paris, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: sugar-refining apparatus of Messrs. Caile and Co. of Paris, 1862. European machine processing sugar cane from the colonies

The International Exhibition: Mitchel's type-composing machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Mitchel's type-composing machine, 1862. The compositor is in shape a right-angled triangle, placed horizontally

The International Exhibition: marine engines of the Mediterranean Forging Company... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: marine engines of the Mediterranean Forging Company - from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Company

The International Exhibition: Great Sugar-Mill, by Mirrlees and Tait, of Glasgow, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Great Sugar-Mill, by Mirrlees and Tait, of Glasgow, 1862. The use of this mill is to express the juice from the cane...an endless travelling-table...carries the canes up

The International Exhibition: locomotive tank-engine, by Manning, Wardle and Co... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: locomotive tank-engine, by Manning, Wardle and Co. of Leeds, 1862. Engine designed...for the mineral traffic at ironworks, collieries, &c

The International Exhibition: fire-engine presented to Mr. Hodges by...inhabitants of Lambeth, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: fire-engine presented to Mr. Hodges by the inhabitants of Lambeth, 1862. Mr. Hodges is the head of a large and old-established distillery, situated in Pratt-street

The International Exhibition: Merryweather and Son's patent steam fire-engine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Merryweather and Son's patent steam fire-engine, 1862. This powerful and well-finished steam fire-engine

The International Exhibition: blast-engines by the Lilleshall Company, Shiffnal, Shropshire... 1862 Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: blast-engines by the Lilleshall Company, Shiffnal, Shropshire - from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Company, 1862

The International Exhibition: blowing-engine in the Belgian Department... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: blowing-engine in the Belgian Department of the Western Annexe, 1862. Machine for...reducing iron ore to pig metal...As iron-furnaces have increased in size and number

The International Exhibition: Sandford and Mallory's flax-gin, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Sandford and Mallory's flax-gin, 1862. Although of a very unpretending appearance, the flax-gin of America may claim a value for industrial usefulness greater than

The International Exhibition: Fowler's patent engine and windlass for steam-ploughing, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Fowler's patent engine and windlass for steam-ploughing, 1862. Steam engine to power agricultural machinery. From "Illustrated London News", 1862

The International Exhibition: Fowler's patent four-furrow steam-plough, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Fowler's patent four-furrow steam-plough, 1862. The first aim was to show the superiority of steam to horse power in the inversion and cultivation of the soil

Trials of steam-ploughs near Farningham, Kent, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Trials of steam-ploughs near Farningham, Kent, 1862. Although eleven machines or so were at work from time to time, the systems really on trial were those of Fowler, Howard, Smith, and Coleman

Paper-making and cutting machine by Bryan, Donkin and Co. in the International Exhibition, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Paper-making and cutting machine by Bryan, Donkin and Co. in the International Exhibition, 1862. Side elevation of a machine...intended to manufacture an endless sheet of paper of any width under

The International Exhibition - Whitworth's self-acting radial, drilling-machine, etc. 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - Whitworth's self-acting radial, drilling-machine, etc. 1862. The collection of tools first met with on entering the annexe is that of Mr. Whitworth

The International Exhibition: Ransome and Sims agricultural machinery, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Ransome and Sims agricultural machinery - from a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Company, 1862

The International Exhibition: Tuer and Hall's power-loom for weaving carpets... 1862. Creator: E Bourdelin
The International Exhibition: Tuer and Hall's power-loom for weaving carpets - from a photograph by the Stereoscopic Company, 1862

The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: cotton in its different stages, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: cotton in its different stages, 1862. Diagrams...to indicate the different stages of manufacture. Fig

The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Fig. 3 the Lap-doubler; By this machine the slivers from the breaker carding-engine are formed into a

The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Fig. 6 the Power-loom; Fig. 5. the Roving-machine. From "Illustrated London News", 1862

The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Fig. 6 the Power-loom; Fig. 5. the Roving-machine. From "Illustrated London News", 1862

The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition - cotton manufacture: machinery of Platt Brothers, Oldham, 1862. Fig. 1 the Macarthy Gin; Fig. 4

Cotton manufacture: Platt's self-acting mule, or cottonspinning machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Cotton manufacture: Platt's self-acting mule, or cottonspinning machine, 1862. Processing cotton grown in India. These machines are used for the purpose of converting the rovings...into what is

The International Exhibition: Samuelson's machinery for crushing and grinding linseed... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Samuelson's machinery for crushing and grinding linseed, extracting the oil, and making oilcake, 1862

The Eastern Annexe of the International Exhibition Building containing agricultural implements, 1862 Creator: Unknown
The Eastern Annexe of the International Exhibition Building containing agricultural implements, [South Kensington, London]

Interior of a Power-Loom factory, 1844. Creator: Unknown
Interior of a Power-Loom factory, 1844. We are persuaded that the annexed engraving will be interesting to our readers, in connection with the great question of " The Factory Bill

"New helpers for the transport industry come on the scene", propaganda poster from the Chinese Cultural
RDA78558 "New helpers for the transport industry come on the scene", propaganda poster from the Chinese Cultural Revolution

Transplanting seedlings with a machine is good, propaganda poster from the Chinese Cultural Revolution
RDA78536 Transplanting seedlings with a machine is good, propaganda poster from the Chinese Cultural Revolution, 1970 (colour litho) by Chinese School (20th century) ; Private Collection; (add.info)

Love Conquered Fear, c1840. Creator: Auguste Hervieu
Love Conquered Fear, c1840. Ragged child workers in a Victorian textile factory. British writer Frances Trollope visited Manchester in 1832 to witness the condition of children employed in

Love Conquered Fear, 1840. Michael Armstrong, adopted by a mill owner, embracing his brother Edward who is one of the ragged factory boys working amongst the spinning mules

Woman operating a power loom for weaving cotton, c1840. The model illustrated is that invented by Roberts (c1815-1820). Belting connecting to the drive shaft is shown at centre back of the picture

Workroom in the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, 1904. Supervised by the Tsarina and the Dowager Empress, dressings and gowns are being produced to be sent to Russians wounded in the Russo-Japanese War

The International Exhibition: Robinson's cask-cleaning machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Robinson's cask-cleaning machine, 1862. A...machine...especially adapted for breweries and vinegar and chemical works...It consists of two frames or rings

The International Exhibition: Mitchel's type-distributing machine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Mitchel's type-distributing machine, 1862. The distributor is a small machine of circular form

The International Exhibition: Tuxford's road traction-engine, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Tuxford's road traction-engine, 1862. This firm, in fact, holds, according to the trials of the Royal Agricultural Society

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

Mechanisation: Revolutionizing Industries and Transforming Lives From the Lancashire weaver in the 1890s to George Cleaver's ambitious land development in Oregon, it has played a pivotal role in shaping our world. It represents progress, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of efficiency. In Suffolk, as barley fields stretched endlessly under the summer sun, the advent of combine harvesters revolutionized agriculture. No longer did farmers rely solely on manual labor; instead, these powerful machines brought speed and precision to their work. The sight of golden grains being effortlessly gathered was a testament to human ingenuity. Meanwhile, across continents in Malheur County, Oregon, Dorothea Lange captured George Cleaver's determination as he sought to tame 177 acres of raw land. With mechanised tools at his disposal, Cleaver embodied the spirit of progress that defined an era marked by industrialization. In collieries deep beneath the earth's surface or within power-loom factories humming with activity – like that depicted in an anonymous 1844 photograph – mechanisation transformed industries forever. Workers adapted to new technologies that increased productivity but also raised concerns about job security and working conditions. Even amidst political turmoil and propaganda such as Himmel The All-Highest proclaiming "the worst is behind us" during Germany's history-altering moments - mechanisation continued its march forward. It became a symbol of hope for a brighter future despite uncertain times. The Winter Palace workroom in St Petersburg showcased how even royal establishments embraced mechanisation by incorporating machinery into their daily operations. This fusion between tradition and modernity exemplified society's growing reliance on technology for progress. Not limited to industry alone, agricultural practices were also impacted by this unstoppable force. An advertisement from 1897 highlighted how farming magazines promoted modern techniques through articles like "Agriculture Moderne. " Farmers eagerly adopted new methods with hopes of higher yields and improved livelihoods. Mechanisation even found its way into the realm of art and literature.