Pulley Collection

A China Clay Pit, Leswidden, Harold Harvey (1874-1941)
Oil on canvas, Newlyn School, 1920 or 1924. This painting shows the harsh, labour-intensive working conditions of a china clay pit

SURVEYORS. Surveyors at work on land and sea. Colored German engraving, 1594

Drawing the cork, illustration by William Heath Robinson
How to draw the cork when you can t find the corkscrew, illustration by William Heath Robinson. Credit must appear as: Courtesy of Mrs J. C

James Tangye (1825-1912) in his workshop at Aviary Court, Illogan, Cornwall. Around 1900
Mr James Tangye pictured in his workshop at his home, Aviary Court. He is seated, wearing a hat and holding a cane, amid various pieces of machinery

ELEVATOR, 1862. The Otis Patent Hoisting Engine, first installed in the A. T
ELEVATOR, 1862. The Otis Patent Hoisting Engine, first installed in the A.T. Stewart Store, later Wanamaker s, in New York City: line engraving, 1862

WW2 defence, illustration by William Heath Robinson
Defence during WW2 -- Stout members of the sixth column dislodge an enemy machine gun post on the dome of St Paul s, illustration by William Heath Robinson. Credit must appear as: Courtesy of Mrs J

Portland Prison, Dorset - Stone cutting using a huge circular saw Date: 1912

W Heath Robinson - Opening the Wine Bottle

Construction of Blackfriars bridge, London
Builders involved in various tasks atop two huge arches under construction. One of the arches clearly shows the scaffolding required to form such a huge structure. Date: August 1764

Limehouse Dock, 1872. Creator: Gustave Doré
Limehouse Dock, 1872. Limehouse Dock in Tower Hamlets used by seagoing vessels to offload cargo to canal barges, for onward transport along the Regents Canal. From, " LONDON

Vignette illustration, Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson -- An early and interesting type of signal. Date: 1935

Tools of an Architect
A plan for a neo-classical building is rested against the tools of the surveyors architects and builders who will construct this edifice

The Panama Scandal (engraving)
8631489 The Panama Scandal (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Panama Scandal. Illustration from Black and White)

Abandoned works in the Culebra Cutting during the building of the Panama Canal (engraving)
8631485 Abandoned works in the Culebra Cutting during the building of the Panama Canal (engraving) by Frenzeny, Paul (1840-1902); Private Collection; (add.info)

Exterior view of the Devon Haytor Granite Quarries, 1825 (hand coloured aquatint on paper)
7485271 Exterior view of the Devon Haytor Granite Quarries, 1825 (hand coloured aquatint on paper) by Cartwright, Joseph (c.1789-1829); 23x35 cm; Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford, Shropshire

Interior view of the Devon Haytor Granite Quarries, 1825 (hand coloured aquatint on paper)
7485268 Interior view of the Devon Haytor Granite Quarries, 1825 (hand coloured aquatint on paper) by Cartwright, Joseph (c.1789-1829); 23x35 cm; Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford, Shropshire

Man operating a pulley with lever and fulcrum
6266189 Man operating a pulley with lever and fulcrum; (add.info.: Man operating a pulley with a lever and fulcrum. After an 18th century work.); Photo © Ken Welsh. All rights reserved 2024.

Man operating a pulley with lever and fulcrum
7177143 Man operating a pulley with lever and fulcrum.; Private Collection; (add.info.: Man operating a pulley with a lever and fulcrum. After an 18th century work.); Photo © Ken Welsh

Moving heavy gun tubes, illustration from 'The Western Front', pub. by Country Life Ltd, 1917 (litho)
STC400474 Moving heavy gun tubes, illustration from 'The Western Front', pub. by Country Life Ltd, 1917 (litho) by Bone

Building the piers of Tower Bridge, London (engraving)
8631394 Building the piers of Tower Bridge, London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Building the piers of Tower Bridge, London, view looking north)

Poultry, Prison, Puffin, Pulley, Pulpit, Pulse-glass, Pumping, Puncher, Quarry, Quartet, Quiver, Rabbit (engraving)
8650068 Poultry, Prison, Puffin, Pulley, Pulpit, Pulse-glass, Pumping, Puncher, Quarry, Quartet, Quiver, Rabbit (engraving) by German School

A moveable anchor vehicle used in farming
3732425 A moveable anchor vehicle used in farming; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a moveable anchor vehicle for use at one end of a field to act as a pulley block for rope to which a plough is)

Rigging for sailing ships, including cordage, bale slings, butt slings, can hook slings, ropes, blocks and pulleys
FLO4593384 Rigging for sailing ships, including cordage, bale slings, butt slings, can hook slings, ropes, blocks and pulleys, 18th century

Daniel Masere's original suspension pulley and fire escape machine simplified by Mr
FLO4591200 Daniel Masere's original suspension pulley and fire escape machine simplified by Mr. Forster, painter's easel and indigo mills

A paying-out machinery and pulley of Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon
3732730 A paying-out machinery and pulley of Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a paying-out machinery)

A moveable anchor vehicle used in farming
3732424 A moveable anchor vehicle used in farming; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a moveable anchor vehicle for use at one end of a field to act as a pulley block for rope to which a plough is)

Capital letters Plate in "Picturesque alphabet or New informative and picturesque alphabet", 1892 (engraving)
DUV4220302 Capital letters Plate in "Picturesque alphabet or New informative and picturesque alphabet", 1892 (engraving); 27x17.5 cm; (add.info)

Vienna: workers and building contractors on a scaffolding during the works for a building
3570607 Vienna: workers and building contractors on a scaffolding during the works for a building; (add.info.: Vienna, Austria 1910 ca. Photographer: Schaschek); Alinari Archives, Florence.

Dramatic machinery for a theatre set including flying carriage, boat on moving waves, flats, etc
FLO4591160 Dramatic machinery for a theatre set including flying carriage, boat on moving waves, flats, etc. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry from Abraham Rees' Cyclopedia or Universal

Story of the life of Moses. Detail of the rope and pulley of the well. Painting by Alessandro di Mariano dei Filipepi
BEN5471136 Story of the life of Moses. Detail of the rope and pulley of the well. Painting by Alessandro di Mariano dei Filipepi known as Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). Fresco, 1481

Massachusetts State Prison Workshop in Charleston. Detenus making whips, circa 1850. 19th century lithography
NWI4960030 Massachusetts State Prison Workshop in Charleston. Detenus making whips, circa 1850. 19th century lithography.; (add.info.: Massachusetts State Prison Workshop in Charleston)

France: coal mine miners in working clothes with oil lamps, 1895
LUX4788874 France: coal mine miners in working clothes with oil lamps, 1895; (add.info.: France: coal mine miners in working clothes with oil lamps, 1895); Photo © Lux-in-Fine.

Dramatic machinery for a theatre set. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry from Abraham Rees' Cyclopedia or
FLO4591164 Dramatic machinery for a theatre set. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry from Abraham Rees' Cyclopedia or Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and Literature, Longman, Hurst

Plans and views of lock gates in operation on canals, 18th century, England
FLO4685683 Plans and views of lock gates in operation on canals, 18th century, England. Copperplate engraving by Mutlow from John Mason Good's Pantologia, a New Encyclopedia, G

A paying-out machinery and pulley of Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon
3732559 A paying-out machinery and pulley of Giffard's 'Captive' hydrogen balloon; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a paying-out machinery)

A plough for steam ploughing
3732427 A plough for steam ploughing; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a plough for steam ploughing, using a steel cable to pull the plough from side to side of the field)

The use of pulleys to make it possible to lock and unlock doors without getting out of bed, 1850
3330952 The use of pulleys to make it possible to lock and unlock doors without getting out of bed, 1850; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the use of pulleys to make it possible to lock)

Free Stone Quarries. View near Bath, Somersetshire, 1798 (hand coloured aquatint on paper)
7485274 Free Stone Quarries. View near Bath, Somersetshire, 1798 (hand coloured aquatint on paper) by Hassell, John (1767-1825); 27x35 cm; Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford, Shropshire

Collectivization of breeding in USSR, ca 1930 (poster)
7422855 Collectivization of breeding in USSR, ca 1930 (poster); (add.info.: Agriculture. Collectivization of breeding in USSR. Poster, USSR, ca 1930.); © Archives Charmet.

Suspension apparatus for use in spinal disease. From The Household Physician, published c.1898 (engraving)
6116635 Suspension apparatus for use in spinal disease. From The Household Physician, published c.1898 (engraving); Photo © Ken Welsh. All rights reserved 2024.

Paper industry: rotary washing machines. Engraving 1867
JAB4121075 Paper industry: rotary washing machines. Engraving 1867; (add.info.: Paper industry: rotary washing machines. Engraving 1867); Photo ©Jaime Abecasis.

Woman drawing water from a well - Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration
NWI4883459 Woman drawing water from a well - Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration; (add.info.: Woman drawing water from a well - Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration)

Chocolate making in Moreuil factory. c.1900 (chromo)
2636215 Chocolate making in Moreuil factory. c.1900 (chromo); Private Collection; (add.info.: Food and Beverage. Chocolate making in Moreuil factory. Imagery, France, c.1900.); Photo © CCI.

A young Hawaiian diver, 1890 (print on double-weight paper)
3560874 A young Hawaiian diver, 1890 (print on double-weight paper); (add.info.: Hawaiian Islands, United States 1890-1900 ca. Photographer: Unidentified Author); Alinari Archives, Florence.

Side elevations of James Ferguson's cranes. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry after a drawing by J. Farey Jr
FLO4591262 Side elevations of James Ferguson's cranes. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry after a drawing by J. Farey Jr

Coal-measuring equipment with pulleys, winches, and sacks. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry after a drawing by J
FLO4591222 Coal-measuring equipment with pulleys, winches, and sacks. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry after a drawing by J

France, Pays de la Loire, Mayenne (53), Chateau-Gontier: Chateau-Gonthier, Heuzard-Digion factory with pulleys
LUX4762474 France, Pays de la Loire, Mayenne (53), Chateau-Gontier: Chateau-Gonthier, Heuzard-Digion factory with pulleys, gear wheels, machinery and tools, 1924; (add.info.: France)

Shepherds and herds between two colonnades Drawing by Hubert Robert (1733-1808)
JEB4915812 Shepherds and herds between two colonnades Drawing by Hubert Robert (1733-1808) Sun 40x51 cm Musee des Arts decoratifs et de la mode Marseille; Musee Borely, Marseille

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"Pulley: A Timeless Tool in the Hands of Surveyors, Artists, and Engineers" From the ancient times to modern innovations, the pulley has been an indispensable tool for various professions. In a colored German engraving from 1594, surveyors can be seen utilizing pulleys both on land and at sea to measure and map their surroundings with precision. Moving forward in time, we find ourselves in a China Clay Pit captured by Harold Harvey (1874-1941). Here, workers rely on pulleys to extract clay from deep within the earth's crust. The strength and efficiency of these devices enable them to transport heavy loads effortlessly. In another illustration by William Heath Robinson titled "Drawing the Cork, " we witness the whimsical side of pulleys. This comical depiction showcases how even opening a bottle of wine can become an elaborate affair when ingenious contraptions involving ropes and wheels are involved. James Tangye (1825-1912), photographed in his workshop at Aviary Court, Illogan, Cornwall around 1900, demonstrates that pulleys have long been essential tools for inventors and engineers alike. With meticulous craftsmanship, Tangye harnesses the power of these simple machines to create innovative mechanisms that shape our world. The year 1862 marks a significant milestone as Otis Patent Hoisting Engine introduces elevators powered by pulley systems. First installed in New York City's A. T. Stewart Store (later Wanamakers), this groundbreaking invention revolutionizes vertical transportation forever. Pulleys also make appearances in everyday scenarios depicted by W Heath Robinson. From opening wine bottles with intricate contraptions to defending against enemy forces during World War II using imaginative setups - his illustrations highlight how versatile this humble device truly is. Beyond its role as a tool for individuals or small-scale projects, pulleys play crucial roles in grand endeavors like constructing Blackfriars Bridge over London's River Thames.