Pulley Collection (page 9)

Hoisting the paper into a newspaper office, 20th century. A pulley system allows large rolls of paper to be taken in to the newspaper office from a horse-drawn cart

Sawing timber, 1941. Artist: Cecil Beaton
Sawing timber, 1941. From Air of Glory, by Cecil Beaton. [His Majestys Stationery Office, London, 1941]

Interior of a Smelting-House at Broseley, Shropshire, 1788, (1904). After G. Robertson. From Social England, Volume V, edited by H.D. Traill, D.C.L. and J. S. Mann, M.A

Nuremberg, c1820 (1915). Artist: Samuel Prout
Nuremberg, c1820 (1915). Nuremberg is a city on the river Pegnitz in the German state of Bavaria. From Sketches by Samuel Prout, edited by Charles Holme

Device for Repelling Scaling Ladders, c1480 (1945). Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Device for Repelling Scaling Ladders, c1480 (1945). From The Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. [Reynal & Hitchcock, New York, 1945]

Kimbereley Diamond Mine: apparatus for raising the diamantiferous earth, 1896
Kimbereley Diamond Mine: apparatus for raising the diamantiferous earth. In 1887 and 1888 Cecil Rhodes amalgamated the diamond mines around Kimberley, which included De Beers

Reception of General Roberts in Mandalay at the east gate of the palace, Burma, 1887. Artist: A Forestier
Reception of General Roberts in Mandalay at the east gate of the palace, Burma, 1887. General Frederick Sleigh Roberts was appointed Commander-in-Chief of British forces in India in 1885

A group of monks at the monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Italy, 1922. From Peoples of All Nations, Their Life Today and the Story of Their Past, volume IV: Georgia to Italy

Merchant ships in the Royal Albert Dock, London, 1926-1927. Illustration from Wonderful London, edited by Arthur St John Adcock, Volume I, published by Amalgamated Press, (London, 1926-1927)

Building construction, France, 15th century (1849). Artist: Franz Kellerhoven
Building construction, France, 15th century (1846). A 19th century version based on an original 15th century manuscript illustration in From Le Moyen Age et la Renaissance, by Paul Lacroix

Lifting of an impost at Stonehenge, 1901, (c1920). Restoration of the ancient monument. The Stonehenge complex on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire evolved in a series of stages between about 3100

Large shell on its way to the front, First World War, 1914-1916, (c1920). Illustration from The Illustrated War Record of the Most Notable Episodes in the Great European War 1914-1918

The shipping of mules, Syros Island, Greece, 1937. Artist: Martin Hurlimann
The shipping of mules, Syros Island, Greece, 1937. Illustration from Das Mittelmeer: Landschaft, Baukunst und Volksleben im Kreise des Mittellandischen Meeres, a work on Mediterranean architecture

Excavating and washing of sands at the bottom of a river, California, 19th century. A print from le Tour du Monde

Oxford Market, 19th century. Hand-coloured later

Loading a cotton steamer, c1880. Cotton is loaded onto a paddle steamer. A print from Great Industries of Great Britain, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, (London, Paris, New York)

Running the molten iron into the pigs, c1880. Iron foundry. A print from Great Industries of Great Britain, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, (London, Paris, New York, c1880)

The Queens Visit to Cherbourg - Piping Hands to Man Yards, 1858. Royal visit to France by Queen Victoria. Illustration from the Illustrated London News, (7 August 1858)

Crossing the Ebro at Castijon; War in Spain, 1875. A print from The Illustrated London News, (13 March 1875)

Swing exercise from the Quintain, (1833). The opponent is seated in a swing and drawn back, descending with great force and striking the foot of the antagonist

Mangonel, an engine of war in the 15th century, (1870). A mangonel was a type of catapult or siege engine used to throw projectiles at the walls of a city or castle

Visit of the Queen and Prince Albert to the Resolute, 1856, (c1888)
Visit of the Queen and Prince Albert to the Resolute, Spithead, Hampshire, 1856, (c1888). Queen Victoria and her husband visit the ship of British Arctic explorer John Franklin

Troy Town, 1498-1515, (1843). Artist: Henry Shaw
Troy Town, 1498-1515, (1843). Scene showing the rebuilding of the city by its legendary king, Priam, after it had been sacked by Hercules

Building a Chappe telegraph station, c1793, (c1870). Claude Chappes (1763-1805) optical telegraph station used a system of rope

Equilibrium of solids, c1850. Physical principles including the lever, pulley, and inclined plane. Educational plate published in Wurtemberg, Germany, c1850

Telegraph wire at the Greenwich works, c1865. The plate is one of 26 illustrations by Robert Dudley in The Atlantic Telegraph, a book by WH Russell, 1866

Button Maker, 1823. Stamping out metal buttons. A blank is held in place and a weight holding the die for the pattern being worked is raised by a rope and pulley wheel and dropped onto the blank

Warehousing in the City, 1872. Artist: Adolphe Francois Pannemaker
Warehousing in the City, 1872; showing warehouse workers using rope pulleys to hoist barrels and packages at a warehouse in the City of London

Forging mills, 1751-1777. A print from the Encyclopedie, ou Dictionnaire Raisonne des Sciences, des Arts et des Metiers by Diderot & d Alembert, 1751-1777. Private Collection

Interior of a Confectioner, 1751-1777. Artist: Valentina Baratti
Interior of a Confectioner, 1751-1777. A print from the Encyclopedie, ou Dictionnaire Raisonne des Sciences, des Arts et des Metiers by Diderot & d Alembert, 1751-1777. Private Collection

Hydraulic machine IV, 1678. Artist: Athanasius Kircher
Hydraulic machine IV, 1678. A plate from Mundus Subterraneus, Amsterdam, 1678. Found in the collection of Jean-Claude Carriere

Raising a slab of stone using a block-and-tackle mechanism, 1620. Copperplate engraving of a treadmill powered by men lifting a slab of stone using a block and tackle

Coming To America; Immigrants pack the upper deck of the liner SS Patricia as it
Immigrants pack the upper deck of the liner SS Patricia as it travels from Hamburg to New York, December 10, 1906. The Patricia was built by A.G

Man operating a pulley with a lever and fulcrum. After an 18th century work

Suspension apparatus for use in spinal disease. From The Household Physician, published c. 1898
Suspension apparatus for use in spinal disease. From The Household Physician, published c.1898

Ruin Castle Feltz View ruins Larochette foreground
Ruin of Castle Feltz, View of the ruins of Castle Feltz in Larochette, with in the foreground a well with a pulley on which a bucket hangs, gelding of a dwelling, house, castle, etc, well

Drawing water camel cow power Large goatskin
Drawing water by camel and cow power. Large goatskin bucket drawn up full showing mouth of well and worn roller or pulley. 1920, Middle East, Israel and/or Palestine

Scaffolding Erected for the Restoration of the Vault in St. Peters Basilica: Overview of the Nave, ca. 1773

Biblicae Historiae, Artificiosissimis picturis effigiatae Per Sebaldum Behem Pictorem Francoforten/ Biblische Historien Kunstlich furgemalet

Russian Royal Princess escaping on the HMS Marlborough
A number of surviving members of the Russian royal family escaped the country at the end of World War I (after the Revolution) from Yalta

Testing teeth, illustration by William Heath Robinson
Testing artificial teeth in a modern tooth works, illustration by William Heath Robinson. Credit must appear as: Courtesy of Mrs J. C. Robinson/Pollinger Ltd/Mary Evans Picture Library Date: 1947

Archer with two-pulley winch crossbow.. Chromolithograph from Jakob Heinrich von Hefner-Altenecks Costumes, Artworks and Appliances from the Middle Ages to the 17th Century, Frankfurt, 1889

Digital illustration of pulley and cord on box frame of sash window

Black and white illustration of plastic waste bin mounted on the inside of a cupboard door, with a pulley system to open the lid

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, c1930. Steel workers on girders at the Empire State Building in New York City. Photograph by Lewis Hine, c1930

CHICAGO: MEATPACKING. A worker knocking out cattle with a hammer before they are slaughtered at the Swift and Company meatpacking house, Chicago, Illinois. Stereograph, c1906

BROOKLYN BRIDGE: DIAGRAM. Original drawing for the frame built for hoisting stone during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, c1880

Mutiny! Can the Captain Regain Control of the Ship? President Grover Cleveland, as captain of the good ship Democracy
GROVER CLEVELAND CARTOON. Mutiny! Can the Captain Regain Control of the Ship? President Grover Cleveland, as captain of the good ship Democracy

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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.