Retort Collection

Laboratory clamp. This is used to hold and support laboratory equipment. The clamp is attached to a stand, and its arms are adjusted with the screw mechanism at centre

Gas lighting apparatus at Royal Mint, London, 1819. Artist: Friedrich Accum
Gas lighting apparatus at Royal Mint, London. l: Retort. 2: Purifier. 3: Tar cistern. 4: Gas meter. From Frederick Accum Coal Gas, London, 1819. Aquatint

Retort House, Imperial Gasworks, King's Road, London. Wood engraving, 1876
530386 Retort House, Imperial Gasworks, King's Road, London. Wood engraving, 1876; Universal History Archive/UIG.

Women taking over many men's jobs during World War One, from The Pageant of the Century, pub.1934
3502778 Women taking over many men's jobs during World War One, from The Pageant of the Century, pub.1934; (add.info.: Women took over many men's jobs during World War One)

Gas works for lighting a town or large district. 1: Collapsing gas holder. 2: Retort House
530393 Gas works for lighting a town or large district. 1: Collapsing gas holder. 2: Retort House. 3: Purifying House with lime machine. 4: Director's Office

Retort House, Great Central Gas Works, Bow Common, London. It was here that Croll introduced the burning of
530387 Retort House, Great Central Gas Works, Bow Common, London. It was here that Croll introduced the burning of incandescent coke as fuel immediately it had be taken from retorts. 10% saving

Gas works: l: Retort House. 2: Tar cistern. 3: Condenser. 5,6: Gasholder. 7: Office. 8: Workshops
530383 Gas works: l: Retort House. 2: Tar cistern. 3: Condenser. 5,6: Gasholder. 7: Office. 8: Workshops. aa: Pipes connecting tar cistern to hydraulic main.b, Pipe connecting a,a, and condenser

Sam The Sportsman (colour litho)
2812057 Sam The Sportsman (colour litho) by Adams, Frank (1871-1944); Private Collection; (add.info.: Illustration of The History of Sam The Sportsman from an old chap book (Blackie)

Oil shale works round Broxburn (b / w photo)
6008282 Oil shale works round Broxburn (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Oil shale works round Broxburn)

Furnace, retorts, stills and distilling apparatus used by chemists
KW344371 Furnace, retorts, stills and distilling apparatus used by chemists and alchemists in the 16th century, from Science and Literature in the Middle Ages by Paul Lacroix (1806-84)

Lambeth Gas Works, from London, a Pilgrimage, written by William Blanchard
STC377531 Lambeth Gas Works, from London, a Pilgrimage, written by William Blanchard Jerrold (1826-84) pub. 1872 (engraving) by Dore

Experiment on the decomposition of water, illustration from
XIR242889 Experiment on the decomposition of water, illustration from Traite elementaire de chimie by Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier (1743-94) (engraving) (b/w photo) by Lavoisier

Gas works retort house, Horseferry Road, Westminster, London
Men at work in the retort house of the gas works at Horseferry Road, Westminster, London. The retort house contained the retorts (vessels) in which coal was heated to generate the gas

Experiment on the decomposition of water, illustration from
XIR242890 Experiment on the decomposition of water, illustration from Traite elementaire de chimie by Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier (1743-94) (detail of 242889) (engraving) (b/w photo) by Lavoisier

Punch cartoon: Benjamin Ward Richardson, English physician (engraving)
6034991 Punch cartoon: Benjamin Ward Richardson, English physician (engraving) by Sambourne, Edward Linley (1844-1910) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon)

The Gas Strike, Gas-Makers at Work (engraving)
1596347 The Gas Strike, Gas-Makers at Work (engraving) by Almond, William Douglas (1866-1916); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Gas Strike, Gas-Makers at Work)

A Visit to an Australian Gold Mine (engraving)
1041150 A Visit to an Australian Gold Mine (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Visit to an Australian Gold Mine)

End View through Retort-house (engraving)
3655869 End View through Retort-house (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: End View through Retort-house)

Drawing retorts by hand, South Metropolitan Gasworks, Peckham, London, 1903 (1903). The South Metropolitan Gas Company was founded in 1829. From Living London, Vol. II, by George R. Sims

Distillation of Oil of Vitriol (sulphuric acid or H2S04), 1651. An iron retort with cover, detail at C, D, is placed in a furnace and connected to a receiver at A

Charging the retorts at the Beckton gasworks, London, 1878. Beckton Gasworks was owned and operated by The Chartered Gaslight and Coke Company

Men taking a break from charging the retorts, Lambeth Gasworks, 1872
Men taking a break from charging the retorts while colleagues in background take their turn in the inferno, Lambeth Gasworks, 1872

Gas works for lighting town or large district, 1819. Artist: Friedrich Accum
Gas works for lighting town or large district. 1: Collapsing gas holder. 2: Retort House. 3: Purifying House with lime machine. 4: Directors Office. From Frederick Accum Coal Gas, London, 1819

Charging retorts at the Gas Light Establishment, Brick Lane, London, 1822. Artist: Colin Mackenzie
Charging retorts at the Gas Light Establishment, Brick Lane, London. From Colin Mackenzie One Thousand Experiments in Chemistry, London, 1822. Aquatint

Retort House, Great Central Gas Works, Bow Common, London, 1866
Retort House, Great Central Gas Works, Bow Common, London. It was here that Croll introduced the burning of incandescent coke as fuel immediately as it had been taken from retorts, saving10%

Retort House, Imperial Gasworks, Kings Road, London, 1876
Retort House, Imperial Gasworks, Kings Road, London. Wood engraving, 1876

Illustration showing the working spaces of a gas works, 1828: l: Retort House. 2: Tar cistern. 3: Condenser. 5, 6: Gasholder. 7: Office. 8: Workshops

General view of a gas works, showing retorts being charged, 1835. Artist: Charles Partington
General view of a gas works, showing retorts being charged. From Charles Partington The British Cyclopaedia, London, 1835. Copperplate engraving

Gone fishing with cheese as bait - humorous scene
" What sort of bait are you using, Billie?" " A bit of cheese rind." " What are you trying t catch - Mice?" !!! Date: 1895

Donkey - Linda at London Zoo ?TopFoto Jaws retort response joke hey tongue long in the tooth dental inspection open wide loud pay attention shout noise nostrils

Geber, Islamic Spanish alchemist
Geber (c.722-c.815), Islamic Spanish alchemist. Geber is a Latinised form. His full Arabic name is Jabir ibn Hayyan. Geber is sometimes known as the Father of Chemistry

Distillation of oil of vitriol also known as sulphuric acid, 1651. Iron retort with cover, detail at C, D, is placed in furnace and connected to receiver at A

Two handmade Christmas and New Year cards -- Please distil wishes to taste -- with a diagram of chemical apparatus. Date: circa 1890s

Drawings Prints, Print, Contest Auckinleck, Ursa, Major, made, Severe, Retort, Journalist s
Drawings and Prints, Print, The Contest at Auckinleck, in Which Ursa Major made a Severe Retort on the Journalists Father (Picturesque Beauties of Boswell, Part the Second), Artist, Subject, Artist

Source Size = 5084 x 3652
The London Gas Supply: Interior of the Retort House, Showing the Drawing and Charging Machines

Portrait of Joseph Thomson, 1903 (oil on canvas)
BAL2776 Portrait of Joseph Thomson, 1903 (oil on canvas) by Hacker, Arthur (1858-1919); 90.2x68.6 cm; Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge

Drunk Yokel protests his innocence to local landowner
" What! drunk again Mick?" " Well, I ve just had a toothful, yer Honour." " I think we shall have to get that tooth stopped." Date: 1892

Two off-work clowns attract attention in a Garrison Town
In a Garrison Town. First Loafer to second Loafer (as out friends from the circus pass by) - " Officers!". This is likely to derive from the two clowns often getting entangled with the law

Mistaken identity - Gentleman and Jewish woman
Mistaken identity - " Good Morning Mis Voss!" " My name is not Voss. It never Voss and it never vill be!". Date: 1900

Gravesend Gasworks in Kent. Loading gas coal into retorts. 1939

Gravesend Gasworks in Kent. Flames coming out of the retorts. 1939

Athanor or Slow Harry, a self-feeding furnace maintaining a constant temperature. Centre: 1) Athanor or Slow Harry : 2) side chambers containing reagents: 3) glass receivers

Sugar refinery, Southampton, England opened 1851. Boiler house, left foreground, engine house, centre left. Stove and retort house, centre & centre right

Chemical Laboratory Tools C017 / 3447
Plate from 18th century encyclopedia showing an illustration of different types of chemical laboratory tools including: ingot mould, melting cone, hippocrates sleeve, cement pot, pelican, aludels

Alchemy experiment, 19th century
Alchemy experiment. 19th-century artwork showing an alchemist bending over to observe the results of an experiment. The flask in front of him, connected to the furnace at left

Chemistry experiment, 19th century
Chemistry experiment, 19th-century artwork. The apparatus at left is being used for distillation, with gas-fuelled bunsen burner at far left heating liquids in glass retorts

Chemistry laboratory, 19th century
Chemistry laboratory, 19th-century artwork. At right is a workbench with bellows at which a chemist is working below a large skylight

Chemistry equipment, early 19th century C013 / 5268
Chemical equipment. Early 19th-century artwork depicting a variety of devices and instruments used in chemistry experiments

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"Exploring the Fascinating World of Retorts: From Laboratory Clamps to Gas Lighting Apparatus" Step into the world of retorts, where scientific innovation meets industrial progress. In this captivating journey, we encounter a myriad of intriguing images that showcase the versatility and importance of retorts in various fields. Starting with a laboratory clamp, we witness scientists meticulously conducting experiments using these essential tools. The gas lighting apparatus at Royal Mint, London in 1819, designed by Friedrich Accum, demonstrates how retorts played a crucial role in illuminating our cities. Moving on to Sam The Sportsman's colorful lithograph, we see how even sports enthusiasts were not immune to the charm of retorts. Meanwhile, an oil shale works photograph from Broxburn transports us to an era when these devices powered industries and revolutionized energy production. Next up are furnaces and distilling apparatus used by chemists – a testament to their indispensable presence in chemical laboratories. Lambeth Gas Works takes us back to Victorian London as William Blanchard guides us through his pilgrimage exploring its wonders. The decomposition experiment illustration reminds us that retorts have been instrumental in unraveling fundamental scientific principles throughout history. As Benjamin Ward Richardson's engraving suggests, even renowned physicians relied on them for groundbreaking discoveries. Intriguingly captured is "The Gas Strike, " showcasing gas-makers hard at work during times of labor unrest. Lastly, an engraving depicting "A Visit to an Australian Gold Mine" reveals how retorts facilitated gold extraction during the exciting days of mining exploration down under. From laboratories to industrial settings and beyond, these captivating images paint a vivid picture of the impact and significance of retorts throughout time. They remind us that behind every great invention or discovery lies humble yet powerful equipment like the trusty retort.