Treadmill Collection

Collieries, c1805. Pithead scene at a coal mine. At the bottom a horse whim is raising coal from the pit and a man is breaking coal with a pick

Brixton purgatory, 1822. Prisoners Theodore Hook, William Cobbett, Henry Hunt and Thomas Wooler on the treadmill at Brixton Prison

An engraving depicting a treadmill at Brixton Prison. Introduced for prison discipline by William Cubitt of Ipswich
5310735 An engraving depicting a treadmill at Brixton Prison. Introduced for prison discipline by William Cubitt of Ipswich, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1835); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Prisoners walking on Sir William Cuban's treadmill or treadwheel in an English gaol
FLO4688711 Prisoners walking on Sir William Cuban's treadmill or treadwheel in an English gaol. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from William Henry Pyne's The World in Miniature: England

A butter churn powered by a dog running on a treadmill
3732834 A butter churn powered by a dog running on a treadmill; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a butter churn powered by a dog running on a treadmill)

Illustration showing man using a treadmill to raise stone blocks. 1896; Leipzig
5311483 Illustration showing man using a treadmill to raise stone blocks. 1896; Leipzig; (add.info.: Date: 1896); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Illustration depicting a Chinese treadmill for raising water using a pallet chain pump. 1835
5311467 Illustration depicting a Chinese treadmill for raising water using a pallet chain pump. 1835; (add.info.: Date: 1835); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Illustration depicting a 19th century, inclined treadmill. 1835
5311485 Illustration depicting a 19th century, inclined treadmill. 1835; (add.info.: Date: 1835); Universal History Archive/UIG.

The type of treadmill used to power cotton mills
3586162 The type of treadmill used to power cotton mills; (add.info.: Illustration depicting the type of treadmill used to power cotton mills. Dated 18th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Man using a French exercise treadmill to improve fitness. Late 19th century
865690 Man using a French exercise treadmill to improve fitness. Late 19th century.; Universal History Archive/UIG.

Illustration depicting a French; 18th century, treadmill. From Diderot's Encyclopedie
5311484 Illustration depicting a French; 18th century, treadmill. From Diderot's Encyclopedie; Universal History Archive/UIG.

The Show-man, 1799. Creator: Monogrammist J.A
The Show-man, 1799. Keep your eye close to the Glass - and you will see a large / vide place full of Death and Destruction - where more / plagues await de frequenters den contained in de famous Box

Samson and the Philistines, 1863. Creator: Carl Bloch
Samson and the Philistines, 1863

A man on a running machine with oximeter attached to his ear
Caucasian Appearance, Full Length, Healthcare and Medicine, Instrument of Measurement, Measuring, Medical Examination, Medical Oxygen Equipment, Mid Adult, Motion, One Mid Adult Man Only, One Person

I dieci libri dell'architettura di M. Vitruvio tradutti et commentati da monsignor Barbaro... 1556
I dieci libri dell'architettura di M. Vitruvio tradutti et commentati da monsignor Barbaro eletto patriarca d'aquileggia, 1556

Forerunner of a gym treadmill or running machine
Gymnastic mill - forerunner of a gym treadmill or running machine Date: 1893

English prison life: treadmill for hard labour, and punishment with the cat-o-nine-tails, 1907 (print)
537585 English prison life: treadmill for hard labour, and punishment with the cat-o-nine-tails, 1907 (print) by French School

Sweat mill (coloured engraving)
998465 Sweat mill (coloured engraving) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: From A Bilderbuch fAor KinderA (Picture Book for Children) 1790-1830

Treadmill at Brixton prison (w / c on paper)
559101 Treadmill at Brixton prison (w/c on paper) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Treadmill at Brixton prison.); Look and Learn / Peter Jackson Collection; English

How criminals are treated abroad (colour litho)
2779345 How criminals are treated abroad (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: How criminals are treated abroad)

c. 1880s Japan - irrigation by water wheel treadmill

Prisoners on a treadmill (engraving)
3101389 Prisoners on a treadmill (engraving) by Bernard, Frederick L. (1846-1896); Private Collection; (add.info.: Prisoners on a treadmill)

Capitol and Labor, 1881 (oil on canvas)
NYH188134 Capitol and Labor, 1881 (oil on canvas) by Henry, Edward Lamson (1841-1919); 31.8x38.7 cm; Collection of the New-York Historical Society, USA; eNew York Historical Society; American

Brixton Purgatory, 1822 (hand-coloured etching)
483058 Brixton Purgatory, 1822 (hand-coloured etching) by English School, (19th century); London Metropolitan Archives, City of London; (add.info.: Shows the prisoners Theodore Hook, William Cobbett)

How prisoners are treated in England
LLM462122 How prisoners are treated in England by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: How prisoners are treated in England. From Le Petit Journal, 3 November 1907)

The treadmill at Brixton prison (coloured engraving)
558987 The treadmill at Brixton prison (coloured engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The treadmill at Brixton prison)

The treadmill at Brixton prison (engraving)
558984 The treadmill at Brixton prison (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The treadmill at Brixton prison)

Man On A Treadmill (colour woodblock print)
425499 Man On A Treadmill (colour woodblock print) by Zeshin, Shibata (1807-91); 22.9x28.6 cm; Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, USA; Arthur M

Hand Crank-Mill, for Prison Labour (engraving)
3629877 Hand Crank-Mill, for Prison Labour (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Hand Crank-Mill, for Prison Labour)

Treadmill at Brixton prison (engraving)
559100 Treadmill at Brixton prison (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Treadmill at Brixton prison.); Look and Learn / Peter Jackson Collection; English

Shaving mill to shave sixty customers in one minute (litho)
KDC384142 Shaving mill to shave sixty customers in one minute (litho) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Walking Machine (litho)
KDC379791 Walking Machine (litho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: ingenious French exercise machine invention enabling the user to simulate climbing a mountain at)

The Invention of Gunpowder and the First Casting of Bronze Cannon
XJF343696 The Invention of Gunpowder and the First Casting of Bronze Cannon, plate 4 from Nova Reperta (New Discoveries) engraved by Philip Galle (1537-1612) c.1600 (engraving) by Straet

Chinese Labourers Working on a River (w / c)
MAK87448 Chinese Labourers Working on a River (w/c) by Alexander, William (1767-1816); 11.5x10 cm; The Makins Collection; English, out of copyright

Man Putting into Motion a Wheel-Driven Well, illustration from De Machinis
XIR155553 Man Putting into Motion a Wheel-Driven Well, illustration from De Machinis (pen and ink and w/c on paper) by Mariano di Jacopo (detto il Taccola) (1382-c.1453) (after)

The Invention of Gunpowder and the First Casting of Bronze Cannon
STC291610 The Invention of Gunpowder and the First Casting of Bronze Cannon, plate 4 from Nova Reperta (New Discoveries) engraved by Philip Galle (1537-1612) c.1600 (engraving) (later colouration)

Former Olympic gold medallist David Hemery looks on as Mark McMahon is put through his paces in the new National Coaching Centre at the Wynne-Jones Centre, Ellison Place at Newcastle Polytechnic

Foot injury from running on the treadmill
Horizontal, Fitness, Exercise, Vest, Anatomy, Diagram, Illustration, Running, Runner, Shorts, Injury, Medical, Biology, Treadmill, Sportswear, Side View, See Through, Weekend Activities, Cut Out

The Giant Wheel, from Carceri d invenzioni (Imaginary Prisons), ca. 1749-50

Jay-Walker Scoop
Device for picking-up jay- walkers in the street; after being sucked in, they find themselves inside a treadmill condemned to keep running... Date: 1927

Prisoners Working on the Treadmill, c1934. Illustration showing the 19th century method of forcing idle prisoners to take exercise

The Discipline Mill at Brixton Prison, Lambeth, London, 1821
View of the discipline-mill, erected at the house of correction at Brixton, Lambeth, London, 1821. Brixton Prison was opened in 1820; the treadmill was installed the following year

British prison life, 1907. Treadmill for hard labour, and punishment with the cat-o-nine-tails. France was suffering from gangs of thugs called the Apaches at this time

Prisoners at Clerkenwell House of Correction, London, 1874. Prisoners, in prison uniform, take their turn on the treadmill while the men who have just done their stint wait in silence until it is

Prison discipline, 1888. Prisoners at hard labour on the treadwheel in an English local jail. The prisoner had 15 minutes on, 5 minutes off the wheel, until his time was finished for the day

Crushing gold bearing ores in mills similar in principle to flour mills, 1556. At bottom left goats in a treadmill produce horizontal power which is transferred to a mill (A)

Huntingdon County Gaol and House of Correction, England, built c1828 to design by William Wilkins. Radiating principle Treadmills for grinding corn and raising water worked by prisoners. Woodcut

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"Treadmill: A Journey through Time and Punishment" Step back in time to Brixton purgatory, 1822, where the first glimpse of a gym treadmill or running machine emerged. This primitive forerunner paved the way for an era of physical exertion within prison walls. English prison life took a dark turn in 1907 when hard labor became synonymous with punishment. The dreaded cat-o-nine-tails was wielded alongside the monotonous rhythm of the treadmill, creating an atmosphere of despair and suffering. Intriguingly, sheet music titled "Put me upon an Island Where the Girls are Few" transports us to a different realm altogether. Perhaps this island represents an escape from the grueling reality that awaited prisoners on their daily grind. Jamaica beckons with its vivid engraving depicting a tread-mill scene in 1837. Here, amidst tropical landscapes, individuals find themselves caught up in this relentless cycle of forced movement – forever bound by their circumstances. Newgate Prison's engraving reveals another facet of this punitive device as it becomes synonymous with prisoner discipline. The treadmill served as both captor and captivated; its cogs grinding away at hope while society looked on indifferently. A colored engraving aptly named "Sweat mill" captures the essence of human endurance under duress. It portrays bodies drenched in perspiration as they navigate this mechanical beast that consumes their energy without mercy. Brixton prison's watercolor painting showcases yet another variation on this theme – a reminder that even within confinement, creativity can flourish. Brushstrokes bring life to what would otherwise be seen as mere tormentors' tools. Traveling abroad through time and lithography brings us face-to-face with how criminals were treated elsewhere during those tumultuous years around 1880s Japan. An irrigation system powered by water wheel treadmills sheds light on alternative uses for this relentless contraption.