Mechanism Collection

Wiltshire Landscape, 1937 (watercolour)
RAV33754 Wiltshire Landscape, 1937 (watercolour) by Ravilious, Eric (1903-42); 41.9x54.6 cm; Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Disassembled parts of a grand piano

Saint Isidore, patron of the plowers. An angel helps Saint Isidore plow a field with a
XEE4176001 Saint Isidore, patron of the plowers. An angel helps Saint Isidore plow a field with a plow. 19th century. Engraving after the painting by Luc Olivier Merson (1846-1920)

The Iron Foundry, Burmeister & Wain, 1885, by Peder Severin
Peder Severin Kroyer (1851-1909). Danish painter. The Iron Foundry, Burmeister & Wain, 1885. National Museum of Art. Copenhagen. Denmark

Prehistoric spear-thrower. Artwork of how a spear-thrower (or atlatl) is used to throw a feathered dart. At top and centre, the dart is loaded. At bottom, it is being thrown

Farmers Ploughing a field on Lealholm Hall Farm, Whitby. c. 1889 (photo)
3091121 Farmers Ploughing a field on Lealholm Hall Farm, Whitby. c.1889 (photo) by Sutcliffe, Frank Meadow (1853-1941); Private Collection; (add.info)

How Pianola Works 1912
How the player-piano works - air passes through the holes in the piano-roll and acts on the bellows mechanism, causing a hammer to strike a key

Gears and cogs in the clockwork of a historical pendulum clock, detail, regulator

Antikythera mechanism, artwork C017 / 7190
Antikythera mechanism, artwork. This early form of mechanical calculator was found circa 1900 in a 1st-century BC Roman shipwreck

Harrisons First Chronometer
This photograph shows Harrisons first chronometer, developed between 1729 and 1735 in response to the British Government offer of a 20

Ships Screw on a Railway Truck (watercolour over graphite, on paper)
1217573 Ships Screw on a Railway Truck (watercolour over graphite, on paper) by Ravilious, Eric (1903-42); 42.7x54 cm; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; eAshmolean Museum; English

Clock Mechanism, 1737
A diagram of the inner workings of a clock

Namaqua chameleon catching prey
Namaqua chameleon (Chamaeleo namaquensis) catching prey with its unfurled tongue. This tongue extends out extremely rapidly in just a few fractions of a second

Macmillan Bicycle
Macmillans lever-driven bicycle is the first to be fitted with a drive mechanism of any kind

Clock Mechanism 1882
A clock mechanism

Short Rifle Diagram 1915
Multi-part diagram, showing the complex working systems of a short rifle, taking a Lee- Enfield Mark III magazine. Date: 1915

The Martini-Henry Rifle (engraving)
1625821 The Martini-Henry Rifle (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Martini-Henry Rifle. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 22 July 1871)

World War II B25 bomber attacks Japanese ship
World War II vintage photograph - B25 bomber attacks Japanese ship in China Sea

Wheel worked by dog - turning roasting spit, Carmarthenshire
Wheel worked by a dog for turning the roasting spit - used until the end of the first quarter of the 19th century. This example was the property of the late Sir John Williams, Bart

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

LEON TOLSTOI LABOURANT, 1887 (oil on cardboard)
7215383 LEON TOLSTOI LABOURANT, 1887 (oil on cardboard) by Repin, Ilya Efimovich (1844-1930); Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia; (add.info.: 1887//Oil on cardboard At Iasnaya Polyana in August 1887)

Clock dial a42_00120
St Pauls Church, St Pauls Square, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. The clock dial of St Pauls Church viewed from within the tower. Photographed in 1941

American barrel organ with inside mechanism, wood engravings, published 1888
American barrel organ with punched tape technique - Automatic musical instrument from the 19th century. Right side: The inside mechanism. Wood engravings, published in 1888

Selby Abbey Clock
The head verger winding up the clock in the clock tower of Selby Abbey, Yorkshire, England. Date: 1950s

Telegraph receiver. Historical artwork of a Breguet telegraph receiver. Messages arrived at the receiver in wires as a series of long and short electric pulses

Pascals calculator, 17th Century artwork
Pascals calculator. Historical artwork showing the mechanism inside a 17th Century mechanical device used to perform mathematical calculations

Solar eclipse, 18th century artwork
Solar eclipse. 18th century diagram showing the principles behind solar eclipses. Figure I shows difference in appearance between total (B) and annular (A) eclipses

The Ploughing Match, 1813 (oil on canvas)
WES239431 The Ploughing Match, 1813 (oil on canvas) by Weaver, Thomas (1774-1843); 70x89.5 cm; The Trustees of the Weston Park Foundation

Harrowing on the South Downs near Willmington, Sussex, (w / c on paper)
BOU203100 Harrowing on the South Downs near Willmington, Sussex, (w/c on paper) by Swanwick, Joseph Harold (1866-1929); 50.8x76.2 cm; Private Collection; Bourne Gallery, Reigate, Surrey; English

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

Parts and mechanisms of repeating and alarm watches.. Parts and mechanisms of repeating and alarm watches. Copperplate engraving by Wilson Lowry after a drawing by B. L

Easter, the bell ringer, front cover illustration from Le Petit Journal
XIR661401 Easter, the bell ringer, front cover illustration from Le Petit Journal, supplement illustre, 12th April 1914 (colour litho) by French School

Damiatenbrug, Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands
Damiatenbrug (Damiate Bridge), Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands. Date: circa 1910s

Firefighter adjusting turntable ladder mechanism

Spring train, X-ray
Spring train. X-ray showing the mechanism inside a toy train

Spring train, X-ray
Spring train. X-ray showing the mechanism inside a toy train

A catenary is seen on a train locomotive parked at a so-called train cemetery inside a
A catenary is seen on a train locomotive parked at a so-called " train cemetery" inside a marshalling yard in Sotteville-Les-Rouen, near Rouen, France, April 12, 2018

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

Seal depicting man with oxen, -360 BC (red jasper)
7309964 Seal depicting man with oxen, -360 BC (red jasper); 1.8 cm; Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; (add.info.: Display: stone (red jasper)); © Ashmolean Museum .

Plate showing a typical air pump
5307891 Plate showing a typical air pump.; (add.info.: Plate showing a typical air pump. Fig 33 shows a typical pump with a rack-and-pinion mechanism for exhausting the bell)

Mechanical equinox dial, for latitude 0-90 degrees, 18th century
MMM5468898 Mechanical equinox dial, for latitude 0-90 degrees, 18th century; National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Mechanical equinox dial, for latitude 0-90 degrees)

Model of electromagnetic motor invented by Charles Wheatstone. 1840s (object)
UIG5430153 Model of electromagnetic motor invented by Charles Wheatstone. 1840s (object); Dorling Kindersley/UIG.

MADONNA della Pace: 'Notre-Dame de la Paix, priez pour nous! ', 1915 (chromolithograph)
6203183 MADONNA della Pace: 'Notre-Dame de la Paix, priez pour nous! ', 1915 (chromolithograph); (add.info.: MADONNA della Pace: 'Notre-Dame de la Paix, priez pour nous! ')

Calendar: representation of the month of October: agricultural work. The two zodiacal signs of the month are depicted
FGL5474181 Calendar: representation of the month of October: agricultural work. The two zodiacal signs of the month are depicted on the right: scorpion and scales

A clock in the form of a celestial globe supported by the shoulders of Atlas
5308088 A clock in the form of a celestial globe supported by the shoulders of Atlas.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a clock in the form of a celestial globe supported by the shoulders of Atlas)

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"Unleashing the Power of Mechanism: From Prehistoric Spear-Throwers to Modern Marvels" Mechanisms have been an integral part of human history, enabling us to achieve remarkable feats and conquer new frontiers. Dating back to prehistoric times, ingenious inventions like the spear-thrower revolutionized hunting techniques, propelling our ancestors towards survival and progress. Throughout the ages, mechanisms continued to shape our world. In a beautiful watercolor painting titled "Wiltshire Landscape, " we witness how Saint Isidore, the patron saint of plowers, receives divine assistance from an angel while tilling a field. This depiction not only showcases the importance of agricultural mechanisms but also highlights their connection with spirituality and human aspirations. The Industrial Revolution brought forth groundbreaking advancements in machinery. Peder Severin's masterpiece "The Iron Foundry" captures the raw power and intricate workings of Burmeister & Wain's iron foundry in 1885. This awe-inspiring image reminds us that they are not just tools; they are symbols of human ingenuity and progress. One cannot overlook the impact of mechanical marvels on entertainment as well. The fascinating insight into pianolas provided by "How Pianola Works 1912" reveals a complex mechanism behind this self-playing piano, enchanting audiences with its melodic tunes for generations. Timekeeping has always fascinated humanity, leading to incredible innovations such as clock mechanisms. A glimpse into a detailed regulator clockwork from 1737 transports us back in time when precision engineering was essential for measuring every passing second accurately. In agriculture too, mechanisms played a vital role in transforming farming practices. An old photograph titled "Farmers Ploughing a Field on Lealholm Hall Farm" takes us back to c. 1889 when farmers relied on horse-drawn plows powered by gears and cogs – simple yet effective machines that helped feed communities.