Handcuffs Collection

An engraving depicting plain-clothed policemen making an arrest, 19th century
5311194 An engraving depicting plain-clothed policemen making an arrest, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1889); Universal History Archive/UIG.

A London policeman
5616109 A London policeman; (add.info.: Illustration depicting a London policeman pulling handcuffs from his pocket as an arrest is made. Dated 19th Century)

A New York policeman
5616115 A New York policeman; (add.info.: Illustration depicting a New York policeman pulling handcuffs from his pocket as an arrest is made. Dated 19th Century)

Eastern European handcuffs
5614377 Eastern European handcuffs; (add.info.: Eastern European handcuffs. From The Strand Magazine, published January to June 1894.); Photo © Hilary Morgan.

An engraving depicting a New York policeman pulling his handcuffs from his pocket as an arrest is made, 19th century
5311193 An engraving depicting a New York policeman pulling his handcuffs from his pocket as an arrest is made, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1888); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Mexican handcuffs
5614376 Mexican handcuffs; (add.info.: Mexican handcuffs. From The Strand Magazine, published January to June 1894.); Photo © Hilary Morgan.

A pair of Snap handcuffs
5614373 A pair of Snap handcuffs; (add.info.: A pair of Snap handcuffs. From The Strand Magazine, published January to June 1894.); Photo © Hilary Morgan.

Twister handcuffs
5614375 Twister handcuffs; (add.info.: Twister handcuffs. From The Strand Magazine, published January to June 1894.); Photo © Hilary Morgan.

Nippers handcuffs
5614374 Nippers handcuffs; (add.info.: Nippers handcuffs. From The Strand Magazine, published January to June 1894.); Photo © Hilary Morgan.

MotoGP
2007/06/03 - mgp - Round06 - Mugello -

Sugriva's Farewell, 1700-1725. Creator: Unknown
Sugriva's Farewell, 1700-1725. In this illustration from the "Ramayana, " the god Rama, coloured blue, faces the prostrate form of the monkey Sugriva

Trial of Native Prisoner by General Court-Martial, at the Main Guard, Fort William, Calcutta, 1857. Creator: Unknown
Trial of Native Prisoner by General Court-Martial, at the Main Guard, Fort William, Calcutta, 1857....a native was tried for attempting to seduce the sepoys of the 70th Native Infantry in Calcutta

Cimon and Pero, c.1635. Creator: Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens
Cimon and Pero, c.1635

Esquisse pour la mairie du 6ème arrondissement de Paris. Liberté. Egalité. Fraternité, 1887
Esquisse pour la mairie du 6eme arrondissement de Paris. Liberte. Egalite. Fraternite, 1887. Rights of Man

In a Solitary Cell in the Irkutsk Prison. A Free Bird Landed by the Window, 1904. Creator: Boris Vasilievich Smirnov
In a Solitary Cell in the Irkutsk Prison. A Free Bird Landed by the Window, 1904. Boris Vasilievich Smirnov (1881-1954) was a Russian artist who in 1904 traveled by prisoner transport from western

Houdini & Daily MIrror Challenge - handcuffs 1904
The handcuffs with which the Daily Mirror challenged Harry Houdini at the London Hippodrome in March 1904. The cuff was allegedly made by a Birmingham blacksmith, Nathaniel Hart

Handcuffs with One Key, c. 1936. Creator: Cornelius Frazier
Handcuffs with One Key, c. 1936

La Fontaines Fables - Death and the Unhappy Man
Vintage engraving from La Fontaines Fables, Illustraed by Gustave Dore. Death and the Unhappy Man

The special pair of handcuffs from which Houdini had to extract himself, taking over an hour at a highly publicised event sponsored by the Daily Mirror at the Hippodrome

Two Naval Officers being sent to prison, plate from
STC254233 Two Naval Officers being sent to prison, plate from The Adventures of Johnny Newcome in the Navy by John Mitford (1782-1831) 1818 (colour litho) by Williams

Texas Rangers arresting a Mexican outlaw, c. 1880 (engraving)
PNP249646 Texas Rangers arresting a Mexican outlaw, c.1880 (engraving) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

Houdini & Daily MIrror Challenge
Houdinis great lock-picking feat at the London Hippodrome. Harry Houdini shown on stage at the London Hippodrome, having specially made cuffs locked to his wrists in the presence of representatives

Houdinis act at the London Hippodrome 1904
Impression of Houdini performing his famous escapology act at the London Hippodrome in 1904 where he was manacled with handcuffs allegedly made by a locksmith over several years

Consequences of a Succesful French Invasion pub. 1798 (hand coloured engraving)
3025912 Consequences of a Succesful French Invasion pub. 1798 (hand coloured engraving) by Gillray, James (1757-1815); Private Collection; (add.info)

American Womanhood -You release my shackles and I ll release yours, editorial cartoon
3709808 American Womanhood -You release my shackles and IA ll release yours, editorial cartoon, c.1898 (black and white editorial cartoon) by American School

Wedding of the leader of the Apaches (colour litho)
2795683 Wedding of the leader of the Apaches (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Wedding of the leader of the Apaches)

The Arrest of the Boy, plate 4 from The Drunkards Children
STC103395 The Arrest of the Boy, plate 4 from The Drunkards Children, 1848 (engraving) by Cruikshank, George (1792-1878); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English, out of copyright

Poster advertising a performance by Houdini, 1906 (colour litho)
PNP312999 Poster advertising a performance by Houdini, 1906 (colour litho) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Harry Houdini (1874-1926) Hungarian American magician

John Dillinger under arrest in January 1934 (b / w photo)
PNP252339 John Dillinger under arrest in January 1934 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Anarchism in London (engraving)
1064300 Anarchism in London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Anarchism in London)

Handcuffs (litho)
6022018 Handcuffs (litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Handcuffs. Illustration for Darkness and Daylight)

Jack Sheppards escapes (engraving)
3636414 Jack Sheppards escapes (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Jack Sheppards escapes)

Equipments of the New York Police (engraving)
3635128 Equipments of the New York Police (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Equipments of the New York Police)

Relics of the Bastille and other French prisons (engraving)
3635116 Relics of the Bastille and other French prisons (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Relics of the Bastille and other French prisons)

The Freedman, 1862--63 (bronze)
2969125 The Freedman, 1862A--63 (bronze) by Ward, John Quincy Adams (1830-1910); 49.9x40x23.9 cm; The Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA; Roger McCormick Endowment; American, out of copyright

For the Benefit of Mr Walker, Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, pub. 1822 (engraving)
3239915 For the Benefit of Mr Walker, Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, pub. 1822 (engraving) by Hogarth, William (1697-1764) (after); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English

Convict life in Wormwood Scrubs Prison (engraving)
614595 Convict life in Wormwood Scrubs Prison (engraving) by Renouard, Charles Paul (1845-1924); Private Collection; (add.info.: Convict life in Wormwood Scrubs Prison)

Reproduction of a poster of 1907 showing Houdini prior to an escape from a German prison
PNP310290 Reproduction of a poster of 1907 showing Houdini prior to an escape from a German prison, 1975 (colour litho) by German School

Handcuffs used in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 2000s. Creator: Unknown
The arrest in 2009 of 59-year-old African-American literary critic, professor and historian Henry Louis Gates attracted national attention after U.S

Bullets Missed
Petri Damstén

Interrogation
Petri Damstén

England football star Gary Lineker, is handcuffed by a police officer during a visit to a police station in Colorado Springs, USA ahead of the 1986 World Cup tournament in Mexico. May 1986

David de Val, Oldham escapologist. 8th October 1992

Human Rights Day was celebrated at St. Martin-in-the-Fields crypt and porch by symbolic ceremony. A lighted candle framed in barbed wire has been lit to remember one million people imprisoned for

World War One - Two conscientious objectors, escorted from police station in handcuffs - Alfred Cracknell & Evan Watkins. May 1916

A stray cat which walked into the Police headquarters in Newcastle on Tyne produced a litter of kittens in the police drivers rest room

Allegory of Justice (Sanctity of the Law) with a court scene depicting a man being pardoned by a judge, plate XII from Thronus Justitiae, tredecim pulcherrimus tabulis... 1605

The soprano Karoline Hetzenecker in the role of Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito... ca. 1848
The soprano Karoline Hetzenecker in the role of Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito by W.A. Mozart, ca. 1848

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"Unlocking the Mysteries: A Captivating Journey through Handcuffs" Step back in time to 1904, when Houdini astounded audiences with his daring escapes from handcuffs. The Daily Mirror Challenge became a battleground for Houdini, the amateur prison breaker and handcuff king. Delve into history as you encounter "The Freedman, " a powerful bronze sculpture from 1863 that symbolizes liberation and freedom. Witness the evolution of restraint with "Handcuffs with One Key, " an ingenious creation by Cornelius Frazier in 1936. Explore La Fontaine's fable, "Death and the Unhappy Man, " where handcuffs serve as a metaphor for confinement and despair. Feel the weight of oppression as you examine Stanley Mazur's haunting "Slave Handcuffs" from 1938. Marvel at the special pair that challenged even Houdini himself, forcing him to extract himself using only his wit and skill. Imagine Two Naval Officers being sent to prison, captured forever on an engraved plate from 'Texas Rangers arresting a Mexican outlaw' circa 1880. Transport yourself to London Hippodrome in 1904, where Houdini mesmerized crowds with his awe-inspiring act. Discover how these restraints were not just tools of control but also symbols of defiance against authority. Uncover the consequences of a successful French invasion through an intricately hand-colored engraving published in 1798. Reflect on how they are represent both captivity and triumph over adversity throughout history. In this captivating exhibition, witness firsthand how they have shaped our perception of power, escape, justice, and resilience across centuries. Prepare to be enthralled by their stories – tales woven within cold metal links that bind us together yet hold infinite possibilities for liberation.