Industrial Revolution Collection

Drawings and Cross section of the Iron Bridge constructed in 1779 at Coalbrookdale
CHT289161 Drawings and Cross section of the Iron Bridge constructed in 1779 at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, England, 1784 (pen, ink & w/c on paper) by French School

Engine House, GWR Works, Swindon BB94_04685
THE ENGINE HOUSE, Great Western Railway Works, Swindon, Wiltshire. 1846 interior view. Lithograph by John Cooke Bourne (1814-1896)

Industrial Revolution in the 1800s - scanned 1878 engraving

Blowing glass in a British factory, 1800s
Workers in a crown-glass factory, Great Britain, early 1800s. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Coal mine in England, 1850s
Removing coal in the Bradley mine, Staffordshire, England, 1850s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

A Factoryscape in the Potteries, (1938). Smoke from chimneys in the industrial area known as the Staffordshire Potteries, Stoke-on-Trent

WRIGHT: COTTON MILL. Arkwrights Cotton Mills by Night, in Cromford, Derbyshire, England. Oil on canvas by Joseph Wright, c1782-83

Schematic view of George Stephensons locomotive The Rocket of 1829
STEPHENSONs ROCKET, 1829. Schematic view of George Stephensons locomotive " The Rocket" of 1829

National Union, Gas worker and General Labourers, 1889 (colour litho)
XCF272232 National Union, Gas worker and General Labourers, 1889 (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Crewe Station started service on 4 July 1837 with the opening of the Grand Junction Railway. The purpose of this railway was to link the four largest cities of England by joining the existing

Crewe Station started service on 4 July 1837 with the opening of the Grand Junction Railway. The purpose of this railway was to link the four largest cities of England by joining the existing

Albany & Buffalo Railroad schedule, 1843
Albany & Buffalo Railroad timetable, showing fares and routes, 1843. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century printed piece

Train crossing Stockport viaduct on the London & North Western Railway, c1845. Note the pollution of the river banks, smoking chimneys and the complete domination of the scene by the viaduct

Agricultural Machinery : Mr Chris Lambert, of Horsmonden, Kent, was a steam haulage contractor. A greater part of his work was steam ploughing - where two traction engines hauled a plough on a steel

Glass factory workers in Britain, 1800s
Manufacturing glass at a flint-glass factory, Great Britain, 1800s. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Iron Bridge N070066
IRON BRIDGE, Telford, Shropshire. View of the bridge down river with reflections shown in the water

Victorian London - A shady place
Vintage engraving showing a scene from 19th Century London England. A dark alley in Whitechapel circa 1870

Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames (engraving)
6034701 Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames)

The Forge, 1859 (engraving)
XJF425395 The Forge, 1859 (engraving) by Sharples, James (1825-93); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

First sewing machine, 1846
Elias Howes sewing machine, 1846. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Bedlam Furnaces IC146_014
Bedlam Furnaces, Ironbridge, Shropshire. Reconstruction drawing, by Judith Dobie, of the furnaces from across the River Severn as they may have appeared in the late 18th or early 19th century

Slum in Victorian London (b / w photo)
XJF142413 Slum in Victorian London (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Stott Park Bobbin Mill N140031
STOTT PARK BOBBIN MILL, Cumbria. General view lit at twilight. This fully-working mill is a unique survivor of the many Lakeland mills which turned bobbins for the Lancashire textile industry

First Atlantic crossing by steamship, 1819
American paddlewheeler " Savannah, " the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, 1819. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Canal workers N070949
STOURPORT, Worcestershire. Reconstruction drawing by Peter Dunn, English Heritage Graphics Team, showing workers building a canal c.1770

The Orator of the Strike, 1890-1891. Found in the Collection of Banca di Credito Cooperativo, Barlassina

Working shaft in the Kilsby Tunnel 8 July 1937 The tunnel is located near the village of Kilsby in Northamptonshire and opened in 1838 as a part of the London and Birmingham Railway

Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, 1831
First steam train on the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, New York, 1831. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Iron Bridge M040116
IRON BRIDGE, Shropshire. Detail of lettering on the famous cast iron bridge. Designed by Thomas Pritchard and built in 1779 by Abraham Darby III of the Coalbrookdale Company

Textile mill in Bergamo. Found in the Collection of Gallerie di Piazza Scala, Milano

Mass Production
Full-length image of auto workers lowering the body of a Model T onto its chassis on an assembly line ramp outdoors at the Ford Motor Company, Highland Park, Michigan

Telegraph poles following the transcontinental railroad
Linemen stringing telegraph wire beside the transcontinental railroad on the Great Plains, 1860s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Telegraph key, 1860s
Civil War telegraph sending-key in working order, living history demonstration, Shiloh National Battlefield, Tennessee. Digital photograph

Cloth labels from American textile mills, 1800s
Labels for cloth woven at 19th-century textile mills, displayed in Lowell, Massachusetts. Photograph

Crystal Palace, London, 1851
Visitors to the Crystal Palace industrial exposition, London, 1851. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Jacquard loom, 1880s
Woman worker using a mechanized Jacquard loom, 1880s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illlustration

Portrait of George Richards Elkington (1800-1865), 1865. Creator: Samuel West
Portrait of George Richards Elkington (1800-1865), 1865

James Watt, Scottish engineer and inventor, 1833. Watt (1736-1819) was born at Greenock on the Clyde, Scotland, and showed an interest in engineering and invention from an early age

Construction of the Kilsby Tunnel on the London & Birmingham Railway, 8 July 1839. Artist: John Cooke Bourne
Construction of the Kilsby Tunnel on the London & Birmingham Railway, 8 July 1837 (1839). Robert Stephenson (1803-1859) was appointed chief engineer of the London & Birmingham Railway (LBR)

Paternoster lift, usage and drive wheels, wood engravings, published 1888
Schematic representation of use, and the drive wheels of a paternoster lift. Created by Peter Hart (British engineer). Wood engravings, published in 1888

Stream Train built in, Crewe Locomotive Works, 1892
Vintage engraving of a Stream Train built at the London and North Western Locomotive Works, at Crewe, 1892, 19th Century

The railway viaduct at Berwick-upon-Tweed, England
Royal Border Bridge: 19th Century railway viaduct reflected in the river Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed, UK

Weaving on Power Looms, Cotton factory floor, engraved by James Tingle (fl. 1830-60) c
KW258427 Weaving on Power Looms, Cotton factory floor, engraved by James Tingle (fl.1830-60) c.1830 (litho) by Allom, Thomas (1804-72) (after); Private Collection; Ken Welsh; English, out of copyright

TEXTILE MANUFACTURE, 1834. Mule spinning in a cotton textile mill. Line engraving

The Pits of St. Pierre & St. Paul at Le Creusot, 1866 (ink and gouache on paper)
NUL113305 The Pits of St. Pierre & St. Paul at Le Creusot, 1866 (ink and gouache on paper) by Bonhomme, Ignace Francois (1809-81); Private Collection; French, out of copyright

Open-cast Mines at Blanzy, Saone-et-Loire, 1857 (w / c on paper)
CHT169966 Open-cast Mines at Blanzy, Saone-et-Loire, 1857 (w/c on paper) by Bonhomme, Ignace Francois (1809-81); CNAM, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers, Paris; (add.info.: mines de Blanzy)

Industrial landscape in the Blanzy coal field, Saone-et-Loire, c. 1860 (w / on paper)
CHT157397 Industrial landscape in the Blanzy coal field, Saone-et-Loire, c.1860 (w/ on paper) by Bonhomme, Ignace Francois (1809-81); CNAM, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers

Coal Riddling workshop, at the mines of Blanzy, c. 1860 (w / c)
CHT157379 Coal Riddling workshop, at the mines of Blanzy, c.1860 (w/c) by Bonhomme, Ignace Francois (1809-81); CNAM, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers

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The Industrial Revolution in the 1800s marked a significant turning point in history, as it brought about groundbreaking advancements and transformations that shaped the world we know today. The Engine House at GWR Works in Swindon (BB94_04685) stands tall as a testament to this era of innovation and progress. Meanwhile, deep within the coal mines of England during the 1850s, workers toiled tirelessly to extract precious resources that fueled industrial growth. In British factories across the nation, skilled artisans blew glass with precision and finesse, showcasing their craftsmanship amidst the bustling atmosphere of production. A Factoryscape in the Potteries captured by lens in 1938 reveals a landscape dominated by chimneys spewing smoke into an ever-changing sky. Crewe Station emerged on July 4th, 1837, marking its inauguration alongside the opening of the Grand Junction Railway. This transportation hub became a symbol of connectivity and facilitated trade between cities like never before. Victorian London was notorious for its shady corners where both wealth and poverty coexisted side by side. A Punch cartoon immortalizes Faraday's brilliance as he presents his card to Father Thames himself - an engraving capturing scientific discovery intertwining with nature's elements. Arkwright's Cotton Mills illuminated Cromford, Derbyshire when night fell; these mills were beacons of productivity powered by George Stephenson's revolutionary locomotive "The Rocket" from 1829. Glass factory workers throughout Britain during this period showcased their dedication while shaping molten material into exquisite forms that adorned homes worldwide. These glimpses into our past remind us how far we have come thanks to those who dared to dream big during this transformative age known as the Industrial Revolution.