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Operating Collection

From ancient trepanation to modern fingerprint scanners, the art has evolved throughout history

Background imageOperating Collection: Listowel Monorail

Listowel Monorail
The Lartigue monorail linking Listowel and Ballybunion is the worlds first commercially viable monorail, operating till 1924. It will be partly reconstructed in 2003

Background imageOperating Collection: A British Army Foden 6x6 heavy recovery vehicle

A British Army Foden 6x6 heavy recovery vehicle

Background imageOperating Collection: Halsted, Cushing and Young operating C014 / 1090

Halsted, Cushing and Young operating C014 / 1090
Halsted, Cushing and Young operating. Pioneering American surgeons William Halsted (1852-1922), Harvey Cushing (1869-1939) and Hugh Hampton Young (1897-1941)

Background imageOperating Collection: RAF Poster, Back Them Up! WW2

RAF Poster, Back Them Up! WW2
RAF Poster, Back Them Up!, showing Hurricanes of the RAF cooperating with the Russian Air Force during the Second World War. 1940s

Background imageOperating Collection: Trepanation, 14th century artwork

Trepanation, 14th century artwork
Trepanation. 14th century artwork of a doctor using a hammer and scalpel to perform a surgical operation known as trepanation

Background imageOperating Collection: Calots spinal surgery, 19th century

Calots spinal surgery, 19th century
Calots spinal surgery, 19th-century artwork. This operation is being carried out by the French surgeon Jean-Francois Calot (1861-1944) on a condition known as Potts disease

Background imageOperating Collection: Cotton weavers at their looms, Preston, Lancashire

Cotton weavers at their looms, Preston, Lancashire
Women operating cotton weaving looms at the works of Messrs Horrockses, Crewdson and Co Ltd of Preston, Lancashire

Background imageOperating Collection: Cotton weaving shed, Preston, Lancashire

Cotton weaving shed, Preston, Lancashire
A huge cotton weaving shed at the works of Messrs Horrockses, Crewdson and Co Ltd of Preston, Lancashire, with people at work

Background imageOperating Collection: Horse-Drawn Bus London

Horse-Drawn Bus London
A Horse-drawn bus operating the Waterloo Station to Somerset house route

Background imageOperating Collection: Juicing carrots

Juicing carrots. The electrical juicer is pulping raw carrots to make a healthy vegetable drink. Carrots are rich in vitamin A (retinol) and also contain some fibre

Background imageOperating Collection: Fingerprint scanner

Fingerprint scanner. Persons finger being scanned by a fingerprint scanner. This scanner is being used to open a door. The ridges on peoples fingers form a unique identifying pattern

Background imageOperating Collection: Operating Table 1930S

Operating Table 1930S
A group of student nurses in theatre, observing a surgeon performing an operation

Background imageOperating Collection: Barber-surgeons, satirical artwork

Barber-surgeons, satirical artwork
Barber-surgeons. Satirical artwork depicting barber-surgeons and their patients as monkeys. At bottom, the barber role is being performed, while at top the surgical and medical roles are shown

Background imageOperating Collection: Boeing Stratocruiser G-AKGK BOAC, London Airport

Boeing Stratocruiser G-AKGK BOAC, London Airport
The instantly recognisable fuselage shape of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. Canopus was one of the more famous BOAC Stratocruisers operating on the between 1950 and 1959

Background imageOperating Collection: Scammell pump in Orange Street, London W1, WW2

Scammell pump in Orange Street, London W1, WW2
Scammell 65-gallon pump in operation, supplying water to four hosepipes, at a fire in Orange Street, London W1, 21 September 1942

Background imageOperating Collection: N. of Ireland Flax Spinning Industry, Reeling

N. of Ireland Flax Spinning Industry, Reeling - a view of a girl operating a reeling machine in a spinning mill. (Location: Ireland). Date: circa early 1900s

Background imageOperating Collection: Doctor operating on a patient in the operating room

Doctor operating on a patient in the operating room in Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital, New York City, USA Date: 1901

Background imageOperating Collection: The 15, 000th Curtiss fighter, a P-40 Warhawk

The 15, 000th Curtiss fighter, a P-40 Warhawk, emblazoned with the insignia of the 28 air forces operating Curtiss fighters during WW2. November 1944

Background imageOperating Collection: Laser eye surgery, artwork

Laser eye surgery, artwork
Laser eye surgery. Artwork showing how laser eye surgery is performed. An incision is made into the cornea (light blue), the clear dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye

Background imageOperating Collection: Dead Mans Handle

Dead Mans Handle
A dead mans handle is a switch that is automatically operated in case the human operator becomes incapacitated. Photograph by Heinz Zinram

Background imageOperating Collection: Lookout man operating signalling lamp, Croydon Airport

Lookout man operating signalling lamp, Croydon Airport
Lookout man operating signalling lamp from the Control Tower, Croydon Airport Date: 1930s

Background imageOperating Collection: Large operating room, Dental School, Paris, France 1885

Large operating room, Dental School, Paris, France 1885
Large operating room at the Dental School, Odontotechnical Institute, Paris, France. Date: 1885

Background imageOperating Collection: Vignette illustration, Railway Ribaldry by W Heath Robinson

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

Background imageOperating Collection: Gloster AS31, G-aDO, of the Aircraft Operating Company

Gloster AS31, G-aDO, of the Aircraft Operating Company

Background imageOperating Collection: Eye surgery, conceptual artwork

Eye surgery, conceptual artwork
Eye surgery. Conceptual artwork of a human eye with a windscreen wiper being used to produce clear vision. This represents the correction of conditions such as a cataract (cloudiness of the eyes lens)

Background imageOperating Collection: Cartoon - WWI - Haircut

Cartoon - WWI - Haircut
A cartoon making light of the perils of life on the front line and the frequent need for surgical intervention to operate on soldiers

Background imageOperating Collection: Oil refinery worker

Oil refinery worker
MODEL RELEASED. Oil refinery worker checking the feed pre-heater in the hydrofining area of an oil refinery. The hydrofining area is where crude oil products are processed to remove impurities such

Background imageOperating Collection: An operation screened live in a medical lecture

An operation screened live in a medical lecture
An invention by Mr Herbert A. Silver enabling medical students to watch surgery from the lecture theatre. A circle of electric lamps is suspended over the operating table while the image is projected

Background imageOperating Collection: An operation on a horse in a special veterinary hospital established by the A.V.C, during WWI

An operation on a horse in a special veterinary hospital established by the A.V.C, during WWI
3502715 An operation on a horse in a special veterinary hospital established by the A.V.C, during WWI, from The Pageant of the Century

Background imageOperating Collection: Woollen rags in grinding machine called Devil, 1880 (engraving)

Woollen rags in grinding machine called Devil, 1880 (engraving)
863956 Woollen rags in grinding machine called Devil, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Placing sorted woollen rags in a grinding machine called a Devil)

Background imageOperating Collection: Thomas Highs' (1718-1803)

Thomas Highs' (1718-1803)
863952 Thomas Highs' (1718-1803); (add.info.: Thomas Highs' (1718-1803) double jenny, publicly demonstrated in Manchester Exchange, England. in 1772

Background imageOperating Collection: Marshall's Flax Mill, England, United Kingdom, 1880 (engraving)

Marshall's Flax Mill, England, United Kingdom, 1880 (engraving)
863946 Marshall's Flax Mill, England, United Kingdom, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: The Great Hall of Marshall's Flax Mill, Leeds, Yorkshire, England)

Background imageOperating Collection: Surgeon operating on an man's eye. 12th century (english manuscript)

Surgeon operating on an man's eye. 12th century (english manuscript)
527529 Surgeon operating on an man's eye. 12th century (english manuscript); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Background imageOperating Collection: A water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod

A water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod
5310183 A water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a water wheel operating bellows by means of a crank rod (C,G,)

Background imageOperating Collection: Scutching or dressing flax by machine, 1880 (engraving)

Scutching or dressing flax by machine, 1880 (engraving)
864023 Scutching or dressing flax by machine, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Scutching or dressing flax by beating the stalks by machine)

Background imageOperating Collection: Slubbing-billy, 1880 (engraving)

Slubbing-billy, 1880 (engraving)
863953 Slubbing-billy, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: The slubbing-billy, inventor uncertain, which came into use in about 1786. Used to spin carded wool into rovings)

Background imageOperating Collection: Seaham Colliery, County Durham, England, showing the head gear above the shaft

Seaham Colliery, County Durham, England, showing the head gear above the shaft, and work in an active coal seam
526813 Seaham Colliery, County Durham, England, showing the head gear above the shaft, and work in an active coal seam. The central vignettes show two models of miner's lamp, the Davy, left

Background imageOperating Collection: Loom for making Hemp fishing nets, 1880 (engraving)

Loom for making Hemp fishing nets, 1880 (engraving)
863949 Loom for making Hemp fishing nets, 1880 (engraving); (add.info.: Loom for making Hemp fishing nets. J & W Stuart's factory, Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, Scotland)

Background imageOperating Collection: Women Operating the Pile Driver, c. 1939. Creator: John Koehl

Women Operating the Pile Driver, c. 1939. Creator: John Koehl
Women Operating the Pile Driver, c. 1939

Background imageOperating Collection: Women operating machinery at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, Washington, D.C. 1889 or 1890

Women operating machinery at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, Washington, D.C. 1889 or 1890

Background imageOperating Collection: Drone flying over sea coast and palm trees. Tropical footage or photo creating

Drone flying over sea coast and palm trees. Tropical footage or photo creating. UAV professional drone in exotic island view

Background imageOperating Collection: HMS Encounter, 2nd class protected cruiser, Challenger class

HMS Encounter, 2nd class protected cruiser, Challenger class
Royal Navy - HMS Encounter, a 2nd-class protected cruiser of the Challenger class, operated by the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN), as HMAS Encounter

Background imageOperating Collection: HMS Glorious, aircraft carrier

HMS Glorious, aircraft carrier
Royal Navy - HMS Glorious, aircraft carrier, at anchor, steaming up. HMS Glorious was the second of the three Courageous-class battlecruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War

Background imageOperating Collection: Eric Ravilious

Eric Ravilious
11th anniversary poster for the Golden Cockerel Press, an Englishfine pressoperating between 1920 and 1961. The private press made handmade limited editions of classic works

Background imageOperating Collection: Mrs Olive Pearson operating a machine in the 'enrobement'

Mrs Olive Pearson operating a machine in the "enrobement"
Mrs Olive Pearson operating a machine in the " enrobement" department at Hull sweet-makers, Needlers Ltd. Her job is to make sure the centres are properly coated with chocolate before going

Background imageOperating Collection: Stroukoff YC-123E Provider 55-4031

Stroukoff YC-123E Provider 55-4031
Stroukoff YC-123E-SA Provider 55-4031, modified by Stroukoff Aircraft Corp, Trenton NJ. With Pantobase undercarriage and wing-tip floats for operating off water, snow, ice, and sand, as well as land

Background imageOperating Collection: Short S. 38 - SA. 1 Sturgeon S. 1 RK797

Short S. 38 - SA. 1 Sturgeon S. 1 RK797
Short S.38/SA.1 Sturgeon S.1 RK797, the first prototype of a new carrier-borne strike and reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Navy

Background imageOperating Collection: St Bartholomews Hospital, London - An operating Theatre

St Bartholomews Hospital, London - An operating Theatre
St Bartholomews Hospital, Farringdon, City of London - An operating Theatre. Date: circa 1907



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From ancient trepanation to modern fingerprint scanners, the art has evolved throughout history. 🏥✨ In the 14th century, intricate artwork depicted trepanation, a surgical procedure believed to relieve pressure on the brain. Meanwhile, in Preston, Lancashire, cotton weavers skillfully operated their looms in bustling weaving sheds. Fast forward to the 19th century when Calots spinal surgery was introduced as a groundbreaking technique for treating spinal disorders. The operating table of the 1930s became a symbol of medical progress and precision. Transportation also witnessed advancements with innovations like Listowel Monorail and Horse-Drawn Buses in London. These modes of transport were meticulously operated to ensure safe journeys for passengers. The realm of military operations saw Halsted, Cushing and Young expertly maneuvering Foden heavy recovery vehicles during critical missions. Their skills were crucial in providing assistance on challenging terrains. Beyond machinery and medicine lies another aspect - juicing carrots. This simple act showcases how even everyday tasks require careful operation to extract maximum nutrition from nature's bounty. Not all operations are physical; some involve personal choices too. Cora Pearl, a renowned courtesan known for her charm and allure, skillfully operated within high society circles captivating hearts along the way. Lastly, technology revolutionized security with fingerprint scanners that operate flawlessly identifying individuals with just a touch. Whether it's saving lives or enhancing daily routines – operating is an art that continues to shape our world.