Tool Collection

Shoeing, 1844, (1938). Artist: Edwin Henry Landseer
Shoeing, 1844. Painting held at the Tate Britain, London. From World-Famous Paintings edited by J. Greig Pirie [W. & G. Foyle, Ltd, London, 1938.]

Coopers at work making wooden barrels
Four coopers hard at work in their workshop making traditional wooden barrels. Painting by Malcolm Greensmith

Blacksmith Tools 1875
A range of tools used by a blacksmith or ironsmith, including pincers, a hook, files, a hammer and a mallet. 1875

Miners working at the coalface, South Wales
Two miners, stripped to the waist, working at the coalface in a coal seam in South Wales

Deux meres ( Two Mothers ), 1888. Artist: Leon-Maxime Faivre
Deux meres ( Two Mothers ), 1888. From the Musee d Orsay, Paris

Blacksmiths outside their forge
A superb photograph of six Blacksmiths and coachbuilders posing for a photograph outside their forge/workshop, each holding the tools of their trade

Advertisement for Robert Sorby and Sons, edge tool manufacturers, Carver Street, 1889
Image from Sheffield and Neighbourhood (page 208) (printed and published by Pawson and Brailsford, Sheffield, 1889 (Sheffield Local Studies Library: 914.274 S)

Set of glass eyeballs. Each shell illustrates a disease or abnormality affecting the eye. The set was hand crafted in the late 1920s by ocularists of Theodore Hamblin Ltd

Royal Engineers
circa 1850: An officer of the Royal Engineers gives orders to two privates. Rischgitz Collection (Photo by Rischgitz/Getty Images)

Medieval goldsmith at work
Workshop of Etienne Delaulne, a goldsmith in Paris, 1500s. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a 16th-century illustration

Blacksmith, Norfolk a98_13558
Woodbastwick, Norfolk. Interior of blacksmiths shop. A farrier shapes a horseshoe on his anvil. Photographed by Hallam Ashley, February 1949

Gold Lunulae and Axehead, Early Bronze Age, St Merryn, Cornwall
Two Early Bronze Age gold lunulae and copper alloy flat axehead found in a barrow at Harlyn Bay, St Merryn in 1864. They were discovered on the west side of the bay, near the cliff edge

Lenin, (c1930), (1939). Creator: Aleksandr Gerasimov
Lenin, (c1930), (1939). Portrait of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Ilich Lenin (1870-1924). Lenin was the first Soviet head of state, prime minister of the USSR

Welsh women road builders, South Wales
A group of twenty Welsh women road builders in Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, South Wales, holding their spades. They built the road to Hook in 1903-4 to facilitate transport to the colliery

Reed cutting, Norfolk a98_07734
Horning Ferry, Norfolk. Cutting reeds with a scythe on Woodbastwick Marshes. Photographed by Hallam Ashley in February 1949

The Girl He Left Behind Is Still Behind Him. American World War II recruitment poster for women ordnance workers
WORLD WAR II POSTER. The Girl He Left Behind Is Still Behind Him. American World War II recruitment poster for women ordnance workers

Neanderthal spear point
A spear point once belonging to that of Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis). This specimen was discovered in Gorhams Cave, Gibraltar

Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of Mars, artwork. The first of two identical NASA rovers, Spirit, landed on Mars on 4 January 2004

Apprentice carpenter
Young carpenters apprentice planing a block of wood, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Feudal lord instructing peasant workers
Peasants receiving their lords orders before going to work, 1400s. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of a manuscript miniature illustration

Blacksmith at work in his forge
An elderly blacksmith hammering a horseshoe on his anvil. The owner of the horse awaiting a new set of shoes looks in at the window, while the blacksmiths cat scratches an ear on the work bench

Sea Otter Eating on back using stone to break abalone
FG-2627 SEA OTTER - eating on its back, using stone to break Abalone Enhydra lutris Francois Gohier Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Prehistoric Acheulian hand axe dating from 600000 BC at St. Germain en Laye, Ile de France, France, Europe

TOOL ADVERTISEMENT, 1895. From the Montgomery Ward & Co. catalogue of 1895

Rust treatment. Brush being used to apply a rust removing mix of chemicals to a rusty spanner. Many commercial mixes of chemicals are available to remove rust (iron oxide)

Homo heidelbergensis. Artists impression of two male H. heidelbergensis hominids which lived between 600, 000 and 250, 000 years ago in the Pleistocene era

N. A. USA, Texas, Llano, Blue Lantern and field of bluebonnets
N.A. USA, Texas, Llano, Blue Lantern and field of bluebonnets

France, Auvergne Region, Haute-Loire Department. Since the 15th Century, Le Puy en Velay has been the historic center of handmade lacemaking in France

Forging the Anchor, 20th century. Artist: Stanhope A Forbes
Forging the Anchor, 20th century. From the Art Journal (London)

Coopering, making whiskey barrels at Wiley & Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1961. The photograph shows a worker from the bonded warehouse hammering the rings into place on a barrel

Childhood of Christ, c1620. Artist: Gerrit van Honthorst
Childhood of Christ, c1620. Detail. Found in the collection of The Hermitage, St Petersburg

Bone objects. Maglemosian Culture, 9500-6500 BC
Bone objects. C. 8700 BC. Skottemarke, Lolland. Maglemosian Culture, 9500-6500 BC. Mesolithic. National Museum of Denmark. Copenhagen. Denmark

Ubiquitous bulldozer by G. H. Davis
The ubiquitous bulldozer: a mechanical tool of peace becomes an important weapon during the Second World War. Date: 1944

With a felling axe, Harry ( Heathfield ) the Hedger of Charing, Kent, has cut off the stumps of a hedge he previously trimmed. 6 February 1951 TopFoto

Antler tool J010076
SILBURY HILL, Avebury, Wiltshire. Antler tine tool from May 2001 excavations

The Engineer, 1867. The workman is using a file on an engine part held in a vice. Engineers made and maintained the steam engines and machinery used in manufacturing and transport

Advertisement for Marsden Brothers and Co. Tool Manufacturers, Bridge Street Works, 1868
Image from Directory of the Borough of Sheffield by William White 1868. See also y03066 for a slightly different advert.Original at Sheffield Local Studies Library: 914.274 S

William Marples and Sons Ltd. Tool Makers, Hibernia Works, Westfield Terrace
Original at Sheffield Archives ref. SY122/2

HIPPARCHUS (146-127 BC). Greek astronomer. Hipparchus observing the stars. 19th century line engraving

PREHISTORIC MAN: TOOLS. Prehistoric men making tools and weapons from flint. Wood engraving, 19th century, after a drawing by Emile Bayard

Garden roller

PALEOLITHIC TOOLS. Paleolithic scraper (left) and arrow heads, c40, 000 B. C
PALEOLITHIC TOOLS. Paleolithic scraper (left) and arrow heads, c40, 000 B.C

Colonial sawmill, Virginia, 1600s
Water-powered sawmill used in Jamestown Colony before 1650. Hand-colored woodcut from " Virginia Truly Valued" by Edward Williams, 1650

Sea Otter - Using tool cracking clam on rock. California, USA Mo82
TOM-788 Sea Otter - Using tool to crack clam on rock California, USA Enhydra lutris Tom & Pat Leeson Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

The Flowering Orchard, 1888. Creator: Vincent van Gogh
The Flowering Orchard, 1888

Fevrier, 1896. Creator: Eugene Samuel Grasset
Fevrier, 1896. From " Calendrier la Belle Jardiniere", by Eugene Grasset. [Paris, 1896]

Captain L. E. G. Oates by the Stable Door, 30 August 1911, (1913). Artist: Herbert Ponting
Captain L. E. G. Oates by the Stable Door, 30 August 1911, (1913). Lawrence Titus Oates (1880-1912) suffering from gangrene and frostbite, walked from his tent into a blizzard

Across Mounts Bay, c1880. Artist: Elizabeth Adela Forbes
Across Mounts Bay, c1880. Painting held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. From The Studio Volume 47. [London Offices of the Studio, London, 1909]

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"Tools: Unveiling the Artistry of Craftsmanship Through Time" From shoeing horses in 1844 to coopers meticulously crafting wooden barrels, tools have played an integral role in shaping our world. In Edwin Henry Landseer's masterpiece from 1938, we witness the dedication and skill of these craftsmen. Blacksmiths, with their trusty tools from 1875, forge iron into magnificent creations that withstand the test of time. Meanwhile, miners toil away at the coalface in South Wales, relying on their specialized tools for a hard day's work. In Norfolk a98_13558, we catch a glimpse of a blacksmith expertly wielding his hammer outside his fiery forge. The Welsh women road builders demonstrate their strength and determination as they construct pathways through South Wales using simple yet effective tools. But it is not just practicality that defines these tools; artistry can be found even in unexpected places. A set of glass eyeballs reminds us of the intricate craftsmanship required to create prosthetics that restore sight and confidence. Leon-Maxime Faivre's "Deux meres (Two Mothers)" transports us to 1888 when mothers relied on various tools to care for their children - nurturing love being one such tool essential for raising future generations. Traveling back further in time, we encounter medieval goldsmiths diligently working on exquisite pieces that adorn royalty and nobility alike. Gold Lunulae and Axehead discovered in St Merryn, Cornwall provide evidence of early Bronze Age craftsmanship at its finest. Lastly, Aleksandr Gerasimov's portrayal captures Lenin during the tumultuous period around 1930-1939 when political ideologies were reshaping nations. Here too lies another kind - ideas wielded by influential figures who shape history itself. Through these glimpses into different eras and tradesmen at work with their respective tools, we come to appreciate how these humble objects have shaped our past and continue to shape our present.