Historical Scientific Illustrations

19th-century engravings featuring historical figures in scientific settings, showcasing early laboratory equipment and practices.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN American statesman, scientist and philosopher in his physics lab at Philadelphia. Date: 1706 - 1790

The United States. New York. Tailor shop. Batavia. Inside view. Colored engraving, 1876.

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1894) French chemist, demonstrating his discovery of oxygen, 1776. On the table in the right background of the picture is his calorimeter. From Louis Figuier 'Vies des Savant Illustres du XVIIIe Siecle', Paris 1874. Engraving

Optical illusions, Spectra, vintage engraved illustration. Magasin Pittoresque 1869.

Illustration showing The electroplating room, Elkington's Works, Birmingham 1844

'The Turner shaping a piece of wood on a treadle operated lathe. Hand-coloured woodcut from ''The Book of English Trades'', London, 1823.'

The shoemaker. Illustration of "Encyclopédie". Plate 442. 18th century. Published in France between 1751-1772. Later colouration.

Making Edison light bulbs, 1880. Artist: Unknown

Encyclopedie. Edited by Denis Diderot and Jean Le Rond d'Alembert. Published, 1770. Plate 377. Printing. Later colouration.

Cartoon on minister F.A. Van Hall, 1860, 1860 print Cartoon on the Minister of Finance F.A. Van Hall standing behind a table like a magician. Plaat appeared at the Weekblad De Nederlandsche Spectator, no. 49, December 8, 1860. print maker: Netherlandsprinter: Netherlandspublisher: Arnhempublisher: The Hague paper illusionist, conjurer, juggler, 'legerdemain'

'Heating the wax with which mail bags were sealed before dispatch. The General Post Office, St Martin's le Grand, London. Engraving, London, 1884,'

Optical illusions, Spectra, vintage engraving. Optical illusions, Spectra, vintage engraved illustration. Magasin Pittoresque 1869. Copyright: xZoonar.com/PatrickxGuenettex 10678851

Acoustic experiments, verification of the laws of sound reflection. Old 19th century engraved illustration from La Ilustración Artística 1882

Installation for electric welding of metals, late 19th century. Old 19th century engraving from La Nature 1887

education university chemical laboratory of the Munich University wood engraving 1898,

Artist's impression of execution by electric chair, prepared after experiments on the practicability of electrocution as method of execution. From Scientific American New York, 30 June 1888. Westinghouse AC system.

The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual': Dr Watson watching Sherlock Holmes going through the mememtoes of his old cases. Illustration by Sidney E. Paget, the first artist to create an image of Sherlock Holmes, for the story published in 'The Strand Magazine', London, 1893.

Subtle Doctor, vintage engraving. Subtle Doctor, vintage engraved illustration. Magasin Pittoresque 1836. Copyright: xZoonar.com/PatrickxGuenettex 10660038

Louis Pasteur (left) watching a colleague trephining a chloroformed rabbit during his research on rabies vaccination. Wood engraving (), 1885.

An engraving depicting gentleman at his desk. On his right is an expanding bookcase. Dated 19th century

Thomas Major etched 'Alchimia de Fiamminghi' between 1730 and 1799, depicting Flemish alchemists and their laboratory activities.

An engraving depicting a vacuum apparatus used to exhaust Edison incandescent light bulbs at G (centre top). Dated 19th century

Pieter van Musschenbroek, Dutch mathematician and physicist, discovers the principle of Leyden jar (known also as Kleistian jar). Date: 1746

Group of engineers testing the recovered 1865 Atlantic cable. The first attempt at laying a transatlantic cable had been in 1858. In 1865, Brunel's 'Great Eastern' set out on a second attempt to but the expedition had to be called off due to bad weather. A year later, the first successful laying of a transatlantic cable between Foilhummerum Bay, Ireland to Heart's Content, Newfoundland also recovered the abandoned 1865 cable. Date: October 13th 1866

LOUIS PASTEUR French chemist and microbiologist checking animals in his laboratory at the Ecole Normale, Paris Date: 1822 - 1895

Thomas Edward (1814-1886) Naturalist and shoemaker. Discovered 20 new species of crustacea. Received pension from Civil List in 1876.

Illustration showing the Jersey spinning wheel. 1836

Justus von Liebig and colleagues at work in the analytical laboratory in Giessen. Lithograph () after W. Trautschold, ca. 1840 ().

Teaching in the natural sciences by pictorial intuition, 1790, woodcut, England

Lazaro Spallanzani (1729-1799), Italian naturalist and biologist, investigating the digestive system of the chicken. Engraving published Paris 1874.

Obscura designers, vintage engraved illustration. Industrial encyclopedia E.-O. Lami - 1875.

An engraving depicting Luigi Galvani investigating the behaviour of muscles stimulated by electricity. Luigi Galvani (1737-1798) an Italian physician, physicist, biologist and philosopher. Dated 19th century

Cabin-laboratory on the Challenger ship, for exploring the seabed, illustration from L'Illustration, Journal Universel, No 1587, Volume LXII, July 26, 1873.

Men who fit wigs; Lust to research. Cartoon on fitting wigs. A frenologist seeks the right wig as a wig maker for a man. A large group of so-called scientists looks. At the table is a treatise from the German frenologist Franz Joseph Gall. Possibly the design drawing for the print in a series of those caricatural plates on society around 1800.

Engraving depicting an ophthalmoscope in use. Ophthalmoscopy, also called funduscopy, is a test that allows a health professional to see inside the fundus of the eye and other structures. The ophthalmoscope was invented by Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) a German physician and physicist. Dated 19th century

Alexander von Humboldt and Aimee Bonpland observe the great falling star on the coast of South America in 1799

Etching by Coryn Boel showing doctors working in a medical or scientific workroom, created between 1640 and 1690.

Luigi Galvani (1737-1798) Italian physiologist, c1762. , Galvani discovered animal electricity, voltaic or galvanic electricity, when investigating contraction of muscles in legs of dead frogs, From Le Journal de la Jeunesse (Paris, 1880), Engraving

science catalogues ""Museographia Neickelina"",title colour engraving Halle 1727 private collection,

GALILEO GALILEI Italian astronomer, visited by the English poet John Milton at the villa d'Arcetri, near Firenze, Italy, in 1638

The skeleton of Death appears before the telescope of the old astronomer, causing him to fall out of his chair. Handcoloured copperplate drawn and engraved by Thomas Rowlandson from The English Dance of Death, Ackermann, London, 1816.

An alchemist with an assistant in his laboratory. Lithograph after D. Teniers the younger, 1650.

An engraving depicting an ophthalmoscope being used to examine the eye. Dated 19th century

Artist's impression of Galvani demonstrating the contraction of the muscles of a frog's legs in response to an electric charge. 1870

An engraving depicting J. A. Ewing's earthquake recorder. This device was used for measuring earthquake shocks in Japan. Dated 19th century

An engraving depicting a woman using a pedal operated punkah type ventilator to keep herself cool. Dated 19th century

Experiments on the phone from Dr. Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), to transmit the human voice over long distances. Boston, 1877. United States. 19th-century engraving.

Twelfth Key of Basil Valentine, illustrating that Philosophers' Stone must be combined with gold to produce new gold, just as lion eats serpent to change it into its own substance. Engraving from Basil Valentine 'Von dem gross Stein Uhralten' Strasbourg 1651.

Galvani's discovery, 1780 (1894). Artist: Unknown.

'Twelfth Key of Basil Valentine, illustrating that Philosophers' Stone must be combined with gold to produce new gold, just as lion eats serpent to change it into its own substance. Engraving from Basil Valentine ''Von dem gross Stein Uhralten'' Strasbourg 1651 '

Engraving depicting an amateur photographer developing negatives. Dated 19th century

THOMAS ALVA EDISON Working on electric light in his laboratory Date: 1880

Animal-to-man blood transfusion. After engraving from George Abraham Mercklino Tractatio med. Curiosa de murto et occasu transfusionis sanguinis, Nuremberg, 1679. Engraving

Illustration showing Preparing moulds for use in electroplating, published Paris circa 1870

Cartoon depicting Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) a British statesman of the Conservative Party and twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Dated 19th century

Jean-Baptiste Chappe d'Auteroche observed the transit of Venus expected on 6 June 1761 in Tobolsk in Siberia by Anonymous / Russian State Library, Moscow/ France/ Woodcut/ Book design/ Genre,History

Electrotechnical Exhibition in Frankfurt 1892, Germany, Historic, digital reproduction of an original from the 19th century, Europe

The practice of wood-engraving, 1844. An engraver preparing a block for printing. From "Illustrated London News", 1844, Vol I.

An engraving depicting a woman testing milk for adulteration with water. A highly polished knitting needle is dipped in a container of milk: when withdrawn it will have a greasy coating from fat globules. If the milk is watered the coating will be thinner. Dated 19th century

Experiment showing that prismatic colours cannot be split further. From 'Mathematical Elements of Natural Philosophy confirm'd by Experiment' JT Desaguliers (London 1747). This was a 'popular' explanation of Newton's work.

British science appealing for national support, 1887.

Inventions, 1850 - 1881 print Leaf with 4 performances of Dutch inventions and discoveries: the thermometer, the microscope, the barometer and the pendulum clock. A title and a caption under each performance above each performance. Numbered at the top right: No. 39. publisher: Leidenprint maker: Netherlands paper letterpress printing invention, discovery ~ science and technology. thermometer. microscope. barometer. clock

THE CRONIN TRIAL AT CHICAGO USA, THE COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENCE CROSS-EXAMINING MR. ToLLMAN, THE EXPERT MICROSCOPIST, 1889.

Scientific balloon ascent about to be made from Vauxhall Gardens, London, under the sponsorship of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The men in the picture are, from left to right, Mr Nicklin and Mr Welsh of the Kew Meteorological , Observatory, Mr Adie and Mr Green. August 1852

Engraving showing the scene at the British Museum, London, in 1874 with a large group of people crowding round the Rosetta Stone during the International Congress of Orientalists. Date: 26 September 1874

Sir Isaac Newton () showing an optical experiment to an audience in his laboratory. Wood engraving by Martin after C. Laverie.

Nicolas Andry de Boisregard, Orthopedia, 1743

Engraving depicting Joseph Banks reading to the Society Volta's letter about his electric pile (battery) to members of the Royal Society. Joseph Banks (1743-1820) an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. Dated 19th Century

James Glaisher and Henry Tracey Coxwell sitting in the car of their hot air balloon with some scientific instruments. Illustration from an english magazine printed in 1864

Water purifier, Atkins system, United Kingdom, illustration from L'Industria, Rivista tecnica ed economica illustrata, Milan, n. 34, 21 August 1887.

'Secretly steaming open a letter. Engraving, Pa;ris, 1879.'

$Dr Syntax showing young lady the stars with small refracting telescope typical of this date, while manservant trips over dog and falls headlong down steps. Rowlandson illustration for William Combe 'Tours of Dr Syntax', London, c1815. Aquatint.$

Illustration showing an American cobbler. 1872

An alchemist interior in the sixteenth century, vintage engraved illustration. From the Universe and Humanity, 1910.

Henri Sainte-Claire Deville demonstrating an experiment in the inorganic chemistry laboratory at the École Normal Supérieure, Paris, 1878. Reproduction after a painting by L. l'Hermitte.

On August 14, 1887, the Horla balloon piloted by the balloonists Jovis and Mallet took off from the Parc de la Villette in Paris, France. Old 19th century engraving from La Nature 1887

Card shooter. / N ° 17. (title registered) | Cree of Paris. (Ts)

JEAN-ANTOINE CHAPTAL comte de Chanteloup, French chemist, suggested adding sugar to speed fermentation of wine &c

Anatomical demonstration. From title page of Bartolemmeo Eustachi Tabulae Anatomicae, Amsterdam 1722.

J.A. Nollet "Recherches... phenomenes electriques", 1749

Blowing up Flood Rock, 1885. Artist: Anon

An alchemist with his assistants in his laboratory. Coloured lithograph by J. Cullum, ca. 1840, after D. Teniers the younger, 1640/1650.

Audience wearing spectacles with (right) lens green and (left) lens red, watching a stereoscopic slideshow using Molteni's adaptation of d'Almeida's apparatus. From La Nature, Paris, 27 December 1890.

Engraving depicting Joseph Banks reading to the Society Volta's letter about his electric pile (battery) to members of the Royal Society. Joseph Banks (1743-1820) an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. Dated 19th Century

The Siemen Oven for the Incineration of Corpses, Regeneration Oven, Crematorium, Siemens'scher Ofen, 1850, Historic, digitally restored reproduction of an original 19th-century model

Men playing billiards, 1751-1777. Artist: Unknown

France, Paris, Municipal chemical laboratory in Paris

Five people looking through various types of spectacles.. Colour lithograph by F.S. Delpech after L.L. Boilly.

Oersted, Hans Christian (Copenhagen Rudkobing ,1777-1851). Danish physicist and chemist. Oersted discovers electromagnetism. Engraving.

Engraving depicting young boys learning science.

Henry Thompson (1820-1904) British surgeon and urologist who performed lithotrity on Leopold I of the Belgians and Napoleon III of France . Founded the first Cremation Society in London, 1874. He had a scheme to test efficacy of prayer in hospitals (mentioned in Arnold Bennett 'Clayhanger'). He was also interested in Astronomy and presented a number of instruments to the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Cartoon by Edward Linley Sambourne in the Punch's Fancy Portraits series from 'Punch' (London, 6 August 1881).

Artist's impression of the Benjamin Franklin's (1706-1790) investigation of the electrical nature of lightning, made at Philadelphia, USA, in September 1752. Franklin is flying a kite in a thunderstorm and is drawing a spark off the kite string using key. Engraving from 'The Boy's Playbook of Science' by John Henry Pepper (London, 1862).

Interior of an itinerant post office in the United States. Old 19th century engraved illustration from La Nature 1883

Doctor Syntax attending a scientific demonstration at the Royal Institution, London. Coloured aquatint by T. Rowlandson after W. Combe.

Artist's impression of Claude Chappe (1763-1805) demonstrating his optical telegraph (semaphore) system in 1793. From Louis Figuier 'Les Merveilles de la Science', Paris c.1870. Engraving

Engraving depicting Pulvermacher's chain: the patient would hold the handles of the zinc/copper/zinc chain, each link of which was wound round wood. The chain was plunged in vinegar which the wood absorbed: chemical action caused a current and the circuit was completed by the body. Dated 19th century

Cartoon depicting Benjamin Ward Richardson (1828-1896) an eminent British physician, anaesthesiologist, physiologist, sanitarian, and a prolific writer on medical history. Dated 19th century

Reading by means of the light of the Elater Noctilucus (firefly). Date: 1883

Hall of Physics in Felix Meritis, 1789; Four rooms in Felix Meritis. Demonstration of the electrical machine in the hall of physics in the building of society Felix Meritis in Amsterdam, initiated in 1789.

Thomas Spencer Wells (1818-1897) English surgeon, born at St Albans, Hertfordshire. Served as a surgeon in the Royal Navy (1841-1853) before practicising in London. He specialised in obstetric and ophthalmic surgery. Made early use of anaesthetics in surgery. Performed his first successful ovariotomy in 1858. Cartoon by Edward Linley Sambourne in the Punch's Fancy Portraits series from 'Punch' (London, 19 May 1883).

JEREMIAH HORROCKS English astronomer

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