The other week I discovered an item that at first glance looks quite unexciting but is actually a very significant object in the prehistory of Cinema. It is the eye cover (cowl) from the original US patent model for an optical toy called the Kinematoscope. Invented by a noted Philadelphia-based engineer named Coleman Sellers II...Read More

One of the really enjoyable parts of my job is getting to know the many and varied customers who purchase items from me. Whether they are a professional body or a passionate individual, I am always humbled by the sheer levels of expertise and commitment these people show towards their interest. As a group, fans...Read More

Daguerrotype of a Seated Gentleman c1840   The next time you are complaining about the quality of your photographs, spare a thought for those who pioneered the medium over 180 years ago. Back then capturing a momentary image involved a lengthy technical process which required careful chemical preparation, elbow grease and a large dose of...Read More

When one looks up the history of road safety devices, few have such an appealing story as that of the Cat’s Eye lane marker invented in 1934 by Percy Shaw. Here was an inspired Yorkshireman who after taking a car journey down a dark road one night noticed the glint of light coming off some...Read More

(All references have been included as links within the text.) When one mentions fax machines, it is natural to think of those 1980s and 90s machines we all proudly owned to send illegible hand scrawled messages to the distant family or boss. However few people realise that the first attempts at the fax machine really...Read More

  If you look through history you’ll find a wide array of fantastical flying vessels thought up by the minds of men sadly too early in the aeronautical story to ever be achievable. Most of these vessels date from the late 18th Century all the way through to the late 19th Century and in most...Read More

Here at Historic Tech I sometimes find myself pondering the most important questions in life such as: ‘Is this the oldest automatic washer-dryer in the world?!’ Let me explain…. Recently I was looking through an original catalogue from the Great Exhibition of 1851 held at Crystal Palace near London. Deemed by many to be one...Read More

  In the world of innovation, a good idea is sadly never enough to ensure success. While we are all taught the stories of the great inventors such as Tesla, Edison or Marconi, and that a single good idea can change the world, we are hardly ever taught about the millions of others who each...Read More

If there is one consistent unit of measurement that has been applied as a benchmark to nearly every technical innovation that comes along it is this- the pocket. From pocket knives to pocket watches, pocket microscopes to pocket telescopes, pocket radios to pocket telephones, pocket automatons to pocket cameras, pocket televisions to pocket cassette players,...Read More

If you were able to escape the constant deluge of soul-destroying Covid stories the other day you may have been aware of Tesla’s ‘Battery Day’. It is an annual event for this controversial technology company who use it as an opportunity to hint at some of the more interesting technology they have in the pipeworks....Read More