Materials Collection

HMS Habbakuk with HMS Indefatigable, 1946
Illustration showing the top secret design for HMS Habbakuk (centre), a giant aircraft-carrier built of ice and wood pulp, which was proposed as a secret weapon in the Second World War

WW2 - Recycling cans to aid war effort in East Ham, London
WW2 - Recycling tin cans to aid the war effort in East Ham, London - April, 1940. Date: 1940

Advert for Gorringes fashion fabrics 1932
Advertisement for Gorringes pattern book containing viyella and visylka dress fabrics. 1932

German Diver Goes Down
A German diver goes down to the wreck of an Allied vessel, hoping to salvage useful items and materials

Clifton Bridge Photo
Clifton suspension bridge over the Avon, linking Gloucester- shire and Somerset, opened 1864, is largely constructed from the materials of Londons former Hungerford Bridge

Kashmir, River Jhelum - woman paddles a wooden boat
Kashmir, River Jhelum - woman with two small children paddles a flat-bottomed wooden boat, or shikara Date: 1986

Catalogue cover, Horncastle & Son, General Furnishing & Builders Ironmongers, The Parade, Bedford Street, Royal Leamington Spa. circa late 19th century

Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead
A view over Newcastle (on the far side of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (in the foreground) during the great fire which killed more than 50 people and destroyed many buildings

Poster: Salvage Saves Shipping. Encouraging people to recycle materials rather than throw them away, to help with the War Effort. circa 1940s

Lecture on Stephen Grays discoveries in electricity
A lecture at the Charterhouse, London on Stephen Grays discoveries in electricity. In the early eighteenth century, Gray demonstrated that charges of electricity could be conducted by some materials

Some shorages and how they are dealt with 1918
Shortage of skins and hides in Scotland, using trousers for their bagpipes. Shortage of iron hoops for wine casks. Please note

Photographers Advert
Advert for William Parker, Pharmaceutical Chemist and dealer in all kinds of Photographic Materials

Drying Sisal Fibre on a Plantation - Tanzania, East Africa Date: 1923

YMCA appeal for writing materials during WW1

Woodworking Boys
A photograph used for advertisement purposes, showing a group of young boys sat at a table laid with woodworking tools and materials. Date: circa 1939

Smuggler's Way, Highcliffe
A photograph showing a distant view of Smuggler's Way, the building of this house began in 1925, but through use of old materials, including oak, bricks and tiles from ancient barns

Ellens at Rudgwick, Sussex, Bay Window
A photograph of a large bay window belonging to a fine house called Ellens at Rudgwick, Sussex, designed by architect Maurice Everett Webb

Chiddingstone High Street. One of the prettiest villages in Kent, and perhaps England, Chiddingstone is a beautiful example of a Tudor one-street village

Grafton Fabrics Advertisement
An illustrated advertisement for Grafton Fabrics, the image showcases a room interior, furnished with hangings and materials designed by the company. Date: circa 1922

Lever Brothers Twink Advertisement
An illustrated advertisement for Lever Brothers Limited, promoting Twink, a product which both cleans and dyes materials simultaneously

Lever Brothers Advertisement, Lux
An illustrated advertisement for Lever Brothers Limited, promoting Lux, a product for washing dainty fabrics, a box of which can be seen in the hand of the central woman in the picture

Alyse Berton Draped in Raw Silk
Alyse Berton, a Seattle resident, draped in raw silk. Seattle had become the most important silk port in the United States. Date: circa 1925

Conquest of Mexico
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519-21). Construction of the Villa Rica of La Vera Cruz, with the help of the Totonac Indians. Detail

Penfold's Advertisement
An advertisement illustration for Penfolds Artists Materials, based in Sydney. The shield shaped image shows a group of people observing some paintings in a gallery. Date: circa 1923

W. & G. Dean's Advertisement
An advertisement for W. & G. Dean's Pty. Ltd, retailers of all that the artist needs, the largest selection of materials and requirements for artists in Melbourne

Advert for Rosebank Fabrics, available to order through local stores and furnishers. Date: 1954

Advert for Celanese, a chemical and speciality materials company whose products included acetate yarn and artificial silk. Date: 1943

Crowd of flat capped youths watching a street artist
This is a London street. The left handed artist is using chalk and his materials are on a cloth by his side. The postcard is one of the London Types series. Date: circa 1902

Comic postcard, Used up writing pad Date: 20th century

Timber stacked at the docks awaiting transportation. Date: circa 1930s

Comic postcard, Writing materials. I haven t heard from you for a long time - see what you can do with this lot! Date: 20th century

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - Watch your step
The postcard caption reads Watch your step. The little girl is wearing white. Warime privations meant that fine materials for wedding dresses were hard to come by

Revelations from the Riviera -What the smartest
Revelations from the Riviera (1927) - What the smartest women wear at Monte Carlo is prophetic of what will be worn in London and Paris in the subsequent seasons

Feature about The Fashion of These Days, Paris, 1926 - exploring the question of materials, colour, line and detail, their relation to each other

Pot Pourri. Young lady in a crinoline with a basket of fragrant dried plant materials and an elegant porcelain pot. Art nouveau style. Artist: Ethel Larcombe Date: circa 1910

Lavatory doors, Liverpool Abattoir, Stanley Street, Liverpool, constructed from standard Plymax type M flush doors. Date: 1936

Shower partitions at public baths, Moston, Manchester
Shower partitions at public baths, Moston Baths, Manchester, constructed in double-sided galvanised steel Plymax with sealed edges. Date: 1936

Bath partitions at Downham School, Harlow, Essex, constructed from Plymax standard lavatory design for slipper bath cubicles. Date: 1936

Lavatories in a telephone exchange, City of London
Lavatories in a a telephone exchange, Faraday House, Queen Victoria Street, London EC4, constructed from Plymax standard lavatories type C with special marble finish. Date: 1936

Lavatories in a department store, using Plymax plywood
Lavatories in a department store, constructed from Plymax standard lavatories type C, with Venesta plywood type A flush doors. Date: 1936

Lavatories at Downham School, Harlow, Essex, constructed from Plymax standard lavatory compartments type B. Date: 1936

Dressing cubicles at public baths, Sittingbourne, Kent
Dressing cubicles at public swimming baths, Sittingbourne, Kent, constructed in double-sided galvanised steel Plymax. Date: 1936

The Brush Salesman. People You See, from Teddy Bear magazine, 1966. Date: 1966

Advert for H. W Johns, asbestos materials for roofing 1875
Company based in New York, advertising asbestos roofing, used in roof coating, cement, paint, boiling felt and steam packing. 1875

Construction of the new bridge : part of the platform for depositing materials. Date: 1855

City of London handcart with scrap metal, WW2
WW2 - City of London Corporation handcart containing scrap metal, including bomb ordinance, Southwark Bridge, London. The cart also contains iron railings and general household metalwork

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