Ability Collection

Gladstone in Library
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE in his library : he was a classical scholar of considerable ability. Date: 1809 - 1898

Fox Sisters & Table
THE FOX SISTERS They demonstrate their ability to levitate a table, to the reverend Hammond, who is suitably impressed

KULAGINA DOING PK
Nina KULAGINA, Russian psychic attempts to raise an object from the table, by using her psychokinetic ability Date: circa 1970

Bewick / Margay
(Felix wiedi) a nocturnal cat with exceptional climbing ability, able to hang from a bough with one paw

Houdini in Handcuffs
showing his ability to escape from handcuffs, whether American, Russian or German

AVRO TUTOR
The 621 biplane is the standard training aircraft of the pre- WW2 RAF, a user- friendly and versatile biplane well known for its ability to fly upside-down on request

Townshend Esp Test
Testing a hypnotised subject for ESP : the hypnotiser holds up a card, concealed from his subject who tries to name it. Townshend found mesmerism enhanced psi ability

British psychic medium Stella Cranshawe
Photographs of British psychic medium Stella C (Stella Cranshawe) and Harry Prices investigations into her ability, . Photograph of smoked tin plate marked by psychic structures during the Stella C

Cartoon, The Political Chameleon -- satirical comment on Benjamin Disraelis ability to change his partys allegiance from Protectionism to Free Trade in anticipation of an approaching General

White Star Line, RMS Titanic, Jacob Milling postcard
White Star Line, RMS Titanic. An exceptional handwritten postcard postmarked 11pm on 9 April 1912 sent by Second Class passenger Jacob Christian Milling (1863?1912)

Certificate of Discharge, Liverpool, Thomas Riley
White Star Line - Certificate of Discharge for seaman Thomas Riley, on board the Germanic, signed by E J Smith, future Captain of the Titanic, dated Liverpool, 6 June 1895. Date: 1895

French sourcier Bleton, blindfolded and using no apparatus, convinces a committee of scientists of his dowsing ability. Date: 1782

Advert for Carters, rotary or lever wheelchair 1906
Hand tricycle wheelchair, with rotary or lever. Date: 1906

Advert for Carters, self propelling wheelchair 1906
Self propelling wheelchair, with single-arm drive. Date: 1906

Armstrong Whitworth Awana - J6860
Armstrong Whitworth Awana J6860. The Awana was designed in response to Air Ministry Specification 5/20 for a twin-engined Troop Carrying Aeroplane

United States Navy - North American AJ-1 Savage 124161 of the Naval Air Test Centre (NATC - NAS Patuxent River) call-sign 161. Struck off charge on 19 July 1957

Edmond G. Petty-Fitzmaurice, Vanity Fair, Spy
EDMOND GEORGE PETTY-FITZMAURICE, 1st Baron Fitzmaurice (1846-1935) Lord Edmond FitzMaurice from 1863 to 1906. British Liberal politician and Member of Parliament for Calne from 1868 to 1885

Advert for Carters, self propelling wheelchair 1906
Self-propelling chair with patent mechanism for persons with use of one arm only. Date: 1906

Wilbur Wright (1867 - 1912), American pioneer aviator: a satirical comment on his flying ability Date: 1908

Circular Shower at The Thermal Baths, Aix-les-bains, France
A partially-clad young lady enjoys the all-round cleaning ability of the Circular Shower at The Thermal Baths, Aix-les-bains, a thermal spa town on Lake Bourget, Savoy, France. Date: circa 1910s

Curtiss P-40E -known as the Warhawk in the US and the Kittyhawk in the RAF, the type was loved by its pilots for its ability to withstand combat damage

Allegory of Fortune. Lippi, Lorenzo 1606-1665. The depiction of a human figure personifying an abstract concept such as youth or beauty is called an allegory

Animals at a French Zoo - Sealion - Colour. Sealion and keeper. Part of Box 209 Boswell collection - Old and New French Zoo

Joseph Noulens
JOSEPH NOULENS French diplomat, noted for his ability to put out fires... Date: -

Lt George Ivan Carmichael dropping bombs - Menin Station
Lieutenant George Ivan Carmichael (Royal Artillery and Royal Flying Corps) dropping bombs on the rails at Menin Railway Station from a height of only 120 feet

Sarah Childress Polk
SARAH CHILDRESS POLK wife of President James Polk, described as a woman of ability and culture, not to mention a nice taste in shawls. Date: circa 1834

Phil. Ludwig Melem
PHILIP LUDWIG MELEM Distinguished person, showing considerable ability in his chosen field while, with becoming modesty, avoiding self-advertisement. Date: 1596 - ?

Luigi Lablache - 3
LUIGI LABLACHE Italian operatic bass seen in character while performing in France : he was renowned for his acting ability as well as his singing. Date: 1794 - 1858

The second McDonnell XF2D-1 Banshee, 99859, demonstrates?
The second McDonnell XF2D-1 Banshee, 99859, demonstrates its kneeling ability

Boasting actor submits acting claim to Sir Henry Irving
Tradgedian (disappointed) - " You should see me play amlet, Irvin! Why, I could act is bloomin ead off!" Sir Henry Irving looks less than impressed with this claim by a jobbing actor rather

Finnish Skater
A young Finnish woman demonstrates her ability to skate elegantly despite encumbering clothing and holding her child on her shoulders... Date: circa 1860

Cloud Busting
Rolf Alexander demonstrates his astonishing ability to make clouds disperse, simply by using the power of the human mind ! Date: 12 September 1954

Rifai Dervish (who have the ability to command animals). Dervish or Darvesh in Persian usually refers to a person who is a seeker of the truth i.e. universal truth

Trial of a Channel Ferry Model on the Serpentine, February 1
Engraving of a trial of a Steam Channel Ferry design on the Serpentine, Hyde Park, from The Graphic, 26th February 1876. This working steam scale model appears an ambitious project, with three hulls

Gyrostatic Compass, 1912
Photograph of a new Anschutz gyrostatic compass, February 1912. This type of compass was expected to significantly outperform previous compasses in its ability to give a consistantly strong true

Knitting with Mother
A little boy watches his mother knitting. Clothing was rationed during World War Two the ability to knit for the whole family and make-do and mend was crucial

Inconvenient Costume / C18
THE INCONVENIENCE OF DRESS A lady ably demonstrates that the constraints of fashion can lead to constraints on the ability to eat ones supper

Rudi Schneider Pk
Austrian medium Rudi Schneider demonstrates during a sitting for Harry Price his ability to move a handkerchief by psychokinesis

Game / Winter / Snowballing
Even at military school Napoleon showed his ability to command, directing the action of a snowball fight

Flying Werewolves
Men who transform themselves into wolves also acquire the ability to fly

Tank on Rough Ground
The ability of the tank to proceed over rough terrain, including trenches, was its outstanding military asset

Large Rough Water Dog
(canis aviarius aquaticus) (Buffon : le grand barbet) This clever, hardy dog is carried on board ships, thanks to its ability to retrieve things fallen overboard

Japanese Visit
Social visits among the Japanese are apt to be very formal - the tea ceremony is a ritualised affair and a hostess is judged by her ability to perform it well

Lady Swimming / 1820
A lady swims leisurely on her side in the sea with a cliff in the background from which a number of people are admiring her ability

Dowser Bleton
French sourcier BLETON, blindfolded and using no apparatus, convinces a committee of scientists of his dowsing ability

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