Ideas Collection

The Sketch Ideal Home No. VI. Sports Without Broad Acres by
The difficult problem of how to enjoy games and field sports when you live in a block of flats has triumphantly solved. The sixth in the series of Ideal Home designs by W. Heath Robinson

An Ideal Home No. I by William Heath Robinson
The first in the series of the Ideal Home designs by W. Heath Robinson. The illustrations from The Sketch depict ingenious space creating ideas for the spatially challenged home

The Workers May-Pole, design for a socialist poster
The Workers May-Pole, a design for a socialist poster, with a central allegorical figure, and banners and ribbons labelled with abstract ideas such as Leisure, Solidarity and Humanity. Date: 1894

A Decided Catch by William Heath Robinson
The Whitebait cycle, an ingenious contraption necessitated by the exorbitant charges for hire of boats at the seaside this season

Bound to Draw by William Heath Robinson
Another well-thought-out experiment in dentistry from Heath Robinson, the Gadget King and mastermind behind endless convoluted contraptions and silly ideas. Date: 1927

The Arrival of the First Thor Ballistic Missile to RAF Bom
Photograph of the delivery of first Thor Ballistic Missile to an RAF Base in Norfolk, 19th September 1958. Sixty-five feet long

Robert Owen / New Harmony
New Harmony, Indiana, USA. Robert Owen established an experimental co-operative community to compliment his ideas for social reform. The project failed in 1928

Cartoon, Kitcheners All, WW1
Cartoon, Kitcheners All, First World War. A scene in a London club, where nearly all of the members look just like Lord Kitchener, each one with his own ideas of how the war should be run. Date: 1914

Saucy and silly seaside postcard with cheeky caption
A Young man heads out to sea in a small rowing boat named the Saucy Sue - she instructs him: " Mind you don t goo too far, Darling!

Selfridges fancy dress advertisement
Selfridges say that the secret of successful fancy dress is originality. Advertisement for fancy dress costumes from Selfridges department store

Asprey Christmas presents, 1926
Colour advertisement for Asprey of Bond Street displaying a wide variety of Christmas present ideas, including an attache case, a shagreen cigarette box, leather handbag, crocodile handbag pochette

Gowns That Express Poetic Ideas
Purple and blue wigs to complete the colour-schemes of dresses: gowns that express poetic ideas. Costumes from the house of Madame Lucile

Advert for Peter Robinson, gentlemens clothing 1895
Christmas presents for gentlemen, smoking jackets and dressing gowns. 1895

Suffragette Imps become Suffragists. Cartoon Imps who featured in Ideas Penny Illustrated Weekly are seen behaving as wild suffragettes

Robert Owen - New Harmony, Indiana, USA
New Harmony, Indiana, USA. Robert Owen established an experimental co-operative community to compliment his ideas for social reform. The project failed in 1828. Date: 1838

WWII - the man who eats grass, Mr J. R. B. Branson
Mr J. R. B. Branson, who advocated a diet of grass to counter food shortages during the Second World War. The Bystander magazine ran a double page spread on him

Chilcot For Ideas Advertisement
A photographic advertisement for Chilcot Publicity, producers of commercial art and specialists in all phases of publicity. The photograph shows a clay model scene of ideas men. Date: circa 1939

The Archbishop of Canterbury addressing Working Men: Newcas
The church congress at Newcastle, in which the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time (Frederick Temple (Nov 1986- Dec 1902) addresses 6000 working men

The Home Advertisement
An advertisement for the winter number of The Home, an Australian quarterly magazine that exposed its readers to modern ideas about art and design concerning home furnishing and fashion

Ideas for transforming furniture using colourful chintz, wallpaper and paint. Date: 1954

Summer fashion ideas for women: a plage suit with a lozenge-patterned jerkin, and two swimsuits. Date: 1954

A range of DIY ideas for the home, including a vacuum cleaner storage rack, an office area in the kitchen, and a "husband's corner" in a converted larder. Date: 1954

Some ideas and instructions for home knitting projects - a reversible cardigan and a jumper. Date: 1943

Instructions for creating decorative patches to repair holes in fabric, with ideas for motifs. Date: 1943

Some ideas and instructions for home knitting projects - a twin set, and woollen stockings. Date: 1943

Advert, W H Smith, Ideas for Yuletide Gifts Date: 1911

Comic postcard, Middle aged couple on a sofa Date: 20th century

The Three Meers, Permanent Address: 14 Leicester Street, London - new tricks for 1910, a surprise for 1911, up to date ideas for 1912, and some more for 1913. Date: 1910

Three fashion ideas from top London couture houses of Jane March (a tweed ensemble of coat, jumper and skirt), Sara Cameron (coat, jumper and kilted skirt) and Thea Ltd evening gown with fringe)

Some ideas for summer beach wear - bathing dresses, wraps and caps, 1926 Date: 1926

Ada Broadbent wearing an exotic plumed and feathered
Ada Broadbent, premiere denseuse, wearing an exotic plumed and feathered costume in the Plume Idea - a new Fanchon and Marco presentation on the West coast USA, 1927 Date: 1927

Stars of the West - a group of young ladies who scintillate Hollywood, 1930 - Bernice Claire seen in First National talkies including Spring is Here (top left), the Sisters G

Advert for Fanchon and Marcos Ideas stage presentations for Fox West Coast Theatres, 1930 Date: 1930

Tropical Gardens Battersea
in 1863, John Gibson, Battersea Parks first Superintendent, created a mixture of exotic plants and colourful carpet bedding that started a fashion that swept across England

Page from The Illustrated London News suggesting ideas for British goods for Christmas including an outfit from Burberry. Date: 1931

Cartoon, Extremes Must Meet (Disraeli and Reform)
Cartoon, Extremes Must Meet; or, A Bit of Practical Science -- a satirical comment on Disraelis Reform Bill, in which men can qualify for the vote if they are ratepayers

Conversazione of educational exhibition, St. Martins Hall
Prince Albert stopping by the Norway stand at the Educational Exhibition, held at St. Martins Hall in July 1854. 1854

New Ideas for using X-Rays for Medical use WWI
Used in the British, French and Russian military hospitals the Kompact, apparatus, to find foreign bodies in wounded soldiers

Cartoon, Political Anglers - Tory politicians Lord Salisbury and Randolph Churchill discuss where they obtained their bait (ie political policies)

Niepce and Daguerre exchanging ideas on photography
Joseph Niepce (1765 - 1833) and Louis Daguerre (1787 - 1851) are shown to be exchanging ideas regarding their contribution to the development of photography

Advert for Dunhills Lytup Handbags 1923
Advertisement for the Lytup handbag from Alfred Dunhill, with a small electric light illuminating the contents whenever it is opened up

Lady in incredible fancy dress
Photograph of a lady called Rosie dressed in an incredible fancy dress costume consisting of countless items hanging from her dress. Date: 1926

Advert for Swan and Edgar - Christmas present ideas 1928
A selection of weird looking gifts for smokers, all available from Swan and Edgar. Date: 1928

Charles Sims, Mans last pretence of consummation painting
Mans last pretence of consummation in indifference. One of a series of Spiritual Ideas pictures by Charles Sims (1873-1928) which were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1928

Charles Sims, The rebel powers that thee array
The rebel powers that thee array. One of a series of Spiritual Ideas pictures by Charles Sims (1873-1928) which were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1928, shortly after his death by suicide

Charles Sims, Behold, I have graven thee painting
Behold, I have graven thee on the palm of my hand. One of a series of Spiritual Ideas pictures by Charles Sims (1873-1928) which were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1928

Fancy Dress, 1920s - Woman dressed as a road crossing
Woman dressed in a brilliant costume as a road crossing. Advice to stop, look and listen adorns her hat while other signs on her dress warn of vicious dogs or thin ice. c.1924

Christmas present - wooden raven 1909
Xmas gift for Christmas, novel moving wooden raven on wheels, when drawn alone its head sways, eyes roll and beak opens. 1909

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