Meccano was the brainchild of Frank Hornby. Born in 1863 in Liverpool, Hornby, a Liverpool clerk, began by making toys for his two sons. A massive step forward occurred when he had the idea of interchangeable parts, so different models could be made from the same kit. In 1902 a set was launched on the […]
Art for All sounds like a modern slogan. The idea is that objects of quality shouldn’t only be for an elite who can afford it. Everyone should be able to have a taste of good things. But in fact the idea is far from new. Centuries ago furniture or paintings made for kings and palaces […]
In Burslem, about 1810, George Wade started a small workshop to produce pottery, being mainly bottles and similar items. This was to develop into specialised ceramic production for commercial items during the early 19th century, often for textile and similar mills; this production carried on into the early 20th century. As an additional product line, […]
Nowadays we are so used to local and general anaesthetics, unless we are in the medical profession we seldom feel or see the instruments used on our bodies. This is all a comparatively recent state of affairs. Two hundred years ago things were very different. In 1811 the writer Fanny Burney felt every movement of […]
If we flew back in time to a city in the 1700’s, one of the first differences to hit us would be the smell. There would of course be no traffic exhaust or extractor fans wafting kebab cooking over the pavements – and not so many pavements – but Georgian England had its own powerful […]
