Images © Copyright The National Museum of Science and Industry
Antiquated or Artform?
I’ve just been to visit the Science Museum archives at Blythe House where they store over 170,000 objects that the general public never get to see. Amazing place. The curator was kind enough to show me around the labyrinth of store rooms to see artificial hands from antiquity, and the stories that went with them. Here are some that were particularly interesting. Clearly a lot of craftsmanship has gone into making them and I wonder to what extent they were custom made for the wearer (rather than pre-made for the majority). Some materials used are rather unusual in artificial hands today and have different connotations. However it is one thing to look at and another to wear - so I ponder the question, what do people think about these hands compared to those of today?
1 Fully articulated wooden hands with palm fitment for pencil/ eating utensils by C.A. Hoefftoke, c1900
2 Wood and leather arm with ratchet lever to open and close steel spring fingers by P & K Artificial Limb co, Belfast c1920
3 Carved wooden hand with blank, for injured railway personnel by British Rail Engineering Ltd
4 Woven wicker hand verses carbon dioxide powered hand with wrist rotator using spacecraft technology at RAE Farnborough
