Welcome to our exhibition, Technology: From Mongrels To Minitels! With this project, we aim to present a great variety of objects, covering a whole range of functions, time periods, and locations, that all define technology in very unique ways. These objects, perhaps underappreciated by the public or in research, can be representative not only of different schools of thinking and progress, but also of cultural trends and bygone eras. Ranging from a Roman floor tile to a precursor of the Internet, this exhibition will explore the eurocentric nature of these objects and the elite statuses they may have held, as well as assessing their successes (or perhaps lack thereof!).
Below is a short introduction to the objects in our collection and a short fact file for each giving key information, including the museum they came from so you can visit (some of) the objects in person!
Keep scrolling down to choose a tour of our collection to explore the different objects!
A brass hand heliostat, invented for communication by flashing sun signals from the mirror, across distances of up to 10 miles. This heliostat was invented by Francis Galton to be used in his exploration of colonial Africa.
Location: Galton Collection
Accession number: GALT 007
Dimensions: 14x2cm, mirror: 5x3cm
Material: brass
A miniature New Testament and Psalm Book, written entirely in Jeremiah Rich's shorthand system, along with an accompanying case. The books were some of the only written in Rich's system.
Location: UCL Special Collections
Accession number: OGD 30/31
Dimensions: New Testament: 6.5 x 4.5 x 2.4cm; Psalm Book: 6.3 x 4 x 1.3 cm; Case: 5 x 7.3 x 5.8cm
Material: paper, leather, wood
The Minitel system was a French precursor to the Internet where users could access ‘online’ services. It was considered cutting-edge technology during its prime in the 1980s.
Location: UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering Collections
Accession number: LDUSC-EE-251
Dimensions:
35 x 22 x 37cm
Material: metal, plastic casing
This tile, imprinted with a dog paw print, dates from Roman Britain. The invaders introduced their technological processes to make tiles in Britain.
Location: UCL Institute of Archaeology
Accession number: N/A
Dimensions: The slanted side is 14cm in length, the opposite 11.5cm, the top side 7cm, and the bottom 15cm. The tile is about 3cm thick.
Material: unknown, likely brick or clay
In their natural habitat, queen termites sustain and are the centre of reproduction in the colony. This termite specimen, complete with her eggs, has been preserved for well over a hundred years, a prime example of the advancement of chemical technology in natural history.
Location: UCL Grant Museum
Accession number: LDUCZ-L87.
Dimensions: 7.75cm, abdomen: 6.75cm
Material: specimen in 40% diluted formaldehyde solution