Lever Collection

Poster produced for British Railways (BR), showing a railway worker manually operating the signals in the Greenwood signal box, New Barnet, London

Port Sunlight - a workers utopia
Page from The Illustrated London News with photographs reporting on the model factory village of Port Sunlight on the Wirral, near Birkenhead

Biomechanics, historical artwork
Biomechanics. Historical artwork of two humans bearing loads. This illustration is taken from De Motu Animalium (On Animal Motion, 1680) by Alfonso Borelli (1608-1679)

A simple device for removing a wart
Contrary to the title of this picture, a complicated and convoluted machine to help a sufferer remove a wart from his head

Main Office Entrance, Port Sunlight. Port Sunlight is a garden village which was founded in 1888 by Lever to house his soap factory workers

The Post Office and Library, Greendale Road, Port Sunlight. Date: circa 1910

Macmillan Bicycle
Macmillans lever-driven bicycle is the first to be fitted with a drive mechanism of any kind

William H Lever
WILLIAM HESKETH LEVER 1ST VISCOUNT LEVER-HULME English soap manufacturer; built (1888-89) model industrial village of Port Sunlight

Cover design, Progress, April 1927 - Lever Brothers magazine, mythological figure in Liverpool Date: 1927

Pocket watches and wristwatches 1929
A selection of pocket watches that register the minutes, seconds and fifth of seconds and a golfers pocket watch that has pure white metal case and also ladies wristwatches with lever moverment

Macmillans Bicycle
Kirkpatrick Macmillan and his early Dandy Horse bicycle

The Martini-Henry Rifle (engraving)
1625821 The Martini-Henry Rifle (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Martini-Henry Rifle. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 22 July 1871)

Gentlemens pocket watches with lever movement 1929
Selection of gold gentlemens pocket watches, products for Harrods catalogue jewellery department. Date: 1929

Railwayman - 180 lever railway signal box at Shrewsbury
A railwayman walks across the tracks to the 180 lever railway signal box at Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. First published The Daily Telegraph Date: 1991

Gearstick
Gearknob in a vehicle

Dead Mans Handle
A dead mans handle is a switch that is automatically operated in case the human operator becomes incapacitated. Photograph by Heinz Zinram

Lord Leverhulme
WILLIAM HESKETH LEVER, baron LEVERHULME Popular Irish Influential industrialist

Abandoned rural branch line signal box, Worcestershire, England. Photograph by Norman Synge Waller Budd

C17th Fire Engine / Dutch
An early fire engine in use in Holland. The first flexible hose was invented by Jan van der Heijden in 1672 in the Netherlands, and a pre-cursor of this may be shown here

A carpenter drawing a nail from a plank
5310273 A carpenter drawing a nail from a plank; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a carpenter drawing a nail from a plank using a clawed hammer as a bent lever)

Man operating a pulley with lever and fulcrum
6266189 Man operating a pulley with lever and fulcrum; (add.info.: Man operating a pulley with a lever and fulcrum. After an 18th century work.); Photo © Ken Welsh. All rights reserved 2024.

An engraving depicting a Watt steam governor: A, B, a grooved wheel attached to spindle C, D
5311399 An engraving depicting a Watt steam governor: A, B, a grooved wheel attached to spindle C, D, and driven by an endless cord attached to a fly-wheel on the engine (not shown)

Engraving depicting a lady riding a tricycle
5308976 Engraving depicting a lady riding a tricycle; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a lady riding a tricycle. Foot pedals and hand levers operated cranks acting in the hub)

A pulley and basket for raising building materials
5310276 A pulley and basket for raising building materials; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a pulley and basket for raising building materials to the roof level)

A velocipede used on the railways round Lake Michigan
5310066 A velocipede used on the railways round Lake Michigan; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a velocipede used on the railways round Lake Michigan to get employees quickly from point to point)

Satin bowerbird and magpie tanager
5855211 Satin bowerbird and magpie tanager; (add.info.: Satin bowerbird (male), Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, and magpie tanager, Cissopis leveriana

A series of pulleys used to lock and unlock a door from bed
5310196 A series of pulleys used to lock and unlock a door from bed; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a series of pulleys used to lock and unlock a door without having to get up from bed)

Engraving depicting a wedge which when hammered into a tree stump, acted as a lever to force the wood apart
5309166 Engraving depicting a wedge which when hammered into a tree stump, acted as a lever to force the wood apart, 19th century; (add.info)

Stahmer's railway lever frame mechanism used for signalling trains, a system used to direct railway traffic
3473206 Stahmer's railway lever frame mechanism used for signalling trains, a system used to direct railway traffic , from Meyers Lexicon, pub

The working of the handle of the pump
5310272 The working of the handle of the pump; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the working of the handle of the pump (a bent lever) in order to draw water

Engraving after a Bas-relief depicting an Assyrian King superintending the removal of a colossal statue of a bull
5309093 Engraving after a Bas-relief depicting an Assyrian King superintending the removal of a colossal statue of a bull from the quarries to be set up in its final position; (add.info)

A Morse telegraph transmitting key
5312107 A Morse telegraph transmitting key; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a Morse telegraph transmitting key. Simple brass lever mounted on a hinge A, with a spring at F)

A worker using mechanical power to press paper in a mill. Handcoloured woodcut engraving from The Book of English
FLO4577680 A worker using mechanical power to press paper in a mill. Handcoloured woodcut engraving from The Book of English Trades and Library of the Useful Arts.; (add.info)

Fire engine. From Isaac de Caus Nouvelle Invention de Lever l'Eau Plus Hault, London, 1664. Engraving
530355 Fire engine. From Isaac de Caus Nouvelle Invention de Lever l'Eau Plus Hault, London, 1664. Engraving; Universal History Archive/UIG.

A surgeon performing trepanation and various surgical instruments, lever by Jean louis Petite, easel, trestle clamps
FLO4611817 A surgeon performing trepanation and various surgical instruments, lever by Jean louis Petite, easel, trestle clamps, cauterizer and round and triangular plates

Minting coins: 6,6 at bottom right are dies that would be put in press, 1, in which coins stamped out
535372 Minting coins: 6,6 at bottom right are dies that would be put in press, 1, in which coins stamped out. From The Universal Magazine (London 1750)

Clock, gilded with two rampant lions, rear view, Venetian, 18th century (see also 61126)
FTB61127 Clock, gilded with two rampant lions, rear view, Venetian, 18th century (see also 61126); Ca' Rezzonico, Museo del Settecento, Venice, Italy; © Francesco Turio Bohm.

2000 Automotive 2000
JANUARY 01: Ford Mondeo ST200 during the Automotive 2000 on January 01, 2000. (Photo by LAT Images)

The Drawbridge, 1875. Creator: Jacob Henricus Maris
The Drawbridge, 1875

Shaker Scales, c. 1938. Creator: George V. Vezolles
Shaker Scales, c. 1938

Shaker Scales, 1935/1942. Creator: George V. Vezolles
Shaker Scales, 1935/1942

Shaker Scales, c. 1939. Creator: George V. Vezolles
Shaker Scales, c. 1939

Shaker Scales, c. 1941. Creator: George V. Vezolles
Shaker Scales, c. 1941

Shaker Scales, 1935/1942. Creator: George V. Vezolles
Shaker Scales, 1935/1942

Coffee Mill, c. 1940. Creator: Milton Bevier
Coffee Mill, c. 1940

Widtsoe land use adjustment project, Garfield County, Utah, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Widtsoe land use adjustment project. Garfield County, Utah. Excavating new spillway of Tropic Dam

Candlestick, c. 1938. Creator: Eldon Allen
Candlestick, c. 1938

2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed
JULY 05: 1920 Ballot 3/8 LC during the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 05, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Wood / LAT Images)

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"Leveraging the Power of Innovation: From Railways to Wart Removal" Poster produced for British Railways (BR), showing a railway worker manually operating a lever. Port Sunlight - A workers' utopia built on the foundations of progress and efficiency. Discovering simplicity in removing warts with a cleverly designed lever device. Welcoming visitors at the Main Office Entrance, Port Sunlight – where ingenuity meets hospitality. The Post Office and Library, Greendale Road, Port Sunlight – fostering knowledge through community support. Exploring the fascinating world of biomechanics through historical artwork depicting levers in action. Riding into the future with the Macmillan Bicycle – an embodiment of Lever's visionary spirit. Remembering William H Lever's legacy through Lifebuoy Soap Advertisement – cleanliness as a way of life. Timeless elegance captured in pocket watches and wristwatches from 1929 – powered by precise lever movements. Gentlemen's pocket watches with lever movement from 1929 – blending sophistication with mechanical mastery. Railwayman's pride: Controlling signals at Shrewsbury using an impressive 180-lever railway signal box. From revolutionizing transportation to enhancing personal grooming techniques, levers have played an integral role throughout history, showcasing their versatility and impact across various domains. Whether it be British Railways relying on skilled workers manually operating levers to ensure smooth operations or Port Sunlight embodying Lever's vision for an ideal working environment, these examples demonstrate how levers have shaped our society. Beyond industrial applications, we find innovation even in wart removal devices that utilize simple yet effective leverage mechanisms for painless solutions. Port Sunlight continues its commitment to progress by offering amenities like post offices and libraries that enrich lives within this harmonious community setting.