Improving Collection

James Watt in his Glasgow workshop improving on Thomas Newcomens 1712 Newcomen
3588302 James Watt in his Glasgow workshop improving on Thomas Newcomens 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1781, from Les Merveilles de la Science, pub.1870

DNA repair using nanobots. Computer artwork depicting the possibility of using robots at an atomic scale (nanobots) to repair damaged DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the bodys genetic code

New Woman Poster ?1896
The New Woman: a bookish frumpy young woman in plain clothes & monocle sits on a stool surrounded by improving books. She also smokes judging by the cigarette in the corner

DDE-90035849
Tallinn, Estonia. White ferry arriving from Finland. Date: 06/03/2007

Comic postcard, Woman with dress improvers the wrong way round, as pointed out by her maid Date: early 20th century

Comic postcard, Woman at her dressing table, improving her appearance with makeup Date: early 20th century

Fernwood, Newlands (b / w photo)
3092480 Fernwood, Newlands (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Fernwood, Newlands)

St Johns River, Old Jetty and Warehouses (b / w photo)
3092356 St Johns River, Old Jetty and Warehouses (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: St Johns River, Old Jetty and Warehouses)

Motto frontispiece in a bound volume of The British Workman, an improving magazine aimed at the industrial classes, advocating temperance and education. Laborare est Orare - To Work is to Worship

Front cover of a bound volume of The British Workman, an improving magazine for the working classes founded by Thomas Bywater Smithies in 1855, committed to encouraging temperance, protestantism

Proposed Ferry-Steamer between Dover and Calais
DGC418698 Proposed Ferry-Steamer between Dover and Calais, illustration from Appletons Journal, May 4, 1872 (litho) by American School

Fancy Bazaar at the Wellington Barracks, in Aid of the Funds of the Central Association for improving the Condition of
1609601 Fancy Bazaar at the Wellington Barracks, in Aid of the Funds of the Central Association for improving the Condition of the Wives and Families of Soldiers and Sailors (engraving)

Exercising in bed
A woman exercising on her bed, using a Cush-up, patented by Marian Jacks of Old Bond Street who specialised in corrective anatomy

Sketches at the Brighton Volunteer Review (engraving)
1613656 Sketches at the Brighton Volunteer Review (engraving) by Regamey, Felix (1844-1907) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sketches at the Brighton Volunteer Review)

Work at the Embankment, London 1868
Workmen improving the public stretch of road alone the River Thames, 70 to 100 feet in width and stretching from Westminster to Blackfriars more than a mile and a-half in length

Sir Edward Guinness, Baronet (engraving)
1046769 Sir Edward Guinness, Baronet (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Edward Guinness, Baronet)

Site of the model lodging house, erected by the General Society for Improving the dwellings of the working classes
585280 Site of the model lodging house, erected by the General Society for Improving the dwellings of the working classes (engraving) by English School

Plan of the New Buildings in the Farringdon Road, for the Metropolitan Association for improving the Dwellings of
6022232 Plan of the New Buildings in the Farringdon Road, for the Metropolitan Association for improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes (engraving) by English School

Nuisances of London, The Deluge (colour litho)
2818120 Nuisances of London, The Deluge (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Nuisances of London, The Deluge)

Massage and movements for improving the appearance and flexibility of the ankles (b / w photo)
5998411 Massage and movements for improving the appearance and flexibility of the ankles (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Town Hall, Uitenhage (b / w photo)
3092455 Town Hall, Uitenhage (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Town Hall, Uitenhage)

Make-up (colour litho)
3641806 Make-up (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Make-up. Postcard, early 20th century. Signed: Comicus.); © Look and Learn

A Rotifer Hunt (engraving)
1038444 A Rotifer Hunt (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Rotifer Hunt. Illustration for The Graphic)

Cartoons, Improving landscapes
Cartoons, Improving Landscapes, with the addition of smoky chimney-stacks, gas towers, soap factories and drainage pipes. Date: 1880

Morning light bathes the Golden Gate Bridge & Fort Point
Morning light bathes the Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point. These two San Francisco landmarks are some of the most photographed places in the world

Proposed extensions of transport links into London 1919
Diagram showing a map of London and the movement of commuters by different travel means from Greater to Central London, and the proposed extensions of transport links

Thomas Day, Author
THOMAS DAY The author of Sandford and Merton, an improving tale. Date: 1748 - 1789

Workers Cottage
Double cottage for agricultural districts, drawn from the plans presented to the Society for improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes. Date: 1849

Cartoon, Making progress. A young woman sitting at the piano tells her friend: My voice is coming on -- I just had a complaint from the tenant on the sixth floor ! Date: 1919

Saint Elisabeth, Princess of Hungary (1207-1231), wife of Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia. She spent vast sums of money improving the conditions of the poor, and died at the age of 24

Girls Hall at Mullers Orphan Homes, Ashley Down, Bristol
Girls Hall in House 5 at George Mullers New Orphan Homes, Bristol. The girls are occupied in sewing. The room is decorated for Christmas and the walls adorned with improving mottos. Date: early 1900s

Illustration by Cecil Aldin, Crackers dog show inventions (with the authors apologies to Heath Robinson). Smoothing the Scotch Collie, Pampering the Pom, and Improving the Kerry Blues Beard

WW2 birthday card, All Clear! Rabbits, bird and squirrel. Date: circa 1942

Touching up a photograph for use in a newspaper
A specially-trained expert retouching photographs before reproduction in The Daily Chronicle newspaper - done by hand in the days long before Photoshop was available. Date: 1914

Design Improving Old Alm -House North Side City Hall Park
Artokoloro

Digital Illustration showing new tiles on top of existing tiles, and quadrant edging tile

Digital Illustration showing rubber-based float and grouting on floor tiles

Domestic Sheep, ewes, flock grazing Santiago winter wheat, grazed at twelve sheep per hectare, improving crop and sheep health

National Physical laboratory Hovercraft Unit Experimental craft HD2, HD2-001, built to investigate methods of improving lateral control and manoeuvrability

Domestic Cattle, Limousin calves, one-day old, born as part of embryo transplant program to improve genetics, England, November

An improving result of university education for women. Cartoon from Punch, 14 September 1913. Lady Boot of Boots Stores offered employment as assistants to 50 women graduates as she felt it would

Dr Zander / Posture / 1897
Dr Zanders apparatus for improving posture, demonstrated by one of his patients Date: 1897

Excavator improving stream bank to help prevent flooding, Cumbria, England, june

Improving air quality in London. Conceptual image of a human lung superimposed on a map of the city of London. Londons Congestion Charge Zone (white area)

Evolution of technology, conceptual computer artwork. Robot hand holding a cog, which could represent the evolution from purely mechanical systems to advanced electronic systems

Nottingham & Midland Counties industrial exhibition
Visitors at the Nottingham and Midland Counties Industrial Exhibition, in a building erected for the purpose in the Cattle Market at Nottingham

Model Lodging House, St. Giless, London, 1847
Engraving showing the exterior of a Model Lodging house (centre, left), built by the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes in St. Giles s, 1847

Disraeli and Asia Minor
Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli repairs Asia Minor, claiming this improving of the noble Turk is his proudest work in this satire on early British Colonialism

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"Unleashing Innovation: From James Watt to Nanobots, the Journey of Improvement" In his bustling Glasgow workshop, James Watt tirelessly tinkered with machinery, driven by a burning desire to improve upon Thomas Newcomen's groundbreaking invention from 1712. This relentless pursuit of progress would pave the way for an industrial revolution that transformed the world. Fast forward centuries later, and scientists are now pushing boundaries in DNA repair using nanobots - microscopic marvels capable of mending our genetic code at its very core. With their precision and potential, these tiny warriors hold the key to a future where diseases can be conquered and human health can be enhanced like never before. But improvement isn't limited to technology alone; it permeates every aspect of our lives. Take the enigmatic "New Woman Poster" from 1896 as an example - a symbol of women breaking free from societal constraints and striving for equality. It stands as a testament to how society continuously evolves through collective efforts towards progress. Sometimes improvement is found in simple moments bathed in morning light; when golden rays illuminate iconic structures like the majestic Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point. These architectural marvels not only connect physical spaces but also serve as reminders that even timeless beauty can be enhanced by embracing new possibilities. Yet improvement doesn't always come without its quirks or mishaps. A comic postcard depicting a woman wearing dress improvers backward serves as a lighthearted reminder that mistakes are part of growth - we learn best when we stumble along the way. Similarly, another comic postcard portrays a woman at her dressing table diligently improving her appearance with makeup. It reminds us that self-care and personal growth go hand-in-hand; sometimes enhancing our outer selves helps nurture inner confidence and resilience. From historic black-and-white photographs capturing Fernwood's charm in Newlands or St Johns River's old jetty surrounded by warehouses, we witness how time has shaped and improved our surroundings.