Incubator Collection

Buff Orpington chicks huddled together under a heat lamp

Cayuga ducklings huddled together under a heat lamp for warmth

Incubator, 1884
The interior and exterior view of an Auvard incubator for premature babies. Date: 1899

An incubator nursery
Nurses attending to sick babies kept alive in a ward of incubators. The incubators pictured are from a design by Paul Altmann and distributed by Messrs Coney and Schenkhein

Incubating Chicks
A farmer and his wife and child are pleased with the new incubator whose drawers hold newly hatched chicks

Illustration of baby lying on front in incubator
Assistance, Baby, Beginnings, Biomedical Illustration, Care, Caucasian Appearance, Close-Up, Electrode, Feeding, Fragility, Healthcare and Medicine, Heat, High Angle View, Human Nose, Incubator

Illustration of baby wearing eye mask and nappy lying on back inside incubator
Assistance, Baby, Beginnings, Biomedical Illustration, Care, Caucasian Appearance, Close-Up, Electrode, Eye Mask, Fragility, Healthcare and Medicine, Incubator, Intensive Care Unit, Lying On Back

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) female cubs aged 1 month in incubator, Beauval ZooPark, France 9 September 2021

The Evolution of a Picture, or how our Artist became an RA (chromolitho)
1056894 The Evolution of a Picture, or how our Artist became an RA (chromolitho) by Macquoid, Percy (1852-1925); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Evolution of a Picture)

Our Poultry Supply (engraving)
2799829 Our Poultry Supply (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Our Poultry Supply)

Comic postcard, Couple discussing incubators for babies Date: 20th century

The Great Egg Question: Sketches at a Poultry Farm, from
BAL127909 The Great Egg Question: Sketches at a Poultry Farm, from The Illustrated London News, 2nd April 1887 (engraving) by English School

Artificial Chicken-Hatching (engraving)
3637911 Artificial Chicken-Hatching (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Artificial Chicken-Hatching)

Medecine, La couveuse d enfants (engraving)
2787968 Medecine, La couveuse d enfants (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Medecine, La couveuse d enfants)

Maternity Special Care Unit, Walsgrave Hospital. 24th August 1977

The Zetland and Breakers Clubs, of Redcar, jointly presented a cheque for £586
The Zetland and Breakers Clubs, of Redcar, jointly presented a cheque for £ 586.85 to Middlesbrough Maternity Hospitals social care baby unit

Thorns sextuplets. Standing by to take Roger back to his incubator is Sister Dorothy Hilditch, head of the special care unit team which has been looking after the babies. 3rd December 1968

Photo-call for Thorns Sextuplets in Incubation Ward at Birmingham Maternity Hospital, 2nd October 1968. It was reported earlier today

Baby lives in box. April 1948

Special care unit for premature babies, Nether Edge Hospital, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1969. Babies being cared for in incubators. Commisioned by the National Coal Board

Illustration of a woman and man standing next to incubator touching baby inside

An incubator designed by Paul Altmann and distributed by Messrs Coney and Schenkhein. The machine was automatic with the temperature maintained by a thermostat

Incubators, at the Maternity Hospital, Port Royal, Paris
A sketch of Mr Tarniers incubators for babies. The incubator is made of a wooden box with padded sides, for insulation. The box containing the child sits on a compartment of hot water bottles

NURSING, 1942. A nurse caring for a premature infant in an incubator. Photograph by Fritz Henle, 1942

Incubator F008 / 3567
Incubator. This incubator is used during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment to keep harvested eggs at body temperature

Black bear cub in incubator C016 / 9526
Black bear cub in incubator. Newborn Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in an incubator at a conservation centre. Photographed in Guangzhou, China

Plant genetics research C016 / 9539
Plant genetics research. Morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) plant seedlings in an incubator at a genetics research laboratory

Scientist with specimen trays
Scientist removing specimen trays from an incubator

Scientist using sample agitator
MODEL RELEASED. Sample agitator. Scientist placing a large flask into a sample agitator. The agitator will shake the flask, keeping the contents mixed

Incubator, 1899
An elegant French incubator for premature infants. Date: 1899

Baby Incubators - Crystal Palace - Child Life Section Date: circa 1908

Gamekeeper lamping Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) eggs, to check if fertile before being returned to incubator, England

Stephane Tarnier, French obstetrician

Microbe fermentation unit for the production of hormones and enzymes for medical and industrial use. This is a method of solid state fermentation called tray or koji fermentation

Electric incubator, 19th century
Electric incubator. Caricature of a man being kept alive in an electric incubator. This refers to the incubator designed and built by a French medical engineer named Sulfatin

Sturgeon farming in Russia
Sturgeon farming. Fertilised eggs in an incubator used to hatch sturgeon. The eggs take six to seven days to hatch. Sturgeon are hugely important to the economy of many parts of Russia

Baby in an incubator, artwork
Baby in an incubator. Computer artwork of a newborn baby in an incubator. Incubators are used to maintain optimal environmental conditions suitable for a newborn baby

Early baby incubator, 19th century
Early baby incubator. Premature baby being cared for in an incubator with the air temperature maintained at 30 degrees Celsius

ISS Biolab training station. This is the training station for the Biolab rack contained in the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS)

A Thermostatic Nurse
Illustrations of a Thermostatic Nurse, an invention by Mr Hearson. The tank was separated into two compartments; in the lower, a shallow tank of water was used to moisten and heat the air

Baby in Incubator
A nurse carefully handles a premature baby, holding its head in the incubator

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An incubator is a remarkable invention that has been used in various contexts throughout history. In 1884, the first incubator was introduced, revolutionizing the hatching of eggs and providing warmth to delicate creatures. Fast forward to 1969 at Nether Edge Hospital in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, where a special care unit for premature babies utilized this technology to nurture tiny lives. Just like Cayuga ducklings huddled together under a heat lamp for warmth, these premature infants found solace and protection within the confines of an incubator nursery. The image of Buff Orpington chicks seeking comfort under a similar heat source resonates with the vulnerability shared by these fragile beings. But it's not just birds and babies who have benefited from this ingenious device. Even giant panda cubs were given a chance at survival when they were placed inside an incubator at just one month old. This heartwarming sight captured their journey towards growth and development. The significance of the incubator extends beyond its practical uses; it has also become subject matter for art forms such as chromolitho prints and engravings. Artists have depicted scenes ranging from poultry farms discussing artificial chicken-hatching techniques to humorous comic postcards showcasing couples contemplating using incubators for human babies. Through time, we witness how this invention evolved - from simple engravings illustrating artificial chicken-hatching methods to its incorporation into medical units saving precious lives in hospitals worldwide. Whether it be nurturing ducklings or aiding premature infants' growth, the story behind an incubator is one that showcases humanity's ingenuity and compassion towards all living beings.