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Victorian Inventions
1975, oversize trade paperback reprint edition (of a work first published in 1971 in Holland) this edition in English, John Murray, London, U.K. 192 pages. An absolute gas of a book, beautifully published, 192 total vintage illustrations. Includes Victorian-era inventions in the fields transport, electricity, optics, a new gizmo called the telephone, and miscellaneous new gee-whizzes, which offered society something to think about. This era, sometimes referred to as the explosive age of invention, gives "flying machines, electricity, photography, cinematography, the x-ray, telephone, phonographs, typewriters, the engineering of the Eiffel Tower, and the Brooklyn and Forth Bridges, underground travel, gas, steam, and electric locomotion, and contrivances for life-saving, beauty, health and talking dolls." Absolutely wonderful.
- GenresScienceNonfiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 27, 2026
A fascinating potpourri of articles from 19th-centruy editions of Scientific American and Nature.
This book is not about those inventions that gave rise to the modern world. You'll find no conventional dynamos or steam engines, no civil engineering projects or medical innovations. This book is about the outrageous "also rans" in the history of invention- genuine but insane innovations such as how to copper-plate a corpse, the ankle-wheel roller-skate, mechanical waiters, mole machines, cloud projectors, devices to multi-task the playing of musical instruments, the public demonstrations of Nicola Tesla...
If you're looking for how Victorian ingenuity contributed to our lifestyle today, this book is not for you. But if you're interested in the indirect impact- the Victoriana that remains with us as the giant gears and hissing automata of steampunk- then you'll find much of its origin right here.
I reread this wonderful book just recently after a gap of many years- a welcome homecoming! Although you can only buy this second-hand, it can be borrowed from the Internet Archive.
This book is not about those inventions that gave rise to the modern world. You'll find no conventional dynamos or steam engines, no civil engineering projects or medical innovations. This book is about the outrageous "also rans" in the history of invention- genuine but insane innovations such as how to copper-plate a corpse, the ankle-wheel roller-skate, mechanical waiters, mole machines, cloud projectors, devices to multi-task the playing of musical instruments, the public demonstrations of Nicola Tesla...
If you're looking for how Victorian ingenuity contributed to our lifestyle today, this book is not for you. But if you're interested in the indirect impact- the Victoriana that remains with us as the giant gears and hissing automata of steampunk- then you'll find much of its origin right here.
I reread this wonderful book just recently after a gap of many years- a welcome homecoming! Although you can only buy this second-hand, it can be borrowed from the Internet Archive.
August 26, 2019
Excellent book for insight into many known and unknown inventions of the Victorian era, with a heavy emphasis on European, English, and American inventors.
The illustrations are quite nice in this oversized book and I found lots of ideas for a Steampunk tale I'm writing.
The illustrations are quite nice in this oversized book and I found lots of ideas for a Steampunk tale I'm writing.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews