Wellcome uses cookies.

Read our policy
Wellcome Collection homepage
All
Stories
Images
Catalogue
Events

Stories

  • Article

The unearthly children of science fiction’s Cold War

In the 1950s a new figure emerged in British novels, film and television: a disturbing young alien that revealed postwar society’s fear of the unruly power of teenagers.

  • Article

Good animals, bad humans?

Could an animal be more evolved than a human? Victorian psychologists thought that in some cases the answer could be ‘yes’.

  • Article

Devilry and doom in 1666

Disastrous events and a significant combination of numbers signalled the end – or perhaps a new beginning – in 1666. But for some, this feverish period fuelled unprecedented inventiveness and development.

  • Book extract

Ayurveda: Knowledge for long life

The story of medicine in India is rich and complex. Aarathi Prasad investigates how it came to be this way.

All stories (8)

Images

  • A bearded old man and a young woman representing Philosophy and Art respectively: he points to a book about mechanics and science, while she points to a painting of the Nativity of Christ. Engraving by W. Ridgway after D. Huntington.
  • Men and women with telescopes, gyroscopes, a balloon, battle ships, and other forms of technology; representing the benefits of philosophy and science. Engraving by E. Voysard after C.L. Desrais.
  • A woman representing philosophy. Etching by B. Audran the elder, c. 1700, after Raphael.
  • Putti deprive a bird of air in a vacuum experiment, one plays at billiards, another plays with magnetised keys, while outside a storm rages: representing physics. Etching by B. Picart, 1729, after himself.
  • Scientific instruments and attributes of philosophy: gyroscopes, telescope, pestle and mortar, cosmological manuals, natural history specimens etc.. Lithograph by J-B-J. Jorand, 1835.
  • A woman representing truth sits in a chemical laboratory and points at the source of a ray of light, representing philosophy. Engraving by Crabb, 1817, after G.M. Brighty.
  • A woman representing astrology or philosophy. Engraving by P. Ghigi after L. Agricola after Raphael.
  • A young woman, perhaps Prudentia, warns an alchemist of the dangers of abusing fire: in the background fires rage in buildings and mines. Oil painting after Marten de Vos.
  • A young woman, perhaps Prudentia, warns an alchemist of the dangers of abusing fire: in the background fires rage in buildings and mines. Engraving by C. de Passe after M. de Vos, 16th century.
  • A young woman, perhaps Prudentia, warns an alchemist of the dangers of abusing fire: in the background fires rage in buildings and mines. Engraving by C. de Passe after M. de Vos, 16th century.
All images (16)

Catalogue

All works (3.3K)