Objects and stories

Explore our collection beyond the museum floor and find out the fascinating histories behind even the smallest objects.

Objects and Stories aims to give you better access to this world-class Museum through our ever-expanding digital resources. Search for over 250,000 objects and archives in Collection Online, take a look at our curator's highlights below, and discover unique and compelling stories—from objects that have changed our world to the intriguing personal histories that lie behind them.

New stories

Science City: London 1550 - 1800

Between 1550 and 1800, science changed profoundly. Our understanding of the world around us was transformed by scientific discoveries.

A cyanotype of 'Polysiphonia violacea' from 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions', made by Anna Atkins (1799-1871) in 1843.

Meaningful matter

Artists and scientists use the same visual tools, such as drawing and photography, to understand the unseen or previously incomprehensible. However, their interpretations have not always agreed.

The Age of Plastic: From Parkesine to pollution

It's almost impossible to imagine a world without plastic—when was this wonder material first produced, and how has it affected our planet?

Chemistry

Delve into stories of how experimentation and innovation in chemistry affects the world around us.

Transatlantic journeys

Crop of Grappling the abandoned cable, 1866. Lithograph after Robert Dudley

How perseverance laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable

In 1858 a new transatlantic telegraph cable shrank the world, dramatically changing the way we communicate.

Titanic, Marconi and the wireless telegraph

The dramatic rescue of over 700 survivors from the Titanic disaster was made possible by wireless telegraphy.

Robeson sings: the first transatlantic telephone cable

Discover how a concert by singer Paul Robeson tested the possibilities of the new transatlantic telephone cable.

Explore by topic

Chemistry

Delve into stories of how experimentation and innovation in chemistry affects the world around us.

Series

War and medicine

Find out more with about military medicine in three stories about war and medicine.

Series

Hospitals

Read more stories about the history of hospitals and the practice of hospital medicine.

Series

Surgery

What did it take to make surgery the safe, reliable treatment that we now take for granted?

Computing

Explore some of the key moments that have shaped our computerised modern world.

Satellites

Getting directions, watching television, monitoring the weather—our lives have been fundamentally changed by thousands of satellites in orbit around Earth.

Wireless communication

How has wireless telegraphy shaped the modern world?

Telephone

From the first crackly telephone call to the ‘smart’ devices, how technology affects the ways we interact.

Mathematics

With stories spanning the centuries, discover how mathematics connects to every aspect of our lives.

Robots

Explore the 500-year story of humanoid robots and the scientific quest to understand what it means to be human.

Series

Space

Explore stories of the developments in science and technology that took humans into space and onto the surface of the Moon.

The Sun

Explore the power and beauty of the Sun with stories, videos and objects from our collection.

More ways to explore our collection

SMG Journal

The Journal presents the global research community with peer-reviewed papers relevant to the work of the Science Museum Group.

Science and Society Picture Library

Over a million images and footage from the Science Museum Group.

Brought to Life: exploring the history of medicine

Browse thousands of images and stories from our medicine collection and follow the fascinating story of medicine.

Dana Research Centre and Library

Consult 6,000 books and journals covering museum studies and the history and biography of science technology and medicine.

New stories

Science City: London 1550 - 1800

Meaningful matter

The Age of Plastic: From Parkesine to pollution

Incredible chemistry

Chemistry

Transatlantic journeys

How perseverance laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable

Titanic, Marconi and the wireless telegraph

Robeson sings: the first transatlantic telephone cable

Explore by topic

Chemistry

War and medicine

Hospitals

Surgery

Computing

Satellites

Wireless communication

Telephone

Mathematics

Robots

Space

The Sun

More ways to explore our collection

SMG Journal

Science and Society Picture Library

Brought to Life: exploring the history of medicine

Dana Research Centre and Library

Part of the Science Museum Group