Stephen Hawking at Work

Explore incredible objects, including some never seen by the public before, from Professor Stephen Hawking’s office in this new, free display.

A new special display, Stephen Hawking at Work, will give an insight into the working life of the world-renowned theoretical physicist. Come and marvel at the extraordinary contents of Hawking’s office which was acquired for the nation by the Science Museum Group in May 2021.

Highlight objects going on display for the first time include a rare copy of Hawking’s PhD thesis, his wheelchair and Hawking’s most treasured office possession—a blackboard filled with academic doodles and jokes.

Explore some of the objects on display:

Permobil model F3 Corpus wheelchair, built c.2016 Science Museum Group

Stephen Hawking's 1966 Phd thesis, 'Properties of Expanding Universes' Science Museum Group

Membership Insignia of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences Science Museum Group

Glass apple made by Amlong Crystal and painted in green, blue, yellow, and red spots to represent the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation map of the universe. Presented to Stephen Hawking by Intel on his 75th birthday. Science Museum Group

Rectangular wooden blackboard densely inscribed with chalk doodles, made during the 1980 Nuffield Workshop in Cambridge, UK, on Superspace and Supergravity. Science Museum Group

Colour photograph of Stephen Hawking with Jim Norton, as Albert Einstein, and John Neville, as Sir Isaac Newton, in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. 1993. In a silver frame.
Science Museum Group Collection

Stephen Hawking at Work will go on to tour the Science Museum Group’s museums, opening next at the National Science and Media Museum in April 2023.

Stephen Hawking's office was accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by H M Government from the Estate of Stephen Hawking and allocated to the Science Museum, 2021.

Other things to see and do

Stephen Hawking’s Office

Exploring Space

Making the Modern World

Part of the Science Museum Group