Inventions that Didn't Change the World

Welcome to the world of Victorian product design, and the improbable inventions that never quite made it into production during Britain’s period as the workshop of the world. These genuine domestic and professional designs, registered in the nineteenth century for the most unlikely innovations, have been boxed away – until now – deep in the vaults of The National Archives. Meticulous illustrations and descriptions accompany the boldest of claims for making daily life in a newly industrialized world that little bit easier. Julie Halls works at The National Archives, Kew, London, and is a specialist in registered designs.