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Science and Media Museum

Objects and stories

The National Science and Media Museum is home to over three million items of historical and cultural significance.

Devoted to the science and culture of light and sound, our collection encompasses iconic objects and remarkable archives in the areas of photography, cinematography, television and new media. It includes three pivotal firsts: the world's earliest known surviving negative, the earliest television footage, and the camera that made the earliest moving pictures in Britain.

Photography and photographic technology

Explore more photography and photographic technology in our collection.

The photographic library of the 'Daily Herald' newspaper, 1911-1965 © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Replica of Camera used by W H Fox Talbot (replica camera) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Miniature edition of Mrs Julia Margaret Cameron's 'Photographs From Life', 1869 (photograph album; albumen print) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Kodak No. 2 Camera, 1889 (box camera) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Leica 1 roll film camera in ca (35-mm camera) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Walt Disney filming penguins at London Zoo (glass plate negative) The Daily Herald Archive at the National Media Museum, Bradford
Eastman Kodak No 1 Brownie box (camera) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Film and cinematography

Explore more cinematography in our collection.

Le Prince Single-lens Cine Camera (cine camera; cinematograph) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Lee and Turner Three-Colour Projector (38 mm Lee and Turner colour ciné film projector) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Birtac 17.5mm Camera/Projector (cine camera) The Kodak Collection at the National Media Museum, Bradford
Technicolor cine camera (cine camera) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Kineoptoscope Projector Mechanism (kineoptoscope) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Television and radio

Explore more television and radio technology in our collection.

John Logie Baird's test subject 'Stookie Bill' (ventriloquist’s dummy)
Experimental television receiver used by JL Baird in demonstration at Royal Institution, 1926 (television receiver) Baird Television Company. Enquiries to Science Museum, London.
Ampex videotape recorder, type VR 1000A, serial nu © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Home built 405-line television receiver, 1951-1953 (television receiver) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
'Televisor' (black-and-white television) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
BBC Marconi AXBT ribbon microphone, 1944-1959 (microphone) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

New media

Explore more computing in our collection.

Apple Macintosh Colour Classic, with dust cover, keyboard and mouse (personal computer) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Sega Mega Drive console (video game console) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Sinclair ZX Spectrum microcomputer, 1982-1985 (personal computer) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Commodore PET 2001-8-BS personal computer, 1977. (personal computers) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Atari 520 ST personal computer. (personal computer) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Nintendo 64 games console with accessories and games, 1996-2003 (games console) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Apple Newton MessagePad, 1993 (PDA) © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

More ways to explore our collection

Part of the Science Museum Group

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