What do Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Jonathan Creek and the Associate Curator at the Science and Industry Museum have in common? We all love solving a mystery.

Object one:

This is some sort of lamp. A flap on the front hinges up and the central bar that seems to hold a candle can be retracted up into the body of the lamp. We know what it does but we don’t know where it might have been used.

Object two:

We don’t know what this is or what it was used for. It is cast in one piece from a copper-based alloy. It is quite crudely cast. The head is a rectangular prism where it joins the handle, tapering from all four sides to an edge. The end of the handle is rounded so does not appear to have been hit as it was used. The head used to have lots of parallel lines/scratches on the tapering edges but these have seemingly been worn smooth.

object three:

These are rectangular sheets of opal glass (semi-translucent white glass) in a rectangular wooden box. “M.A.P.S.” and “OPALS.” is painted on the box.

Object four:

We’re not sure what this wooden bobbin with metal fixings was used for. We think it could be related to the textiles industry. Any ideas?

Object five:

Any ideas what this scoop shaped tool would have been used for? It is open at both ends and has holes in three sides so it wouldn’t be much use for scooping.

Object six:

We don’t know what this object is or was used for. The central spindle rotates at the same time as the dials when the cogs are engaged. The circle of holes on the top of the base connects to the tube coming out the bottom.

There is a plaque attached to the base that say “E.P. Quinn Manchester Maker”. We have found a number of E Quinns in Manchester in roughly the right period. One sold microscope equipment and was a member of microscope societies, one was a schoolmaster teaching mechanics, one was a tailor and one was a bootmaker. The object may relate to one of these people.

Object seven:

Do you know what this wooden mallet might have been used for? It has a distinctive pattern of wear: it has much more wear on the right hand edge of the two smallest sides.

PermeateFree said:

Object seven:

Do you know what this wooden mallet might have been used for? It has a distinctive pattern of wear: it has much more wear on the right hand edge of the two smallest sides.

Could be a cobblers tool.

Could we have a scale for each of these objects?

Peak Warming Man said:

PermeateFree said:

Object seven:

Do you know what this wooden mallet might have been used for? It has a distinctive pattern of wear: it has much more wear on the right hand edge of the two smallest sides.

Could be a cobblers tool.

I think they are possibly all cobbler’s tools.

Michael V said:

Could we have a scale for each of these objects?

Could be of assistance, yes.

Michael V said:

Could we have a scale for each of these objects?

That is all they give.

More unknown objects.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2020/jul/19/mystery-objects-from-the-science-museum-in-pictures

Michael V said:

Could we have a scale for each of these objects?

https://blog.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/museum-mystery-objects/

Mistletoe.

roughbarked said:

Mistletoe.

oops.. Anyway. This one is some kid of pressure gauge.

The candle is a pocket torch and maybe pocket warmer?

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

Could we have a scale for each of these objects?

https://blog.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/museum-mystery-objects/

Ta. Good read. Seems they’ve got some of them identified. Pity they didn’t put a ruler or some other scale in the photos.

Object 5 is part of something else. It may have got hot – so needed a handle for removal. Also, at least two of the “windows” had a covering of some sort held in place by something inserted into small holes (rivets?).

Still, if the professionals can’t figure them out, I don’t feel too bad that I can’t.

Michael V said:

PermeateFree said:

Michael V said:

Could we have a scale for each of these objects?

https://blog.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/museum-mystery-objects/

Ta. Good read. Seems they’ve got some of them identified. Pity they didn’t put a ruler or some other scale in the photos.

Object 5 is part of something else. It may have got hot – so needed a handle for removal. Also, at least two of the “windows” had a covering of some sort held in place by something inserted into small holes (rivets?).

Still, if the professionals can’t figure them out, I don’t feel too bad that I can’t.

They initially look deceptively easy to ID.

PermeateFree said:

They initially look deceptively easy to ID.

Yes.
Number 1 is some sort of lamp or lighter. It looks like a primitive cigar lighter to me.
Number 2 is a blacksmithing tool. Perhaps for chopping off a length of metal for further working.
Number 3 – no idea, unless for example a light diffuser for microscope or movie use.
Number 4 definitely a bobbin for some sort of textiles industry, it has a belt drive. At a wild guess, for lace or decorative ribbon.
Number 5 I don’t know, chicken or turkey killing device? Poke the neck through before wringing or stabbing it.
Number 6
> Anyway. This one is some kind of pressure gauge.
Number 7 A bog standard mallet. For use with chisel or similar, could also be for embossing leather.