The highlight of our astronomical collections is the world’s finest collections of astrolabes and sundials. We also have many important early telescopes, clocks and watches.
Our mathematics collections include instruments for applications of mathematics such as navigation and surveying in addition to mathematical instruments as we understand them today. They include octants, sextants and measuring wheels for measuring distances along a road.
Our most famous physics exhibit is the blackboard used by Albert Einstein, but our collections also contain many historic instruments used by scientists in seeking to understand and measure the natural world.
The building that now houses the History of Science Museum originally contained a chemical laboratory. Our chemistry displays include artefacts that chart the development of chemistry up to the twentieth century.
Our collection of historic microscopes is one of the most outstanding in the world, charting the development of this instrument from the seventeenth century to the Victorian era and beyond.
Our medical collections chart the progress of medical science, from seventeenth-century anatomy lessons to the development of penicillin during the Second World War.
Oxford University’s History of Science Museum and the Bodleian Libraries are joining forces to collect the stories of the COVID-19 pandemic — and the extraordinary responses to this global challenge across Oxford University.
Our collections include many portraits of scientists, ranging from paintings of well-known figures to photographs and prints of scientists who are less frequently remembered today.
Want to find out more about the Museum's collections including our archive and highlight objects?
