The Vernaid bandage has links to the beginnings of organized first-aid delivery on the battlefield. Originally invented in Switzerland, the triangular bandage was popularized by Friederich von Esmarch (1823–1908), Surgeon General of the German Army during the Franco-Prussian war. Able to be folded in multiple configurations, the triangular form served to cover injuries on nearly...

As eighteenth-century English printers produced increasing numbers of books and members of the upper classes read more, the private study or library and its furnishings became an important part of the domestic interior. This chair is one of the earliest examples of specialized furniture with functions specific to reading. Designed so a male reader could sit astride facing the...

Our constant quest for illumination has driven such inventions as oil lamps, batteries, phosphorescent matches, electricity, the light bulb, and, most recently, LED technology. In the late 1890s, the first flashlight was conceived for safe handheld use. Powered by a large dry-cell battery pack, it generated only enough power for the light to shine for a moment or two at a time—ergo, the name “flashlight.” New York City police were among the first to use these early flashlights.