Subject strengths: Science, Engineering, Local History, Photography

Sir Joseph Swan (1828-1914) was a North East physicist, chemist and inventor who is best known for his innovation in the photographic process and the invention of the incandescent light bulb. This small collection comprises of items retained by various members of the Swan family, until donated to Newcastle University in the 1960s/1970s. The collection includes personal family items such as medals and certificates, original Swan lamps and a silk dressing gown, together with items which appear to come from Sir Joseph Swan's home workshop including a number of photographic prints, presumed to date from Sir Joseph Swan's experiments with various photographic print techniques.

Collection Name and Collection Reference Code:

Collection Name: Swan (Sir Joseph) Archive

Archive Ref Code: SWAN

Date Range of Material

1860 - 1914 (approx)

Type of Material

Family archive

Size of Collection

4 boxes plus a small collection of objects

How To Order Items From This Collection

Please use the finding aid below to search through a list of the individual items we have within this collection.

Catalogue for the Swan (Sir Joseph) Archive

If you find an item you would like to consult in the Special Collections reading room, simply make a note of the reference number and title of the item(s) you are interested in. You can then place your order by linking to our Request Form.

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