Prosthetic Arm,
Victorian era, likely dating between 1840 and 1940.
Primarily made of steel with brass wrist mountings.
Features a leather top piece designed to secure the prosthesis to the wearer's remaining upper arm. The intricate, ornate metalwork on the hand suggests it was designed for both function and appearance.
The arm was designed with several mechanical features to restore some degree of movement:
The elbow joint can be moved by releasing a spring mechanism. The top joint of the wrist is capable of rotating and moving up and down.
While some sources suggest complex internal mechanisms like pulleys and springs allowed for articulation, others note that for many such prosthetics, the fingers were moved manually by the user's other hand.
London Science Museum's collection.
