The Victorian years were a time of great scientific breakthrough in Britain, and around the world.

With the heavy Industrialisation of the nation came advances in many areas of technology. Production and transport, sanitation and communication all benefitted from the Industrial Revolution.

The strong sense of national pride and the booming economy meant that many people saw Britain as the centre of the civilised world. This feeling of being able to achieve anything permeated the sciences very strongly and there were many inventions during these years.

In 1838 the first photographs were taken by Louis Daguerre in France and William Henry Fox-Talbot in Britain. Just one year later Fox-Talbot invented light sensitive photographic paper.

In 1839 Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented the first pedal bicycle, which was propelled by pedals, cranks and drive rods.