Museum of Artifacts That Made America

From the first video games to the cotton gin; how do the inventions of the past impact the world around us today?

History of the Surfboard

This totally rad piece of water sports equipment empowered millions of Americans to ride the waves – but but who invented the surfboard and how did the surfboard evolve through the years?

The Invention of Rubber Gloves

This is a love story behind one of the most important medical inventions ever made – the rubber glove – by William Stewart Halstead

The Tobacco Press: Revolutionising Farmers’ Gold

Today we know the risks of smoking tobacco, but over 100 years ago the dangers were less so, and tobacco became a booming business in Kentucky. Its success can in part be credited to the Burley tobacco press.

Civil War Prosthetics: A Step Forward in Battlefield Medicine

James Edward Hanger was hit by shrapnel from a cannonball at the beginning of the American Civil War- he designed the world’s first articulated prosthetic that could bend like a real leg.

The Swivel Chair: How Thomas Jefferson Invented the Office Chair

As one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s words helped found a nation. But did you know that he also invented the modern day swivel chair?

Turtle Submersible: Submarine of the Revolutionary War

In 1775, David Bushnell pushed the limits of engineering to design a military submarine dubbed the Turtle Submersible, which he created to help the US fight back against the British Royal Navy.