Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.21410

    Harpoon gun

    Date
    1793
    Creator
    Unknown, Engraver
    After
    John Bell (1747 - 1798, British) , Army officer
    Object type
    Library reference
    31094
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 130mm
    width (print): 210mm
    Subject
    Content object
    Description
    Two figures of a harpoon gun for whaling. Figure 1 shows the whole apparatus in firing position; figure 2 a section of the harpoon and an ash wood cylinder, made to fit the barrel of the gun.

    The accompanying text notes that: ‘A model of the Gun and Harpoon complete is reserved in the Society’s Repository, made to a scale of six inches to a foot’.

    Plate 5 illustrating the paper ‘…a Gun and Harpoon on a new construction, for taking Whales…a Bounty of Twenty Guineas voted to him for his improvements…’, Transactions of the Society, instituted at London, for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce… [Transactions of the Royal Society of Arts] v.11, (1793) pp.185-192.

    Inscribed above: ‘Mr. Bell’s improved Gun and Harpoon. Plate 5.’

    John Bell (1747-1798) British army officer. Bell was a sergeant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, based at Woolwich, at the time of this invention. He was later promoted to lieutenant.
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
    Powered by CollectionsIndex+/CollectionsOnline