Electrokinetica

Welcome to Electrokinetica

A new project bringing together a comprehensive collection
of electrical and electronic artefacts in a working museum
encompassing the first 150 years of electrical technology.

Electricity has been one of the major driving forces behind industrialised society for over a century, bringing light, heat, power and automation to every aspect of life. Medical care, transport, agriculture, entertainment; you name it and we'll show you how electrical and electronic technologies have helped make things easier, safer and better. To do justice to this vast engineering field and illustrate all the subtleties and secrets, at Electrokinetica we need to think big!

From Alternator to Zener, we will aim to give a few moments of fame to every kind of electrical object. Our greatest interest is in electromechanical machines, because they were once the mainstay of so many electrical applications, and because they can be so fascinating and perplexing to watch. Electromechanical control systems were some of the most intricate and advanced machines that you can actually see working. We will also be giving our first attention to the older artefacts and those which are becoming 'endangered species' regardless of age. We also have some specialised collections of unusual items, which we will feature with in-depth technical information.

The challenge ahead

We aim to have our first public display in place during 2009. We are not just a 'virtual museum' - every exhibit that you see here online actually exists in our stores along with thousands more; the collection is building up rapidly! We now have the task of locating and preparing a suitable venue for our first phase of development. One possibility will be to create a pilot exhibition at an existing engineering heritage site. Alternatively, if a location can be found with 'expandable' accommodation we would be able to start up in our permanent home. We welcome any suggestions and offers of premises!

In the meantime we invite you to browse our website, for a sneak preview of some of the forthcoming attractions, and to find out about the engineering that makes them tick. Soon you will be able to see, touch and operate machines and appliances of all shapes and sizes. Discover fantastic technologies. Recreate historic experiments with your own hands. Experience the power and magic of electrical energy as seen by the Victorian pioneers, and marvel at the complex innards of yesterday's machines still working like new.

Guide to the website

We have created a number of themed areas and placed exhibits in approximately the locations you would expect to find them in real life. Within each area are 'rooms' selected by the lower row of tabs. Some rooms contain many exhibits - click the links under the page heading to see them all. Most thumbnail pictures can be clicked to display a full-size version. All these pictures and more can be viewed in the galleries, where they are indexed in sets relating to a particular artefact or subject. The site will always be a work-in-progress as there are many more items in our collection which we have not yet had the opportunity to document; we hope to bring you news of these soon. If there is something specific you want to see, try the search tab above. If you're just browsing, try the site map for suggestions. The forum is now up and running; if you enjoy talking about electrical matters why not sign up as a member?