ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Science Museum Launches 'Adopt an Object' Trail Featuring Historical Artifacts

cultural-heritage · 2026-03-15

The Science Museum in London has introduced an 'Adopt an Object' trail highlighting six significant artifacts from its collection. The initiative allows public adoption starting at £3 monthly, supporting preservation efforts. Featured items include a Rover 'Safety' Bicycle from 1885, which influenced women's mobility; a 1920s English teddy bear named after Theodore Roosevelt; an 1870 'Optimus' water closet model representing Victorian sanitation advances; Alexander Fleming's 1935 Penicillium mould sample, key to antibiotic discovery; a 2014 cactus-shaped mobile antenna designed for desert camouflage; and a 1934 Enigma cipher machine used in WWII codebreaking. The trail spans multiple galleries, offering insights into technological and social history while encouraging public engagement through adoption.

Key facts

  • The Science Museum's 'Adopt an Object' trail features six historical artifacts available for public adoption.
  • Adoption starts at £3 per month and includes digital certificates and updates from the museum.
  • Artifacts range from a 1885 bicycle to a 2014 camouflaged antenna, showcasing innovation across eras.
  • The initiative aims to preserve the museum's collection for future generations.
  • Trail objects are located in galleries including Making the Modern World, Medicine, Information Age, and Mathematics.

Entities

Institutions

Locations

  • London
  • Coventry
  • Oxford
  • Illinois, USA
  • Marrakech, Morocco
  • Buckinghamshire

Sources