Mr Lloyd's Annotated Compendium of Ingenious Victorian Devices (2021)

From publisher blurb:

Mr Lloyd presents his annotated compendium of ingenious Victorian devices. From the anti-garotting cravat, to Alexander Bell's invention of Wireless Telephony everything presented in this remarkable booklet was a genuine nineteenth century invention.

Not for this compendium wild claims based on nothing but a patent drawing that never saw light of day. From the Atmospheric Railway to Scheutz's Calculation Engine, the 52 inventions presented here were all developed and used by the inventive folk of the nineteenth century.

To those who say that the cover illustration must surely depict a work of science fiction, I say that they have never heard of Monsieur Mouchot's demonstration of a solar engine at the 1869 Paris Exhibition. Not only did he demonstrate that concentrated sunlight could power a steam engine, he used the resulting energy to run a freezer, turning the sun's rays into ice-cubes to the amazement of the visiting public.

In this compendium you will be introduced to the following Victorian inventions

Anti-Garotting Cravat
Anti-Garotting Pistol
Arithmometer
Atmospheric Railway
Automatic postman
Bicycle Railway
Boat Cloak
Bude lights
Coffin torpedo
Dactyloscopy
Easter Eggs
Electric Alarm System
Electric Belts
Electric Jewelry
Electrophone
Galvanic Bath
Gramophone
Hand-grenade Fire Extinguisher
Household Blowtorch
Ice-Cream Maker
Mechanical Beard
Medico-mechanical Gym Equipment
Monocycle
Mortsafes
Mustache Cups and Spoons
Nose Shaper
Optical Telegraph
PanTelegraph
Parenty’s automatic smoking machine
Parkesine
Pneumatic Railway
Portable Burglar Alarm
Prosthetic Limbs
Punishment Crank
Rocking Baths
Röntgen rays
Rotary hairbrush
Safety Coffins
Scheutz calculation engine
Seagoing Railway
Simms Motor Scout
Solar Panel
Solar Generator
Spotlight
Steam Gurney
Steam-powered Fire Engine
Stirling Heat Engine
Telegraphone
Watch Camera
Wire-guided Torpedo
Vidocq’s Anti-forgery Paper and Ink
Wireless Telephony
Mr Lloyd's Annotated Compendium of Ingenious Victorian Devices is annotated by three noted members of the Inferno club. Scientists from another timeline, these savants provide insightful, diverting and occasionally concerning commentary on the inventions depicted within.