On 14 January 1878, Queen Victoria welcomed a special guest and his newest invention to Osborne House, her private retreat on the Isle of Wight. In fact, the encounter was significant enough to warran

In autumn 1883, an unusual news story captured the imagination of the British public. It was a tale of deception, fraud – and telephones. On Friday 21 September, a young barrister’s clerk in Birmingha

The touchscreen is one of the most consequential inventions of modern times. They are now virtually everywhere and used by virtually every person every day. The start of this story is tricky to determ

If you walk into a modern-day franchised car dealership to have your vehicle serviced or repaired, most places offer a comfortable seating area. Here you are spoilt for choice with wifi, water dispens

A vision of a time 11 years before the M3 opened – and when Ford Prefects, Austin Cambridges and telegraph poles were everyday sights

Jon Stapley looks at the iPhones that changed everything for photographers, from the very beginning to the present day