Portable charcoal water filter, England, 1890-1902

Made:
1890-1902 in England
Portable charcoal water filter Portable charcoal water filter Portable charcoal water filter Portable charcoal water filter Portable charcoal water filter

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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Portable charcoal water filter
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Portable charcoal water filter
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Portable charcoal water filter
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Portable charcoal water filter
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Portable charcoal water filter
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Portable charcoal water filter, in cylindrical nickel plated brass case, possibly used by troops in the Boer War, probably English, 1890-1920

This water filter could be easily assembled by inserting the metal rod into the charcoal cylinder. When not in use, the charcoal could be stored in the brass case. It is thought that this filter was intended for British troops during the Boer War (1899-1902) in Southern Africa.

Filtering water had two benefits: water from dirty streams could be drunk when fresh supplies had run out; and waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery could be avoided. Charcoal has long been used to filter and purify water, dating back to at least 2000 BCE in India.

Details

Category:
Public Health & Hygiene
Object Number:
1980-532
Materials:
filter, charcoal and case, brass (nickel plated)
Measurements:
overall (brass case): 84 mm 43 mm, 0.064 kg
overall (water filter): 215 mm 43 mm, 0.074kg
type:
water filter
credit:
Bodenham, W.R.