CharlesWheatstone.com

Events and Exhibitions

A timeline of known exhibitions and events to celebrate Sir Charles Wheatstone.

1923, June 11th – 17th: Trades Exhibition, Drill Hall, Brunswick Road, Gloucester: ‘A Celebrated Gloucester Man: Some Wheatstone Relics‘ on the stand of the Association of Science and Art Societies. Loaned from the Science Museum, South Kensington, and King’s College, the Wheatstone relics showed the great range of activities the great inventor traversed. The most interesting exhibits loaned by the King’s College were the original A.B.C. telegraph, the original Wheatstone bridge, the Wheatstone violin, a fiddle in which strings were replaced by short metal rods, and two concertinas. From the Science Museum: a galvanometer, used by Wheatstone in 1840-43 for determining the constants of a voltaic circuit ; a double-tongued commutator, which was employed by him in his investigations as to the inductive results in submarine cables; a switch used in the same experiments; his stereoscope ; and apparatus for spectrum analysis.

1925, October 19th: South Kensington Museum, London, first floor: ‘The Sir Charles Wheatstone F.R.S., 50th Anniversary Exhibits‘ exhibition. The various exhibits showing the activities of the great scientist, on the 50th anniversary of his death, had been brought together from the various departments of the Museum into one room to form a special small exhibition, to enable those interested to see the part which he had played in early electrical and telegraphic inventions, as well as the versatility of his researches and discoveries.

1975, October: The Science Museum, London held a centenary exhibition devoted to Sir Charles Wheatstone’s discoveries and inventions across its departments. It included electric telegraphs, measuring apparatus generators, concertinas, and stereoscopes. Books, papers, and medals bequeathed to King’s College, London – where he was a Professor of Experimental Philosophy for 40 years – were also exhibited. King’s College, London, also held a centenary exhibition for Wheatstone from Aug-Sept.

2011, April – July: King’s College, London, Foyer of King’s Building: ‘Professor Sir Charles Wheatstone‘ exhibition. 2011 marked the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Universal Private Telegraph Company, by Sir Charles Wheatstone, Professor of Experimental Philosophy at King’s College. This exhibition celebrated Wheatstone’s life and work as a scientist, inventor and businessman; specific areas highlighted included his work in acoustics, electricity with the telegraph and optics with the stereoscope, with a selection of designs, photographs and books and objects which are now in the care of the College Archives and Special Collections. Details: https://kingscollections.org/exhibitions/archives/wheatstone/

2016, October 19th: King’s College, London, Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, King’s Building, Strand Campus: ‘Charles Wheatstone & the Craze for the Stereoscope’. A free 3-D talk given by photo historians Dr. Brian May and Denis Pellerin on the 141st anniversary of Wheatstone’s death. The talk was the result of a collaboration between Brian May’s London Stereoscopic Company and King’s Archives. In part, it acknowledged and celebrated the role that King’s Archives plays in preserving our unique scientific heritage. The talk also put the name and work of Charles Wheatstone back in the limelight, recognising him as the pioneer of today’s age of 3-D movies and Virtual Reality.

2018, June 21st: King’s College, London, Bush House: ‘Professor Wheatstone, the Inventor of the Stereoscope, was also there‘ 3-D presentation. Photo historian and curator of Brian May’s collection, Denis Pellerin, gave a free 3-D talk celebrating the life and achievements of Charles Wheatstone on the 180th official birthday of Stereoscopy. Details: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/professor-wheatstone-the-inventor-of-the-stereoscope-was-also-there

2021, & every year, June 21st: Worldwide: ‘Stereoscopy Day‘ event. Stereoscopy Day is an international annual celebration of the birth of stereoscopic 3-D. Founded by the Brian May Archive of Stereoscopy, it celebrates the inventor of stereoscopy, British polymath Sir Charles Wheatstone, stereoscopy’s pioneers and their successors, up to the present day, the long history of the medium, from its first Golden Age and subsequent periods of popularity, its rich diversity and multiple uses in various fields, and the sheer immersive magic it can bring to images, and other applications. Stereoscopy Day is celebrated across the world every year on June 21st, which is the anniversary of the day in 1838 when Sir Charles Wheatstone officially presented his revolutionary reflecting stereoscope to the Royal Society of London, and demonstrated his theory of binocular vision. Everyone is encouraged to join in however they can. Details: www.stereoscopyday.com

2022 & every year, February 6th: World Concertina Day event. World Concertina Day was founded and is sponsored by the International Concertina Association. On February 6, the birthday of Sir Charles Wheatstone, who was the inventor of the English concertina, it brings together people from all over the world to celebrate this wonderful musical instrument and to raise awareness of the concertina with the general public and media. The first World Concertina Day was in 2022, which was also the 70th anniversary of the ICA’s founding. Details: https://concertina.org/world-concertina-day/

2023, February 6th: Museum of Gloucester: ‘Charles Wheatstone Day‘ event. The Museum of Gloucester celebrated Charles Wheatstone with a day of activities for schools and public alike, 221 years after his birth, to celebrate the forgotten genius of Gloucester born scientist and inventor of many scientific breakthroughs. Events included school workshops, ‘How to Make 3-D Photos’ public workshops, ‘Wonder Working Wire’ talk, and ‘Celebrating Charles Wheatstone in Glourious 3-D’ talk. Details: https://gloucestershire.redkitedays.co.uk/event/charles-wheatstone-day-programme-at-museum-of-gloucester/

2024: National Portrait Gallery, London, Room 20 on Floor 2. ‘Sir Charles Wheatstone and his Family‘ stereoscopic daguerreotype by Antoine Claudet, c.1851-1852, National Portrait Gallery Collection, P154, was on display.

2025, 19th October: 150th anniversary of the death of Sir Charles Wheatstone. Events and activities around 19th October 2025 to commemorate him:

  • The Museum of Gloucester (UK) made a special video about the unique maquette of Wheatstone in their collection, and an insight into some of the work being done towards getting more recognition for Wheatstone:
  • Professor Nicholas Wade has provided some special Wheatstone-themed anaglyph images to commemorate him:

Research and information: Rebecca Sharpe, The Brian May Archive of Stereoscopy.