---
title: Nasmyth's Steam Hammer
author: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17048/nasmyths-steam-hammer/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2023-04-20
---

# Nasmyth's Steam Hammer

_Authored by The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum_

## Image File

[![Nasmyth's Steam Hammer](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/17048.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/17048.png)

## Image Caption

An 1871 oil painting of a [steam hammer](https://www.worldhistory.org/Steam_Hammer/) invented by the Scotsman James Nasmyth (1808-1890) in 1839 during the [Industrial Revolution](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Industrial_Revolution/). The steam-powered machine lowered a weight onto an anvil using gears which allowed for both precision and speed. The steam hammer allowed very large [metal](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/metal/) pieces to be forged and uniformly shaped, essential for large engineering projects like the construction of weapons, bridges, trains, and ships. Painted by the inventor himself.

[Science](https://www.worldhistory.org/science/) Museum, London.

## Cite This Work

### APA
Museum, T. B. o. T. o. t. S. (2023, February 10). Nasmyth's Steam Hammer. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17048/nasmyths-steam-hammer/>
### Chicago
Museum, The Board of Trustees of the Science. "Nasmyth's Steam Hammer." *World History Encyclopedia*, February 10, 2023. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17048/nasmyths-steam-hammer/>.
### MLA
Museum, The Board of Trustees of the Science. "Nasmyth's Steam Hammer." *World History Encyclopedia*, 10 Feb 2023, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17048/nasmyths-steam-hammer/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co46233/a-steam-hammer-at-work-oil-painting) by **The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum**. Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 10 February 2023. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.