A black top hat with a ribbon and buckle depicting a medical caduceus and snake. Beside it is an RCN Fellows medal attached to a royal blue ribbon and to the right is a black box with gold letters 'O.B.E' as well as the two medals themselves in the form of red ribbons with a gold, cross-shaped attachment - there is one small and one large.

Two a red and gold Order of the British Empire medals - one small and one large resting on top of a black case marked "O.B.E." To the right, a blue ribboned medal labelled "Fellow" with the Royal College of Nursing crest.

Object of the Month – Top hat, RCN Fellows medal, and OBE medal, 1970s

These items belonged to Lisbeth Hochsinger (Hockey), a Jewish refugee and brilliant nurse who fled to Britain in 1938 from the Nazi invasion of Austria.

Read her story: https://bit.ly/4uKSg7J

#ObjectOfTheMonth

The photo is a close-up detail of the payload – the ECS-1 satellite – during preparations for the launch. ESA photographer Simon Vermeer has used the reflective properties of the material to create an almost abstract and visually compelling image, where only the hand gives us an indication of the subject and scale.

#ESAarchives #ObjectOfTheMonth for March looks back at the first satellite in @esa.int's telecommunications programme, ECS-1, launched in 1983. Find out how the development of ECS can be traced back to the late 1960s...

historicalarchives.esa.int#oom @esaconnectivity.esa.int @technology.esa.int

A stethoscope with dual earpieces, long black tubing is accompanied by a metal obstetric horn (for listening to a baby's heartbeat in utero).

Object of the Month – Stethoscope and obstetric horn, 1950s-1980s

February is Heart Month to raise awareness of heart disease and promote healthy lifestyle choices.

In honour of that, here's the stethoscope and obstetric horn of Edith Johnson, nurse and midwife.

#ObjectOfTheMonth #HeartMonth

Resolution of the Ariane Launcher Programme Board ©ESA ECSR

Cover of press kit for Ariane L04 launch © ESA ECSR

While #ESAarchives are getting ready to open historical photos from 1982 this month, here’s a sneak preview of how the year started: February's #ObjectOfTheMonth explains the mechanisms for qualification of the Ariane launcher in January 1982, 44 years ago!

historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

Today kicks off Health Information Week, with a focus on Children and Young People. We’re celebrating CYP nurses with this Bird’s Nest glove puppet.

It was used by Community Children’s Nurse, Ursula Madel. Learn more about CYP nursing in our exhibition: bit.ly/3Si1Gq3

#ObjectOfTheMonth #HIW2026

Model of ERS-1

ESA BR-75, the Data Book of ERS-1, the European Remote Sensing Satellite

The ERS-1 spacecraft in launch configuration at ESA ESTEC

#ESAarchives kicks off 2026 with a look back at ERS-1, the first environmental monitoring satellite developed by ESA, and the origins of European Earth observation for environmental protection – more about this model too, in #ObjectOfTheMonth 👇
historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

It was a challenge to find one image bringing all of this together! However, #ESAarchives chose the person with whom it all began, at an event celebrating 25 years of European space in the 1980s, representing all the people who contributed to this 60-year adventure!

#50YearsOfESA #ObjectOfTheMonth

The photo shows French physicist Pierre Auger in April 1989, arriving at the main event for the Silver Jubilee of European space. A caption in the ESA Bulletin 58, where this picture was first published, explains who the figures surrounding him are: “K.-E. Reuter (ESA) escorting Prof. P. Auger and Mrs F. Perrin”.

The close of 2025 brings to an end two concurrent years of celebration for the #ESAarchives – the 60th anniversary of the creation of ESA’s predecessors ELDO and ESRO in 2024, and our journey along the ‘road to 1975’ this year for the first 50 years of ESA.

#50YearsOfESA #ObjectOfTheMonth

Minutes from the first meeting of ESA Communication Satellites Programme Board (PB-Tel)

1976 artist’s impression of meeting room for the new ESA HQ building, rue Mario Nikis, Paris

October’s #ObjectOfTheMonth from #ESAarchives digs into the handover from ESRO to ESA in 1975, seen through the lens of its 'Communication Satellites Programme Board'. More on this 'new' ESA committee👇

historicalarchives.esa.int#oom #50YearsOfESA @eui-euarchives.bsky.social @esaconnectivity.esa.int

Scale model of ESA's Cos-B satellite

Launch of Cos-B on a Thor Delta 2913 launch vehicle from the Western Test Range, California, on 9 August 1975.

Integration of the full experiment payload for Cos-B at MBB in Munich, clean room.

September's #ObjectOfTheMonth from #ESAarchives is a scale model of ESA’s ‘first’ satellite, Cos-B🧪🔭

Find out what we mean by 'first', and the other firsts of this remarkable mission for the new European Space Agency, 50 years ago!

🔗 historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

#50YearsOfESA @science.esa.int

#ObjectOfTheMonth This lovely little diary with recipes for remedies and more belonged to a Charles William Moore, a chemist, who owned a Chemist & Druggist Shop on Bank Street, Braintree from c.1860 until 1909 and where his family actually lived above the shop. 📓🖋️

Box cover art for Space Go game, with Ariane rocket, Space Shuttle and Earth on black background.

How do you keep the kids occupied on rainy days during long school holidays (or even during a European heatwave)? Back in 1984, you might have reached for a board game like the one chosen by #ESAarchives as July's #ObjectOfTheMonth! 👇

Cover of ESA SP-1024 Man and Space - Young Europeans Spacelab (YES). This SP is catalogue for an ESA-sponsored exhibition of artwork which opened at the Conservatoire national des Arts et Métiers in Paris in November 1980.

Taking inspiration from the theme of Man and Space, two of the winning entries were pieces of music: La Terre, by a German entrant and Preludio Astrale by an Italian composer. This is the score from La Terre.

#ESAarchives #ObjectOfTheMonth for June has a musical theme for @fetedelamusique.bsky.social: the story behind music composed by a young European entrant to a 1980 ESA competition. Inspiration from space for your own music?🖖🤘🎼

historicalarchives.esa.int#oom
@spacerocksofficial.bsky.social

Our #ObjectoftheMonth is a diary, kept by William Henry Longhurst (1819-1904), from 1848-1850.

Longhurst was involved in the Cathedral’s musical life for 70 years.

The volume was purchased from Simon Beattie, bookseller, with a grant from the Friends of the Nations’ Libraries. @thefnl.bsky.social

The 10th German Aeronautical and Space Exhibition, held in Hanover from 27 April to 5 May 1974. The photo captures the stand presented to the public as both ESA (in large lettering) and ESRO (in small letters underneath).

There’s a lot going on in the images chosen for #ESAarchives' May #ObjectOfTheMonth! They show an ESRO/ESA stand at a 1974 German air show, but represent much more – the process of transformation and continuity through which ESRO became ESA, 50 years ago this month!

🔗 historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

The European Space Conference held at the Palais d’Egmont, Brussels, on 15 April 1975, which approved the final draft of the ESA Convention.

#50YearsOfESA

This month 50 years ago: 15 April 1975, the European Space Conference in Brussels adopts text of the Convention for a new European Space Agency, leaving just one final step before ESA could become a reality. See April's #ESAarchives #ObjectOfTheMonth

🔗 historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

Our April #objectofthemonth is the fascinating painting by Thomas Johnson of the Cathedral Quire, dating from 1657. This is currently on display in the South Quire Aisle of the Cathedral.

Find out more ⬇️
www.canterbury-cathedral.org/thomas-johnson

© Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral

black and white photo of George Van Reeth

How did the first European space organisations collaborate with industry?

With March’s #ObjectOfTheMonth, #ESAarchives looks more closely at the career of George Van Reeth, who was instrumental in setting up ESRO (and later ESA) contract regulations.

🔗 historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

A Golden Cope and Magnificent Mitre 🧵

This #objectofthemonth is an impressive cope and matching mitre from the collections, which were made for Archbishop Robert Runcie.

Did you know?
This year marks the 45th Anniversary of Robert Runcie’s enthronement on 25 March, 1980.

Preparation of the thermal model of TD-1 satellite for vacuum chamber test

TD-1 satellite with the solar panels attached

Mock-up of LAS satellite

Space agencies rarely operate alone – a vital part of their work is in collaboration with industry. Travel back in time to 1963 with #ESAarchives to see the first contracts that ESA’s predecessor #ESRO made with industrial partners in our March #ObjectOfTheMonth!

historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

A dark brown, leather chatelaine containing 5 metal tools. Two of the tools, a pair of scissors in the front right pocket and a pair of forceps in the back left, are also fastened in with two clips each that are attached to long leather straps. There is a long, thin spoon and a long needle in the front left pocket and a foldable tongue depressor in the central front pocket. On the right of the image, there are larger individual pictures of the tools. From left to right: - A long, thin, metal needle with a hole in the head for threading through material - A pair of ridged, stainless steel forceps with one metal clasp that disappears off the bottom of the image - A long, thin, metal spoon with a thin, teardrop-shaped head - A folded, stainless steel tongue depressor - Stainless steel scissors with one metal clasp attached that disappears off the right side of the image

Object of the Month – Chatelaine, c. 1880-1910

This leather chatelaine dates to around 1880-1910. A chatelaine is a clasp or hook used for carrying around items such as keys or a watch. This one has scissors, a tongue depressor, a spoon, a needle and forceps.

#Objectofthemonth #NursingHistory

#Objectofthemonth - The Red Ante Room welcomes back this bellissimo 1850s Italian rock crystal and cut glass chandelier, which has been cleaned and rewired. It was originally part of a pair, and its twin sibling likely still survives somewhere in Italy

Fine fabrics for February 🧵

This #objectofthemonth is an example from our extraordinary collection of medieval seal bags.

These are little fabric pouches made to protect seals on charters, which are fragile, being made of beeswax.

This one can be seen displayed in our Western Crypt exhibition.

A relic from the days before word processing! It is a handwritten table showing the end result of the planning process for meetings of ESA Council and its subordinate bodies for 1976.

📈 Think you have a lot of work meetings? 🤔

Back in 1976 the 23 official ESA Council bodies met on over 100 days! Find out how this was all scheduled before the time of Excel and Teams in February’s #ObjectOfTheMonth from #ESAarchives!

Spoiler: use pen and ruler 😊

🔗 historicalarchives.esa.int#oom

We introduced our Object of the Month posts on Instagram this year to showcase our museum collections. You liked this object the most and we can see why! A super interesting item with many stories to tell!

#Wrapped24 #RCNLibraries #ObjectoftheMonth #ObjectoftheYear

Such fantastic photos from @bharchives.bsky.social. It looks like the nurses may have turned their capes inside out. To see how bright and festive this could be - check out our object of the month: bsky.app/profile/rcnl...

#RCNLibraries #NurseSky #ObjectOfTheMonth #HistNursing #ExploreYourArchive

Dark woolen cape with a bright red interior.

December Object of the Month – c. 1930s Nurses Cape.
This woollen, navy-coloured nurses cape with its eye-catching bright red lining belonged to Ellen Pugh, a State Registered Nurse who completed her training in 1930.

#RCNLibraries #NurseSky #ObjectOfTheMonth #MuseumSky #HistNursing