Chosen Artefact, Wellcome Collection: Pocket Registrator, Francis Galton (1880s)

Francis Galton designed this counting device to secretly study people in crowds. He would conceal it in his gloved hand or pocket and use a lever mechanism to categorise the people he observed as one of up to five 'types', depending on his focus of study. Each was activated by a different finger. Galton used a similar invention to sort women into three categories: 'attractive', 'indifferent' and 'repugnant'. He applied his own assessment of beauty as an indicator of superior breeding potential.

How does this object relate to the body?

It functions with the use of fingers on the hand, and manually monitors different features of the body or indeed the body as a single individual.

How would you wear or hold this object?

As mentioned, under a glove or in the pocket of the user. It'd be interesting to see developed prototypes that possibly would have integrated the device into a garment for secrecy and/or ease of use. Sensors nowadays would allow for gestural technology to perform its function without need for additional

How do you use this object? Is it still being used in current society? If not, why not?

There are 5 stops, one stop for each finger with guides on either side to occupy the fingers in their proper positions when used under cover. When a stop is pressed, the 'corresponding index arm moves forward one step' which counts one. It is no longer being used in current society with surveillance and sensor-based technologies being able to perform the action of public data scraping more efficiently and in saying that its interesting to add how the user has changed, and contributed to ever-heightening power dynamic between government and citizens.

How was the object perceived at the time?

I'm unaware of its popularity at the time but it seemed to have derogatory use cases at the time which could have caused dispute but I think Galton had the inquisitive individual at heart which I'm sure would have led his invention to be used by those interested often.

What is your opinion on this object?

It makes sense to me. The use cases are endless and the ones already thought of are humorous and clever. I like how its focus is on patterns and human behaviour and its evident influence on modern data based technologies. I'm impressed.

What material qualities are important for this object?

Brass.

Does it have any decorative elements? Is it an intricate design or is it plain?

I wouldn't say decorative elements but there's beauty in its intricacy and to-the-point design.

What techniques do you recognise? Has it been made with specific tools?

It was made by Hawkesley and Son, that's all I know. There's no techniques or tools that I know of.

What excites or concerns you about this design?

The modern use cases excite me, it places control back into the hands of the public. Rather than people I look to how this could be applied to detecting and indicating garments instead of humans.

RESEARCH This page is part of the collection 'PART 2.0'.

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