Amongst our peerless collection of artificial limbs are a number which have been designed or adapted for very specific functions. For example, the special attachment that allowed a one-armed WW2 bomber pilot to hold the joystick in his plane or the artificial leg terminating in a hollow metal half-sphere that prevented a keen beachcomber from sinking into the sand.
The arm pictured above is one of the most intriguing examples we have. Acquired from Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton, it’s a right arm made to fit below the elbow of the wearer, but the most unusual feature are the fingers. Carved from wood, the middle three digits are disproportionately small while the rigid thumb and little finger are stretched out and covered with small fabric pads.
The catalogue entry for this object explains that it was made for a woman and that the stretched hand allowed her to cover an octave when playing the piano. The maker of the arm is listed as a Mr Rowden – who was a surgical instrument maker based in Northampton.
The other snippet of information we have been passed down is that, apparently, our musician played the piano at the Royal Albert Hall while wearing this arm in 1906.
But who was the one-armed lady pianist? It would be wonderful to re-connect a name to the appendage! If true, her public appearance over a century ago seems worthy of reporting at the time. But despite some research and a number of enquiries, including to the Royal Albert Hall’s archivist, she has so far eluded us.
Any ideas out there?