By Kylea Little, Felicity McWilliams and Ellie Swinbank ‘South Kensington is practically as far away as Paris or Munich’: the making of industrial collections in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Birmingham By Tim Boon Origins and ambitions of the Congruence Engine project By Sophie Vohra Commemorating the past, shaping the future: the jubilee and centenary celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway By Efram Sera-Shriar Photographic plates and spirit fakes: remembering Harry Price’s investigation of William Hope’s spirit photography at its centenary By James Mansell, Annie Jamieson and Alexander De Little Staging listening: new methods for engaging audiences with sound in museums By Meredith Greiling Smart and sustainable: collecting urban transport and mobility innovation in the 2020s By Alexandra Rose Seismographs at Eskdalemuir Observatory, 1908–1925: tools for rethinking the origins of international cooperation in seismology By Pippi Carty-Hornsby Preserving skills and knowledge in heritage machinery operations By Alexandra Rose Science and the City: Introduction By Jane Desborough and Gloria Clifton Science and the City: The role of women in the science city: London 1650–1800