WWI Era Military Operating Table

Foldable metal operating table, in three adjustable sections, made by C. Stiefenhofer, a medical instrument supplier in Munich, Germany, for the German military but likely to have been requisitioned by allied forces and re-used in a British medical facility during the First World War, 1914-1918.

Sturdy but flexible, this metal operating table consists of three sections, the top and bottom parts of which can be adjusted into number of different positions to support a patient. The three sections along which the table legs can also be folded up for ease of transport. The lattice-like structure reduces the weight of the metal structure, without a significant loss of strength. (Science Museum Group)