P & K ARM (Prosthetic arm)
Rights information: Copyright: Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
Description
The end of the First World War saw 41,000 British men return with a physical impairment. Although promised a hero’s welcome, these men were often forgotten and provided with inadequate support by the government.Government prosthetics took years to get fitted, and many private companies began creating prosthetics such as this one by Kirk and Alexander Pringle.
Known as the P&K Arm, it was designed to allow the user to hold objects by pulling the lever on the wrist and bending the spring fingers. Although some became adept with the arm, it was often heavy, expensive, and required a large amount of strength to be used. Pringle & Kirk prostheses were made in the North of England for agricultural workers.
- Jack Guy, Curating for Change Fellow, Hastings Museum & Art Gallery