Novel and unusual inventions from the age of industry will be on show at the Museum of St Albans until April.

The exhibition Gadgets and Goggles alongside a collection of Steampunk art and costume will be on display at the Museum until Sunday, April 13.

A celebratory Steampunk Ball will also take place on the evening of Saturday, March 22.

The free exhibition, organised by St Albans City and District Council’s museums service, includes novel inventions from self-pouring teapots to a 1920s version of a sat nav.

All the gadgets were collected by Maurice Collins and date from the period between the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Festival of Britain in 1951.

Alongside Collins’ collection of gadgets, visitors can see art, gadgets and costumes on loan from the Steampunk community. Steampunk is a retro-futuristic sub-culture inspired by the Victorian period and technology.

Doors for the Steampunk Ball will open at 7pm and the event will go on until midnight. Tickets cost £15 and can be booked by calling 01727 819340.