The photos and items exhibited here illustrate how the arrival of new technologies has consistently redefined society’s relationship with energy since the start of the industrial revolution. In many of our fifty selected examples, the new technologies have been so impactful that they have changed international trade flows and the fortunes of nations or, in some cases, led to the restoration of health and habitats. As the timeline approaches the present day, the technological focus is shifting away from the extraction and transformation of fuels and towards more digital solutions and manufacturing techniques that have the potential to dramatically reduce emissions in coming decades.