Water Filter

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The City of Hamilton Civic Museums collection holds a fascinating artifact that sheds light on the history of illness and disease. For centuries, people believed that illnesses were caused by "miasma," a toxic form of bad air that arose from decaying organic matter. This theory remained widely accepted until the late 19th century, when microscopes revealed its flaws. In 1832 and 1854, Hamilton faced devastating cholera epidemics that ravaged the community. To combat this threat, wealthy individuals turned to ceramic purifiers like this one, which filtered water through ceramic disks to eliminate impurities and contaminants, but unfortunately failed to eradicate all bacteria and microorganisms altogether. This artifact was meticulously recreated in RealityCapture by Capturing Reality from 53 precise images.