The long awaited exhibition Stephen Hawking at Work opens 10 February at the Science Museum, exploring the working life of the world-renowned theoretical physicist and displaying notable items from Hawking’s office, where much of his research on theoretical physics took place.

Highlight objects on display for the first time include a rare copy of Hawking’s PhD thesis, his wheelchair and one of Hawking’s most treasured office possession—a blackboard filled with academic doodles and jokes;

Stephen Hawking at Work will go on to tour the Science Museum Group’s museums, opening next at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester in summer 2022.

Prof Hawking's son, Tim, said that the family was delighted that his body of work and memories of his life were being safeguarded for future generations. "Our father would be really pleased," he said. "It was really important during his lifetime that science be opened up to the widest possible number of people and be democratized and not be the preserve of the elite few."