Science & Mathematics

The Museum's collections hold thousands of objects related to chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. Instruments range from early American telescopes to lasers. Rare glassware and other artifacts from the laboratory of Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, are among the scientific treasures here. A Gilbert chemistry set of about 1937 and other objects testify to the pleasures of amateur science. Artifacts also help illuminate the social and political history of biology and the roles of women and minorities in science.

The mathematics collection holds artifacts from slide rules and flash cards to code-breaking equipment. More than 1,000 models demonstrate some of the problems and principles of mathematics, and 80 abstract paintings by illustrator and cartoonist Crockett Johnson show his visual interpretations of mathematical theorems.

Ever since the invention of the telescope around 1600, many opticians have considered the advantages of binocular telescopes, and some actually produced instruments of this sort. The form, however, did not become widely available until the latter decades of the19th century.
Description
Ever since the invention of the telescope around 1600, many opticians have considered the advantages of binocular telescopes, and some actually produced instruments of this sort. The form, however, did not become widely available until the latter decades of the19th century. This example is an aluminum instrument with aluminum sunshades. The objective lenses are about 1.6 inches diameter; the length overall, when closed, is about 11 inches. One eyepiece barrel is marked “T. W. Watson / Optician” and the other is marked “4 Pall Mall / London.” The cross frame has two knobs, one for focusing and one for adjusting the inter-ocular distance. The barrels are covered with black leather. The case is brown leather.
T. W. Watson (fl. 1868 to 1884) sold guns and optical instruments.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
1983.0515.01
catalog number
1983.0515.01
accession number
1983.0515
This mezzotint was issued in 1722, a year after Edmond Halley (1656-1742) was named Astronomer Royal. The signatures at bottom read “T. Murray pinx.
Description
This mezzotint was issued in 1722, a year after Edmond Halley (1656-1742) was named Astronomer Royal. The signatures at bottom read “T. Murray pinx. 1712” and “John Faber Fecit 1722” and “Sold by John Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhill.” The text identifies Halley as “Astronomus Regius et Geometriæ Professor Savilianus.”
This half-length portrait print is based on a full-length oil portrait done in 1712 by Thomas Murray, a painter from Scotland who enjoyed prominence and prosperity in England. Murray depicted Halley as the Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford, wearing a long wig, clerical bands (a symbol of ecclesiastical or academic profession) around his neck, and a fur vest. The mezzotint was done by John Faber Jr., an artist from The Hague who spent his working life in London. It was sold by John Bowles, a printmaker and dealer in London.
Ref: D. W. Hughes, “The Portraits of Edmond Halley,” Vistas in Astronomy 27 (1984): 55-62.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1722
ID Number
PH.329182
catalog number
329182
accession number
280072
Brass telescope with a 3.5 inch achromatic objective, three eyepieces, finder, two telescoping braces, handles for movement in altitude and azimuth, and a pillar-and-tripod stand. The tube is 39.5 inches long.
Description
Brass telescope with a 3.5 inch achromatic objective, three eyepieces, finder, two telescoping braces, handles for movement in altitude and azimuth, and a pillar-and-tripod stand. The tube is 39.5 inches long. The “TROUGHTON LONDON” inscription on the faceplate is that of Edward Troughton, a noted optical and mathematical instrument maker who began working on his own in 1805. Troughton took a partner in 1824 and began trading as Troughton & Simms.
The telescope fits into a mahogany case with brass hardware. The attached shipping labels refer to Dr. W. H. Fishburn, Dr. Henry Van Bergen, and J. C. Leeds.
Ref: A. W. Skempton and Joyce Brown, “John and Edward Troughton, Mathematical Instrument Makers,” Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 26 (1971): 233-262.
Anita McConnell, “Edward Troughton,” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Anita McConnell, Instrument Makers to the World. A History of Cooke, Troughton & Simms (York, 1992).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1805 - 1824
maker
Troughton, Edward
ID Number
1983.0088.001
catalog number
1983.0088.001
accession number
1983.0088
This image appeared as the frontispiece of vol. 14 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis (1816). The “Chapman sculp.” signature in the lower left may refer to John Chapman (fl. 1787-1811), a London engraver.
Description
This image appeared as the frontispiece of vol. 14 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis (1816). The “Chapman sculp.” signature in the lower left may refer to John Chapman (fl. 1787-1811), a London engraver. The text at bottom (cropped from our copy) read “London Published April 13, 1816, by G. Jones.”
A “Description of the Frontispiece Illustrating Mechanics” appears on p. [1] of the book. It reads: “Archimedes, the founder of theoretical mechanics, is represented in a contemplative attitude, in the midst of his pupils and of the instruments of the mechanical powers. In the foreground a youth is tracing on the sand a diagram expressing the famous discovery of Archimedes, the proportion of the sphere to the cylinder; to which another, leaning on a book, is attentive. On the right hand are shown the action of the screw and the wedge, and higher up, of the balance. From the ceiling is suspended a system of pulleys. On the left is a globe, the hydrostatical bellows, and the pump which bears the name of Archimedes’s screw; the action of the inclined plane is also shown in the left corner; and in the back ground, on the same side, is a youth working a crane.”
Ref: Richard Yeo, Encyclopaedic Visions: Scientific Dictionaries and Enlightenment Culture (Cambridge and New York, 20010
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1816
maker
London
ID Number
PH.329190
accession number
280072
catalog number
329190
Professor Jonathan Wittenberg used this model of sperm whale myoglobin structure as a teaching tool at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in the Bronx.
Description (Brief)
Professor Jonathan Wittenberg used this model of sperm whale myoglobin structure as a teaching tool at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in the Bronx. It was used beginning in the mid-1960s as part of his class on cell function, which would later come to be known as molecular biology. Wittenberg purchased the model from A. A. Barker, an employee of Cambridge University Engineering Laboratories, who fabricated the models for sale to interested scientists starting in May 1966 under the supervision of John Kendrew.
Between the years 1957 and 1959, John Kendrew, a British biochemist, figured out the complete structure of a protein. For his breakthrough he won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, an award he shared with his co-contributor Max Perutz.
Proteins are large molecules used for a vast variety of tasks in the body. Knowing their structure is a key part of understanding how they function, as structure determines the way in which proteins interact with other molecules and can give clues to their purpose in the body.
Kendrew uncovered the structure of myoglobin using a method known as X-ray crystallography, a technique where crystals of a substance—in this case myoglobin—are grown and then bombarded with X-rays. The rays bounce off the atoms in the crystal at an angle and hit a photographic plate. By studying these angles, scientists can pinpoint the average location of single atoms within the protein molecule and piece this data together to figure out the complete structure of the protein.
Interestingly, Kendrew had a hard time getting enough crystals of myoglobin to work with until someone was kind enough to give him a slab of sperm whale meat. Myoglobin’s purpose in the body is to store oxygen in the muscles until needed. Sperm whales, as aquatic mammals, have to be very efficient at storing oxygen for their muscles during deep sea dives, which means they require a lot of myoglobin. Until the gift of the sperm whale meat, Kendrew couldn’t isolate enough myoglobin to grow crystals of sufficient size for his research.
Sources:
Accession file
“History of Visualization of Biological Macromolecules: A. A. Barker’s Models of Myoglobin.” Eric Francouer, University of Massachusetts-Amherst. http://www.umass.edu/molvis/francoeur/barker/barker.html
The Eighth Day of Creation: The Makers of the Revolution in Biology. Horace Freeland Judson. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: 1996.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
ID Number
2009.0111.01
accession number
2009.0111
catalog number
2009.0111.01
This is one of the “two forty-five inch Refractors” mentioned in a Georgetown publication of 1852. It has a brass pillar-and-tripod base, an equatorial mount, and mahogany handles for adjustments in right ascension and declination.
Description
This is one of the “two forty-five inch Refractors” mentioned in a Georgetown publication of 1852. It has a brass pillar-and-tripod base, an equatorial mount, and mahogany handles for adjustments in right ascension and declination. The (missing) achromatic objective had an aperture an 3.5 inches. The brass tube is 42½ inches long. The “W. & S. Jones” inscription refers to a London firm that, from 1791 to 1859, sold a wide range of scientific and mathematical instruments.
Ref: Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of Georgetown College, D.C. 1 (1852), p. 14.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1840
maker
W. & S. Jones
ID Number
PH.316098.01
accession number
224215
catalog number
316098.01
Volterra, an ancient town in the Tuscan region of Italy, has a productive salt spring known variously as the Moie or the Saline. This ink-and-wash drawing depicts the front and back of the house over that spring.
Description
Volterra, an ancient town in the Tuscan region of Italy, has a productive salt spring known variously as the Moie or the Saline. This ink-and-wash drawing depicts the front and back of the house over that spring. The title reads “Piante per Levare L’Acqua dolce dalla Salata per le Moie di Volterra.” The partial signature at bottom left reads “Ciappevony.”
Ref: Fabrizio Borelli, Le Saline de Volterra nel Granducatio di Toscana (Florence, 2000).
Didier Boisseuil,Le Thermalisme en Toscane à la fin du Moyen Age (Rome, 2002).
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
PH.329202
catalog number
329202
accession number
280071
Refracting telescope with a brass pillar-and-tripod base, a 38-inch long wooden tube with brass fittings, a sliding rod for holding the telescope at a particular elevation, an achromatic objective of 2 inches aperture, four eyepieces, and a wooden box with a hinged lid.
Description
Refracting telescope with a brass pillar-and-tripod base, a 38-inch long wooden tube with brass fittings, a sliding rod for holding the telescope at a particular elevation, an achromatic objective of 2 inches aperture, four eyepieces, and a wooden box with a hinged lid. The inscription on the brass ferrule at the eye end of the tube reads “DOLLOND LONDON.”
The Dollond family began in business as opticians in London in 1750. George Dollond took responsibility for the firm around 1820 and shortened the signature to Dollond.
Ref: Gloria Clifton, “Dollond Family,” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
maker
Dollond
ID Number
PH.335518
accession number
321714
catalog number
335518
In 1702, living in London and serving as Master of the Mint, Isaac Newton sat for Godfrey Kneller, the most famous and probably the most expensive portrait painter in London.
Description
In 1702, living in London and serving as Master of the Mint, Isaac Newton sat for Godfrey Kneller, the most famous and probably the most expensive portrait painter in London. For this portrait he wore a red banyan and a flowing wig.
This is one of many engraved copies of that image. The text at the bottom reads “Sr ISAAC NEWTON” and “G. Kneller pinxt” and “Wm. Sharp sculpt” and “G. Kearsley, No 46 Fleet Street.” Newton here looks to his left (rather than to his right as in the Kneller portrait). A laurel branch appears at one side and an oil lamp at the other. Below are figures of a globe, a large lens, a refracting telescope, books, papers, geometrical diagrams, and a woman who probably represents Urania, the muse of astronomy.
William Sharp (1749-1824) was an engraver in London. George Kearsley (fl. 1758-1791) was a publisher of books and prints. He was also responsible for The Copper Plate Magazine, “a monthly treasure for admirers of the imitative arts.” Our engraving appeared in the 1778 edition of that work.
Ref: Patricia Fara, Newton. The Making of Genius (New York, 2003).
Milo Keynes, ed., The Iconography of Sir Isaac Newton to 1800 (Woodbridge, 2005), p. 56.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1778
ID Number
1987.0076.01
catalog number
1987.0076.01
accession number
1987.0076
Tripod and mount for the 3.5-inch aperture refracting telescope made by W. & S. Jones of London, and used at Georgetown College.Ref: Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of Georgetown College, D.C. 1 (1852), p. 14.Currently not on view
Description
Tripod and mount for the 3.5-inch aperture refracting telescope made by W. & S. Jones of London, and used at Georgetown College.
Ref: Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of Georgetown College, D.C. 1 (1852), p. 14.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1840
maker
W. & S. Jones
ID Number
PH.316098.02
accession number
224215
catalog number
316098.02
The introduction of silvered-glass mirrors—easier to figure and more durable than solid metal ones—made reflecting telescopes popular, especially with amateur astronomers.This example is marked "John Browing London." It has a simple alt-azimuth mount.
Description
The introduction of silvered-glass mirrors—easier to figure and more durable than solid metal ones—made reflecting telescopes popular, especially with amateur astronomers.
This example is marked "John Browing London." It has a simple alt-azimuth mount. The aperture is 4.25 inches; the tube is 38.5 inches long.
John Browning was a young instrument maker when he issued A Plea for Reflectors, Being a Description of the New Astronomical Telescopes with Silvered-Glass Specula (London, 1867). He offered telescopes with mirrors made by the retired schoolteacher, George Henry With.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1867
maker
Browning, John
ID Number
PH.327566
accession number
267874
catalog number
327566
This engraving with 30 figures represnting Experiments with the Air Pump appeared in the third volume of William Henry Hall, The New Royal Encyclopaedia or, Complete Modern Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (London, 1788). It illustrated the “Aerology” article in volume one.
Description
This engraving with 30 figures represnting Experiments with the Air Pump appeared in the third volume of William Henry Hall, The New Royal Encyclopaedia or, Complete Modern Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (London, 1788). It illustrated the “Aerology” article in volume one. The text at bottom reads “Published According to Act of Parliament by C. Cooke No 17 Paternoster Row, Sept. 13, 1788.” Charles Cooke was an eminent and entrepreneurial publisher and bookseller in London.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1788
ID Number
PH.330439
catalog number
330439
accession number
290940
This brass Gregorian telescope, which dates from the last quarter of the 18th century, has a metal primary mirror 2⅜ inches diameter, and a smaller secondary that is adjusted by the rod that runs along the tube. The stand is adjustable in altitude and azimuth. The “G.
Description
This brass Gregorian telescope, which dates from the last quarter of the 18th century, has a metal primary mirror 2⅜ inches diameter, and a smaller secondary that is adjusted by the rod that runs along the tube. The stand is adjustable in altitude and azimuth. The “G. Adams N˚ 60 / Fleet Street London” inscription could refer to George Adams or to his son of the same name, both of whom worked at this address.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 18th century
maker
Adams, George
ID Number
PH.329778
catalog number
329778
accession number
283516
Among the first electronic mobile robots were the experimental machines of neuroscientist W. Grey Walter. Walter studied the brain’s electrical activity at the Burden Neurological Institute (BNI) near Bristol, England.
Description
Among the first electronic mobile robots were the experimental machines of neuroscientist W. Grey Walter. Walter studied the brain’s electrical activity at the Burden Neurological Institute (BNI) near Bristol, England. His battery-powered robots were models to test his theory that a minimum number of brain cells can control complex behavior and choice. Soon after World War II, electronic motors and computers made possible such experimental robots that imitated living intelligence. Researchers like Walter then sought to answer a question that still occupies their successors: How close can machines come to human intelligence?
In the late 1940s Walter built his first model animals—simple, slow-moving, tortoise-shaped machines he named Elmer and Elsie. In 1951, Walter enlisted BNI engineer W. J. Warren to build the robot displayed here.
The machines are designed to explore their environment and react to it with two senses—sight and touch. A rotating photoelectric cell, the machine’s “eye,” scans the horizon continuously until it detects an external light. Scanning stops and the machine either moves toward the light source or, if the source is too bright, moves away. An external contact switch, sensitive to touch, causes the machine to retreat if it encounters obstacles. The robots retreat to a recharging station when their batteries were low.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
ID Number
1993.0500.01
accession number
1993.0500
catalog number
1993.0500.01
In 1768, a young English artist named Joseph Wright displayed a large oil painting showing what happens to a bird (in this case a cockatoo) when deprived of air.
Description
In 1768, a young English artist named Joseph Wright displayed a large oil painting showing what happens to a bird (in this case a cockatoo) when deprived of air. Demonstrations of this sort were somewhat popular scientific entertainments during the second half of the 18th century. And, as Wright showed in this picture, they could evoke horror as well as fascination. Mezzotint copies of Wright’s painting were soon available. This is one of those copies. The text at the bottom reads: “From the Original Picture Painted by Mr. Joseph Wright” and “Published June 24th 1708” and “Joseph Wright Pinxit” and “J. Boydell excudit 1769” and “Valentine Green del & fecit.”
Ref: Marguerite Helmers, “Painting as Rhetorical Performance: Joseph Wright’s “An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump,” JAC 71 (2001): 71-95.
David Fraser, “Joseph Wright of Derby and the Lunar Society,” in Judy Edgerton, ed., Wright of Derby (London: Tate Gallery, 1990).
T. Clayton, The English Print (New Haven and London, 1997).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1769
original artist
Wright, Joseph
ID Number
PH.321747
catalog number
321747
accession number
244964
This hand-colored engraving depicts gentlefolk dallying with a globe, an armillary sphere, a couple of telescopes, a pair of dividers, two L-squares, and a back staff. The text at bottom reads: “London. Printed for and sold by F. Bull on Ludgate Hill, J.
Description
This hand-colored engraving depicts gentlefolk dallying with a globe, an armillary sphere, a couple of telescopes, a pair of dividers, two L-squares, and a back staff. The text at bottom reads: “London. Printed for and sold by F. Bull on Ludgate Hill, J. Boydell in Cheapside, & W. Herbert on London Bridge.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1750-1800
ID Number
PH.329186
catalog number
329186
accession number
280072
This brass telescope has an achromatic objective of about 2 inches aperture and two eyepieces (one marked “Astronomical Eye Piece”). The tube extends from 12.5 to 44 inches. The outer tube is covered with wood. The pillar-and-tripod base has inward-facing feet. The “J. P.
Description
This brass telescope has an achromatic objective of about 2 inches aperture and two eyepieces (one marked “Astronomical Eye Piece”). The tube extends from 12.5 to 44 inches. The outer tube is covered with wood. The pillar-and-tripod base has inward-facing feet. The “J. P. Cutts London Warranted” inscription refers to John Priston Cutts, an optician who worked in London from 1822 to 1841.
The telescope fits into a walnut case lined with velvet. A brass inlay on the box reads: “James Radcliffe Architect Huddersfield.”
Ref: Gloria Clifton, Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 (London, 1995), p. 75.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
maker
Cutts, John Priston
ID Number
PH.329794
catalog number
329794
accession number
286914
In 1766 a talented and ambitious young English artist named Joseph Wright displayed a large oil painting, A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is put in Place of the Sun.
Description
In 1766 a talented and ambitious young English artist named Joseph Wright displayed a large oil painting, A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is put in Place of the Sun. This painting, now owned by the Derby Museum and Art Gallery, clearly captured the interest in astronomy and natural philosophy that was widespread in England in the 18th century. The instrument in the center resembles a Grand Orrery of the sort that Thomas Wright of London began making in the early 1730s. The individuals have not been identified, but their faces have been likened to the phases of the moon.
Mezzotint copies of Wright’s painting-drawn by William Pether and published by John Boydell in London-were widely known. This is one of those copies. The text at the bottom reads: “A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery. From the Original Picture Painted by Mr. Joseph Wright; In the Collection of the Right Honorable the Earl of Ferrers. Published May 20th 1768” and “Jos. Wright Pinxit” and “J. Boydell excudit” and “W. Pether delint et fecit 1768.”
Ref: T. Clayton, The English Print (New Haven and London, 1997).
Elizabeth Barker, “New Light on the Orrery: Joseph Wright and the Representation of Art in 18th Century Britain,” British Art Journal 1 (Spring 2000): 29-37.
David Fraser, “Joseph Wright of Derby and the Lunar Society,” in Judy Edgerton, ed., Wright of Derby (London: Tate Gallery, 1990).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1768
ID Number
PH.321746
catalog number
321746
accession number
244964
This engraving was produced for volume 10 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis, a multi-volume work published between 1810 and 1829.
Description
This engraving was produced for volume 10 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis, a multi-volume work published between 1810 and 1829. The text at the top reads “HYGROMETRY.” That at the bottom reads “Instruments for Measuring the moisture of the Air / London Pubd as the Act directs, June 1, 1810, by J. Wilkes” and “Pass sc.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 19th century
ID Number
PH.330428
catalog number
330428
accession number
290491
This prism spectroscope, based on the form introduced by Kirchhoff and Bunsen, was probably made by W.
Description
This prism spectroscope, based on the form introduced by Kirchhoff and Bunsen, was probably made by W. Wilson, a scientific instrument maker in London who was in business from around 1900 to 1914.
Ref: Central Scientific Co., Physical and Chemical Apparatus (Chicago, 1912), p 257.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
maker
Wilson, W.
ID Number
2010.0235.24
catalog number
2010.0235.24
accession number
2010.0235
Hand-colored etching depicting an elderly man standing behind a table filled with scientific apparatus, holding a wand in one hand and a glass containing liquid in the other.The image represents Adam Walker (1731-1821), an inventor and educator from the north of England who settl
Description
Hand-colored etching depicting an elderly man standing behind a table filled with scientific apparatus, holding a wand in one hand and a glass containing liquid in the other.
The image represents Adam Walker (1731-1821), an inventor and educator from the north of England who settled in London and read lectures on science at his house at 42 Conduit Street, Hanover Square.
The “X” in the bottom left corner is the mark of the popular English caricaturist, James Gillray. The text at the bottom—“Pubd March 28th 1796. by H. Humphrey No 37 New Bond Street”—refers to Hannah Humphrey (fl. 1778-1822), the domestic partner of Gillray and publisher of many of his images.
Ref: Arts Council of Great Britain, James Gillray, 1756-1815: Drawings and Caricatures (London, 1967).
“Adam Walker” inDictionary of National Biography.
Adam Walker A System of Familiar Philosophy in Twelve Lectures (London, 1799).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1796
ID Number
PH.329191
catalog number
329191
accession number
280072
This is a silver monocular is engraved, on the one draw tube, “Dollond / Strand / London.” The objective lens is achromatic and about 1.25 inches diameter. Closed, the instrument measures 3.25 inches.Currently not on view
Description
This is a silver monocular is engraved, on the one draw tube, “Dollond / Strand / London.” The objective lens is achromatic and about 1.25 inches diameter. Closed, the instrument measures 3.25 inches.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Dollond
ID Number
PH.326934
catalog number
326934
accession number
248841
This is a brass instrument with four draw tubes, and ivory around the eyepiece, objective lens and outer tube. The objective lens is achromatic and 1.25 inches diameter. The length overall is 2 inches closed, and 4.5 inches extended.
Description
This is a brass instrument with four draw tubes, and ivory around the eyepiece, objective lens and outer tube. The objective lens is achromatic and 1.25 inches diameter. The length overall is 2 inches closed, and 4.5 inches extended. There is a “RUBERGALL / London” inscription on the innermost tube. Thomas Rubergall (fl. 1802–1854) was a mathematical, optical and philosophical instrument maker in London.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Rubergall, Thomas
ID Number
PH.323564
catalog number
323564
accession number
251552
Refracting telescope with a 4-inch achromatic objective, several eyepieces, and wooden tripod. The brass tube, 63 inches long, is inscribed “Dollond London.” A paper label in the wooden box holding the telescope reads “G.
Description
Refracting telescope with a 4-inch achromatic objective, several eyepieces, and wooden tripod. The brass tube, 63 inches long, is inscribed “Dollond London.” A paper label in the wooden box holding the telescope reads “G. Dollond / Optical, Mathematical, and / Philosophical Instrument Maker / to Her Majesty / 50 St. Paul’s Churchyard, London.”
The Dollond family began in business as opticians in London in 1750. George Dollond took responsibility for the firm around 1820 and shortened the signature to Dollond.
This telescope belonged to, and was given in memory of, Charles C. Carey (1903-1963), President of the General Radio Company (1956-1963).
Ref: Gloria Clifton, “Dollond Family,” in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
maker
Dollond
ID Number
PH.326101
accession number
277167
catalog number
326101

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