Science & Mathematics

Chemical Balance

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.

Date: 1900s

Wooden Box Model Comptometer

This key-driven non-printing adding machine has a wooden case and eight columns of color-coded plastic keys. It is a relatively late example of a Comptometer with a wooden (rather than a metal) case.The key tops are flat and made of plastic.
Description
This key-driven non-printing adding machine has a wooden case and eight columns of color-coded plastic keys. It is a relatively late example of a Comptometer with a wooden (rather than a metal) case.
The key tops are flat and made of plastic. They are colored black and white, with complementary digits indicated in red. There is a spring around each key stem, and the stems become progressively longer as the digits increase. Eight subtraction levers are in front of the keys and eight decimal markers are attached to a metal plate painted black, which is in front of these. A row of nine windows in the plate reveals number wheels which represent totals and differences. The zeroing mechanism is a knob with a release lever on the right side.
The serial number, stamped on the front of the machine under the decimal markers, is 5021. A metal tag screwed to the top of the machine behind the keyboard is marked: TRADE COMPTOMETER MARK (/) PAT’D (/) JUL.19.87 JUN. 11. 89.(/) OCT.11.87 NOV.25.90 (/) JAN.8.89 DEC.15.91. (/) SEP.22.96 (/) Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co. (/) CHICAGO
According to other records, this machine was sold in 1906 to H. Messersmith Company of Buffalo, New York, and traded in in 1910 for a Model C. The machine became part of the collections of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company and was exhibited at the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago in 1933.
Compare to 1987.0107.04.
Reference:
Felt & Tarrant, Accession Journal 1991.3107.06.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1906
maker
Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
ID Number
MA.323650
maker number
5021
catalog number
323650
accession number
250163

Keuffel & Esser 1740 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule

This paper, brass, and wood cylindrical slide rule has 20 sets of A, B, and C scales, with each set 47 cm in length.
Description
This paper, brass, and wood cylindrical slide rule has 20 sets of A, B, and C scales, with each set 47 cm in length. The scales are printed on paper that is glued around a sliding brass drum (with wooden handles) and on brass slats that are attached to a round brass frame on either end. The frame is screwed to a wooden base. A sheet of instructions for THACHER'S CALCULATING INSTRUMENT is glued along the top front of the base.
The right side of the paper on the drum is marked in italics: Patented by Edwin Thatcher [sic], C.E. Nov. 1st 1881. Divided by W. F. Stanley, London, 1882. Made by Keuffel & Esser Co. N.Y. A small silver metal tag affixed to the front right of the base is engraved: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW-YORK (/) 663. Wayne Feely has suggested that K&E began manufacturing (as opposed to simply distributing) Thacher cylindrical slide rules in 1887, indicating 1887 is the earliest date for this example of the instrument. The latest date for the instrument is 1900, because K&E changed the design of the brass frame at that time.
The object is contained in a wooden case that bears no identifying marks. According to the accession file, the rule was found in a Smithsonian collections storage locker in the Arts & Industries Building about 1964.
See also MA.312866.
Reference: Wayne E. Feely, "Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 50 (1997): 125–127
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1887-1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1987.0107.08
catalog number
1987.0107.08
accession number
1987.0107

Calcumeter

This eight-wheeled stylus operated non-printing adding machine has wheels of brass and copper and a steel frame. Two metal supports on the back can be lowered so that the machine is at an angle rather than lying flat. The machine is marked on the front: THE CALCUMETER.
Description
This eight-wheeled stylus operated non-printing adding machine has wheels of brass and copper and a steel frame. Two metal supports on the back can be lowered so that the machine is at an angle rather than lying flat. The machine is marked on the front: THE CALCUMETER. It is marked on the right side: H.N.MORSE (/) TRENTON,N.J. It is marked on the left: 18143 (/) PAT’D DEC 17 ‘01. This is number 38 in the Felt & Tarrant collection.
The Calcumeter was invented by James J. Walsh of Elizabeth, N.J. who applied for a patent January 16, 1901, and was granted it December 17, 1901 (U.S. Patent 689,225). Walsh went on to patent a resetting device for the machine on September 1, 1908 (U.S. Patent #897,688). This example of the machine does not have that mechanism. The instrument was first manufactured by Morse & Walsh Company in 1903 and 1904, but by 1906 was produced by Herbert North Morse of Trenton. Morse was a native of New Jersey who attended the South Jersey Institute in Bridgeton, N.J. and then spent a year at Harvard College. By 1916, he not only owned the Calcumeter adding machine business, but was assistant commissioner of education for the state of New Jersey.
Compare MA.335352.
Reference:
Harvard College Class of 1896, "Report V," June, 1916, Norwood, Massachusetts: Plimpton Press, p. 192.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901
maker
Morse, H. N.
ID Number
MA.323622
accession number
250163
catalog number
323622

Spectrometer

This substantial brass instrument on a sturdy black iron base could be used as a spectrometer or a goniometer. The horizontal circle is 15 cm diameter, graduated on silver to 1’ and read by verniers and microscopes to 20” of arc.
Description
This substantial brass instrument on a sturdy black iron base could be used as a spectrometer or a goniometer. The horizontal circle is 15 cm diameter, graduated on silver to 1’ and read by verniers and microscopes to 20” of arc. The heavy flint glass prism has been lost.
Ref: Bausch & Lomb, Microscopes, Microtomes, Apparatus for Photo-Micrography, and Bacteriology (Rochester, 1896), p. 109.
Arthur H. Thomas, Laboratory Apparatus (Philadelphia, 1906), p. 348.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Bausch & Lomb
ID Number
PH.334639
catalog number
334639
accession number
312090

Microscope

Compound monocular microscope with lens throwing light on the stage, square stage, inclination joint, sub-stage mirror, and black horseshoe base.Currently not on view
Description
Compound monocular microscope with lens throwing light on the stage, square stage, inclination joint, sub-stage mirror, and black horseshoe base.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
1978.0292.05
catalog number
1978.0292.05
accession number
1978.0292

Baldwin Calculator

In 1875 Frank S. Baldwin of St. Louis patented a pinwheel calculating machine. He manufactured a few of these machines, but they did not sell well. Baldwin went on to take out a number of other patents.
Description
In 1875 Frank S. Baldwin of St. Louis patented a pinwheel calculating machine. He manufactured a few of these machines, but they did not sell well. Baldwin went on to take out a number of other patents. By 1901 he had moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he designed an improved pinwheel machine. He obtained a patent the following year. This is an early example of that machine.
The lever-set, non-printing machine has eight rings at the front that rotate forward to release pins and enter numbers. A zeroing bar for the rings is at the front, and an operating crank to the right. The crank turns clockwise for addition and multiplication and counterclockwise for subtraction and division. Behind the rings is a movable carriage with a row of 16 result windows and, behind this, a second row of nine windows for the revolution register. Both these registers have zeroing cranks. Both also have a thin metal rod below them that moves to serve as a decimal marker.
Pulling forward a lever on the left allows one to shift the carriage. A bell rings when the result changes sign (negative to positive or positive to negative). The entire machine sits in a wooden case with a missing lid.
Compare MA.311954.
A mark stamped on the front reads: No 50.
The donor dated this machine to 1902.
References:
Accession file.
Frank S. Baldwin, “Calculating-Machine,” U.S. Patent 706375, August 5, 1902.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902
maker
Baldwin, Frank S.
ID Number
MA.307384
catalog number
307384
accession number
67982
maker number
50

Florence Flask, Nonsol

This Florence flask is made of Nonsol glass by Whitall Tatum Company. The Florence flask is characterized by a long neck and rounded bottom with a flat base.
Description (Brief)
This Florence flask is made of Nonsol glass by Whitall Tatum Company. The Florence flask is characterized by a long neck and rounded bottom with a flat base. It is useful as a reaction vessel as well as for heating solutions.
Nonsol was a brand of borosilicate glass developed by the Whitall Tatum Company. German scientists Otto Schott (1851–1935) and Ernst Abbe (1840–1905) first developed borosilicate glass in the late 19th century. Its strength against chemical attack and low coefficient of thermal expansion made the glass more resistant to the chemical and heat stresses of the laboratory environment than any other glass on the market. When it first became available in 1902, Nonsol was among the first American-made borosilicate glasses. The name “Nonsol” likely was a shortening of “non-soluble,” referring to its chemical resistance.
Whitall Tatum Company was among the first American glass companies to manufacture chemical glassware, starting as early as the late 1870s. Based in Millville, New Jersey, the company’s factory produced chemical and other glassware for over 150 years, finally closing its doors in 1999.
Sources:
Estridge, Barbara H., Anna P. Reynolds, and Norma J. Walters. Basic Medical Laboratory Techniques. Cengage Learning, 2000.
Harrison, Charles. Cumberland County, New Jersey: 265 Years of History. The History Press, 2013.
Jensen, William B. “The Origin of Pyrex.” Journal of Chemical Education 83, no. 5 (2006): 692. doi:10.1021/ed083p692.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry 25 (1916). American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Kraissl, F. “A History of the Chemical Apparatus Industry.” Journal of Chemical Education 10, no. 9 (1933): 519. doi:10.1021/ed010p519.
Rosenfeld, Louis. Four Centuries of Clinical Chemistry. CRC Press, 1999.
Whitall Tatum & Company. “Whitall Tatum & Co. Glass Ware,” 1879.
Description
The “NONSOL / W.T. CO.” inscription on the neck of this Florence flask refers to a brand of borosilicate glass that was developed by the Whitall Tatum Company, and introduced to market in 1902.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1902
maker
Whitall Tatum Company
ID Number
MG.M-12932.02
catalog number
M-12932.02
accession number
286284
collector/donor number
192

Brunsviga Model B Calculating Machine

This lever-set, non-printing, and manually operated pinwheel calculating machine has a metal housing painted black, a brass and steel mechanism, and nine levers for entering numbers.
Description
This lever-set, non-printing, and manually operated pinwheel calculating machine has a metal housing painted black, a brass and steel mechanism, and nine levers for entering numbers. A steel crank with a wooden handle that extends from the right side of the machine rotates backward (clockwise) for addition and multiplication, and forward (counterclockwise) for subtraction and division.
A movable carriage at the front of the machine has 13 windows that show dials of the result register on the right, and eight windows for the revolution register on the left. The revolution register has no carry. The digits on the revolution register dial are white for additions and red for subtractions. Holes for decimal markers between digits of the result and revolution registers presently have no markers. Depressing a lever at the front of the machine releases the carriage for shifting. To zero the registers, one rotates wing nuts at the ends of the carriage. The left end of the carriage carries a bell.
A mark on the front of the machine reads: BRUNSVIGA. A second mark there reads: No 4644. A third mark (part of the Brunsviga trademark) is: G.N.& C.C.a.A. A mark on the left side of the machine reads: Grimme, Natalis & Co.(/) Braunschweig - Brunswick (/) System W.T. Odhner. It includes a list of patents from Germany (64925), Belgium (91812), England (13700). Austria (45538), Hungary (69363); Switzerland (4578), and France (301119 and 303744). The United States is also listed, but no patent date is given. A fifth mark, on a property sticker attached to the back of the carriage reads: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (/) 10248-WB-Z.
The case has a wooden base and a metal lid painted black, with a leather handle and a place for a lock at the front. A cloth bag with small loose parts is stored with the machine.
The Weather Bureau of the United States Department of Commerce transferred this machine to the Smithsonian in 1958.
Reference:
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, pp. 109–113.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902
maker
Grimme, Natalis & Co.
ID Number
MA.315904
catalog number
315904
accession number
222974
maker number
4644

Opera Glasses

The words “12 Verres” on the crosspiece probably indicate that this instrument was made in France.
Description
The words “12 Verres” on the crosspiece probably indicate that this instrument was made in France. They also indicate that each eye lens and each objective lens is a triple achromat, a design that was developed by Joseph Petzval, a professor of mathematics at the University of Vienna, and introduced to practice by Voightländer & Sohn in the early 1840s. Because of this design, the optics are exceedingly good. The objectives lenses are 44 mm diameter. The frame is gilt metal. The barrels and eyecups are covered with mother of pearl, as is the center wheel that adjusts the focus. The case is dark leather lined with magenta silk.
Ref: Charles Chevalier, Catalogue Explicatif et Illustré des Instruments d’Optique et de Météorologie (Paris, 1860), p. 17.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
ID Number
PH.336796
catalog number
336796
accession number
1978.2216

Persian Drah

This wooden rectangular rule is reported to be a Persian drah, or pic, a unit of length measure used in surveying and architecture. According to Russ Rowlett, the pic (or pik) was a traditional unit of distance in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East.
Description
This wooden rectangular rule is reported to be a Persian drah, or pic, a unit of length measure used in surveying and architecture. According to Russ Rowlett, the pic (or pik) was a traditional unit of distance in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East. An "arm" unit, like the ell, the pic varied considerably. A typical value was about 28 inches (71 centimeters). This example is divided on one side in pencil and on the other with carved notches. The divisions on the pencil side are at: 3.0, 6.3, 9.6, 12.7, 25.3, 28.3, 31.6, 37.8, 50.3, 53.4, 56.6, 59.8, and 62.7 cm. The divisions on the notched side are at: 12.5, 15.7, 18.8, 21.8, 25.0, 37.9, 41.0, 44.2, 47.1, 50.2, 56.2, 59.2, and 62.3 cm.
The pencil side is marked at the right end: teheran (/) dept of State. In 1892, the U.S. Department of State transferred this object to the Smithsonian.
Reference: Russ Rowlett, How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement, July 11, 2005, http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/index.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
1979.0991.01
accession number
1979.0991
catalog number
166897

Improved Willis Planimeter

This metal instrument (possibly of nickel-plated brass) has two pivoted arms with needle points. One is about 9" long, and the other is about 6-1/2" long. The longer arm is used for tracing and is graduated to 32nds of an inch from 2" to 7-7/8".
Description
This metal instrument (possibly of nickel-plated brass) has two pivoted arms with needle points. One is about 9" long, and the other is about 6-1/2" long. The longer arm is used for tracing and is graduated to 32nds of an inch from 2" to 7-7/8". The pivot is marked on that side: PAT'D SEPT. 22, 1896 (/) OCT. 6, 1896. The other side of the pivot is marked: —IMPROVED — (/) WILLIS PLANIMETER (/) MANF'D BY (/) JAMES L. ROBERTSON & SONS (/) NEW YO[RK] U.S.A. There are two clasps on that side for securing the frame with the measuring wheel. The back of one clasp and the first side of the pivot have a serial number: 749.
A metal frame has three bars. The first bar is unadorned. The second bar slides in a groove formed by two small double wheels and holds a brass wheel for measuring. The third bar holds a wooden triangular ruler with six scales on white celluloid. These scales divide the inch into 100, 50, 60, 30, 80, and 40 parts. The ruler is marked: U. S. STD. The frame fits into three holes on the pivot that joins the arms.
A wooden case covered with black leather is lined with purple satin and velvet. The inside of the lid is marked: Improved Willis Planimeter, (/) PATENTED SEPTEMBER 22, 1896. (/) " OCTOBER 6, 1896. (/) MANUFACTURED BY (/) JAMES L. ROBERTSON & SONS. (/) New York, U. S. A.
Edward Jones Willis (1866–1941), a steam and electrical engineer from Richmond, Va., patented a cross-shaped planimeter in 1894 and had a modified version of the patent reissued in 1896. This is the first patent mentioned on the instrument. Willis's 1895 patent for a planimeter with a frame similar to the frame on this example is not mentioned on the instrument. Alpheus C. Lippincott of New York City received the second patent mentioned on the instrument, for a different form of cross-shaped planimeter.
James L. Robertson & Sons manufactured steam engine indicators. Since planimeters were used to measure the area under curves drawn by these indicators, it was common for firms that made indicators to also produce planimeters. Indeed, Robertson sold both the Improved Willis Planimeter and the Lippincott Planimeter, so it is probable that the company mentioned Lippincott's patent on this planimeter by mistake. Around 1900, the Improved Willis Planimeter cost $18.00.
In 1901, Willis patented the form of planimeter that sold as the Improved Willis Planimeter and added a triangular ruler attachment that could be used to calculate horsepower. See MA.324247, MA.323703, and MA.323704. Note that this example of the instrument has the frame on the left side of the instrument, unlike the later and more common versions, which had the frame on the right. The mechanism for the measuring wheel is also different, and its bar does not slide on later instruments. Because the 1901 patent is not mentioned and because of the differences in design, this Willis planimeter is probably the oldest one in the collections. James Jack Scott, the superintendent of the Eagle Cotton Oil Mill in Meridian, Miss., from about 1900 to about 1935, used this planimeter to analyze the operations of the plant's steam power equipment.
The instrument reached the Smithsonian in 1994.
References: Edward J. Willis, "Planimeter" (U.S. Patent 529,008 issued November 13, 1894; reissued as 11,568 September 22, 1896), "Planimeter" (U.S. Patent 542,511 issued July 9, 1895), and "Planimeter" (U.S. Patent 672,581 issued April 23, 1901); Alpheus C. Lippincott, "Planimeter" (U.S. Patent 569,107 issued October 6, 1896); catalog of James L. Robertson & Sons (New York, [1899]), 29–31; Hyman A. Schwartz, "The Willis Planimeter," Rittenhouse 7, no. 2 (1993): 60–64.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1896-1901
maker
James L. Robertson & Sons
ID Number
1994.0356.01
catalog number
1994.0356.01
accession number
1994.0356

T-Square

A wooden bar (6-1/8" x 2" x 3/4") is attached to a flat wooden handle (17-7/8" x 2" x 1/8") by nine wooden pegs. By the 17th century, draftsmen used T-squares to help them draw horizontal lines.
Description
A wooden bar (6-1/8" x 2" x 3/4") is attached to a flat wooden handle (17-7/8" x 2" x 1/8") by nine wooden pegs. By the 17th century, draftsmen used T-squares to help them draw horizontal lines. The instrument was also used in conjunction with a set square or triangle to draw vertical and diagonal lines. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests this object was made about 1900. Compare to MA.328397 and MA.328398.
Reference: Maya Hambly, Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980 (London: Sotheby's Publications, 1988), 113.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.328396
accession number
272517
catalog number
328396

Millionaire Calculating Machine Stand

The large heavy adding and calculating machines that began to sell widely in the early 20th century were not easy to move about. Purchasers also often bought metal stands like this one. The object is painted black and has four rubber feet.
Description
The large heavy adding and calculating machines that began to sell widely in the early 20th century were not easy to move about. Purchasers also often bought metal stands like this one. The object is painted black and has four rubber feet. Stands for smaller machines would often have a shelf on which the operator could place related paperwork.
For related object, see Millionaire calculating machine 1986.3114.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1904
maker
Egli, Hans W.
ID Number
1986.3114.02
catalog number
1986.3114.02
nonaccession number
1986.3114

Opera Glasses

Each eyecup of this small instrument is marked “LEMAIRE FABT * PARIS *.” The objective lenses are 30 mm diameter and the optics are good. The frame is black metal. The barrels are covered with black leather. A center wheel adjusts the focus.
Description
Each eyecup of this small instrument is marked “LEMAIRE FABT * PARIS *.” The objective lenses are 30 mm diameter and the optics are good. The frame is black metal. The barrels are covered with black leather. A center wheel adjusts the focus. The small image of a bee on the central brace is the Lemaire trade mark. The carrying case is black leather with a red silk lining.
If this was made for the American market, the words “MADE IN / FRANCE” on the central brace indicate a date after the McKinley Tariff went into effect on March 1, 1891. If it was made for the British market, the words indicate a date after the British Merchandise Marks Act of 1887.
Jacques Lemaire began making opera glasses in 1847 and was soon a major manufacturer noted for using mechanization, division of labor and interchangeable parts. M.J.B. Baille joined the firm in 1871 and took charge of it in 1885.
Ref: Nicholas Gilman, A Dividend to Labor: A Study of Employers’ Welfare Institutions (Boston and New York, 1899), pp. 297–304.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Lemaire
ID Number
PH.336806
catalog number
336806
accession number
1978.2216

Bird's Bull's Eye Belting Computer Slide Rule by Whitehead & Hoag

This linear slide rule reflects changes that occurred in the materials of American manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The instrument itself has a pyroxylin (celluloid) envelope with a paper slide. There is no indicator.
Description
This linear slide rule reflects changes that occurred in the materials of American manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The instrument itself has a pyroxylin (celluloid) envelope with a paper slide. There is no indicator. It was designed for use in computing the properties of belting used in industrial processes. At that time, such belting was typically made from one of three materials: canvas saturated with a liquid, leather, or rubber. The Boston chemical firm of J. A. and W. Bird and Company developed a new material that they called "Bird's Bull's Eye Belting," which consisted of canvas plies stitched together, with a gum base pressed around each cotton fiber. The maker claimed that this belting did not dry out (as the usual form of canvas belting did), resisted damage from fumes or humidity, and maintained its tension.
This instrument has two sides. The front, or "Computer for Belting," allows the user to find the revolutions per minute of a pulley, the speed of the belt in feet per minute, and the proper belt width for the horsepower, given the diameter of the matched pulley and its revolutions per minute. The back, or "Computer for Shafting" side, allows calculation of the horsepower a shaft can communicate, given the shaft's diameter and revolutions per minute. The calculation is made using Thurston's formula, which states that the horsepower equals the cube of the shaft diameter times the number of times it revolves per minute divided by a constant dependent on the nature of the shaft.
The instrument is marked on the front: COPYRIGHTED 1908 (/) BY J.A. & W. BIRD & CO. (/) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BOSTON, MASS. On the back, it is marked near the left center in very small letters: PAT. JUNE 6, 1905. (/) THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. NEWARK, N.J. Whitehead & Hoag manufactured a variety of plastic products including slide rules; see 1984.1080.01, 1987.0221.02, and 1988.0350.01 (which is also a belting computer).
References: Richard E. Roehm, "Process of Printing upon Pyroxylin Materials" (U.S. Patent 791,503 issued June 6, 1905); J. A. & W. Bird & Co., Belt Talks (Boston, 1909), 18. According to this publication, customers could receive one rule by sending 10 cents in stamps. A second rule cost 25 cents.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1908
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
1988.0323.02
accession number
1988.0323
catalog number
1988.0323.02

Keuffel & Esser Polar Planimeter Model 4230 or 1104

This stainless steel polar planimeter has a stainless steel weight, a brass weight, and a brass testing disc. The weights fit on one of the arms, the brass one on the surface below and the other at the end.
Description
This stainless steel polar planimeter has a stainless steel weight, a brass weight, and a brass testing disc. The weights fit on one of the arms, the brass one on the surface below and the other at the end. The tracer arm moves, with a setting scale divided from 0 to 25, and measuring wheels near the vertex.
A mark on the weight arm reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co NEW YORK. Marks on the underside of the tracer arm, on the brass weight, and on a paper tag inside the lid of the wooden case rgive the serial number: No. 1109. Keuffel & Esser also sold an instrument with model number 1109, but it was quite different.
Keuffel and Esser sold this planimeter as the model 1104 from 1892 until 1901 and as the model 4230 from after 1901 until before 1936. The style of the clasps on the case suggests a relatively early date. The donor assigned a date of 1895, which would make it a model 1104. He also indicated that the instrument was made for Keuffel & Esser by the German firm of Haff.
This instrument reached the Smithsonian in 2016.
References:
Accession File
Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4210 Family of Polar Planimeters," at the webksite www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com, in the section on planimeter models.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
2016.0064.03
catalog number
2016.0064.03
accession number
2016.0064

Geometric Model, L. Brill No. 3. Ser. 10,2. 33, D41,9, Ellipsoid with Axes in the Ratio of 1:2:3

This white plaster model is of a flattened ellipsoid with axes in the ratio 1:2:3. No curves are indicated. A paper tag reads: Axenverhaltniss 1:2:3 [/] Ver. v. L. Brill 10. S. 2. Nachtr. Nr. XXXIII.
Description
This white plaster model is of a flattened ellipsoid with axes in the ratio 1:2:3. No curves are indicated. A paper tag reads: Axenverhaltniss 1:2:3 [/] Ver. v. L. Brill 10. S. 2. Nachtr. Nr. XXXIII. Another paper tag reads: D41.9.
This is one of a set of models designed under the direction of Alexander Brill at the technical high school in Munich and first published by Ludwig Brill in 1885. A stand with catalog number MA.304723.23.3 is also tagged D41.9. The stand is marked on the bottom: X2 XXXIII. For both of those reasons, it seems likely that it sold with this model.
Reference:
L. Brill, Catalog, 1892, p. 22, 57.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1885-1900
maker
Brill, L.
ID Number
1990.0571.01
catalog number
1990.0571.01
accession number
1990.0571

Geometric Model, M. Schilling No. 151c, Ser. 6 No. 6c, Space Curve of Third Order, Cubic-Hyperbolic Parabola

In 1880, Ernst Lange, a student at the mathematical institute of the technical high school in Munich, working under the direction of Felix Klein, designed four plaster models of space curves of degree three drawn on cylinders with cross sections that are conic sections.
Description
In 1880, Ernst Lange, a student at the mathematical institute of the technical high school in Munich, working under the direction of Felix Klein, designed four plaster models of space curves of degree three drawn on cylinders with cross sections that are conic sections. All of these curves represent the intersection of a surface of degree two with the cylinder shown.
This model, the third in the series, shows the intersection of parabolic cylinder (a cylinder with a cross section that is a parabola) with a cone. A straight line segment and two curves that approach it asymptotically are indicated. A tag on the model reads: Raumcurve 3. Ordnung. (/) 6. Serie, Nr. 6c. (/) Verlag v. Martin Schilling, Leipzig. There are further markings in ink on the label.
References:
L. Brill, Catalog mathematischer Modelle. . ., Darmstadt: L. Brill,1892, p. 13, 73-74.
Ulf Hashagen, Walther von Dyck (1856-1934): Mathematik, Technik und Wissenschaftsorganisation an der TH München, Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 2003, p. 90, 100, 102.
E. Lange, Mathematische Modelle XIX. Die vier Arten der Raumcurven dritter Ordnung. pp. 1-2. A copy of this document is available online through the website of the Göttingen collection of mathematical models. Accessed November 13, 2017.
Martin Schilling, Catalog, 1911, p. 13, 132.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1905
maker
Schilling, Martin
ID Number
1990.0571.23
catalog number
1990.0571.23
accession number
1990.0571

Peaucellier Inversor, Kinematic Model by Martin Schilling, series 24, model 10, number 349

Around 1900, American mathematicians introduced ideas to their students using physical models like this one.
Description
Around 1900, American mathematicians introduced ideas to their students using physical models like this one. This model is the tenth in a series of kinematic models sold by the German firm of Schilling to show a mechanical method for generating mathematical curves.
Linkages are joined rods that move freely about pivot points. A pair of fireplace pincers is an example of a very simple linkage. Producing straight line motion was an important component of many machines. But producing true linear motion is very difficult. One area of research during the 19th century was to use linkages to produce linear motion from circular motion. In this context “inverse” is a geometric term that refers to the process of using algebra and trigonometry to convert or invert one geometric shape into another. In this case, the inverse of the circle will be a straight line. So an “inversor" is a device that finds the inverse of a geometrical object: the conversion of a circle to a straight line in the case of this model.
In 1864 French engineer Charles Nicolas Peaucellier (1832-1913) created a seven-bar linkage which succeeded in producing pure linear motion. Since then, such seven-bar linkages are often referred to as “Peaucellier cells” or a “Peaucellier’s inversor.” His discovery was the first solution of what was referred to as the problem of parallel motion: converting rotational to linear motion using only “rods, joints and pins.”
This linkage is constructed of seven metal armatures (two longer arms of 15 cm, four shorter arms of 5 cm) hinged so as to create a kite shape with a rhombus (diamond) shape at the top of the kite. This horizontal assembly is then attached to a central vertical axis that is rotated by turning a crank below the baseplate. Fingerholds are attached to the two primary hinge points to allow the linkage to be articulated from above. Below these fingerholds are metal points used to trace the motion of the linkage on the paper.
The bottom (tail end) of the kite is fixed on a circle. As the dial is turned or the fingerholds are moved, the point internal to the linkage traces the circle, resulting in the point at the top of the kite tracing a straight line. The seven-bar linkage works by keeping one end of the linkage (the tail end of the kite) fixed on a circle. As the center point traces around the circle, the point at the opposite end of the linkage (the top of the kite) traces a straight line. The German title for this model is: Inversor von Peaucellier 1864.
This model is marked Halle a.S., but this is lined through and has a Leipzig stamp. In or after 1903 Schilling moved the business from Halle to Leipzig. On top of the mounting plate is an aged paper sheet showing the name and maker of the linkage. Printed on the paper are a black circle and a red circle to show the circular path; a red curve; and, what was most likely a black linear path, but which is now worn through the paper with use.
References:
Johnson, Wm. Woolsey, “The Peauceller Machine and Other Linkages,” The Analyst, Vol 2, No. 2, Mar 1875, pp. 41-45.
Roberts, David Lindsay, “Linkages, A Peculiar Fascination” in Tools of American Mathematics Teaching, 1800-2000, Kidwell, P. A. et.al., Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, pp. 233-242.
Schilling, Martin, Catalog Mathematischer Modelle für den höheren mathatischen Unterricht, Halle a.S., Germany, 1911, pp. 56-57. Series 24, group IV, model 10.
Mathematics and interactive Java applet can be found at http://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/invert.html\
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Schilling, Martin
ID Number
MA.304722.21
catalog number
304722.21
accession number
304722

Telescope

This was made by Robert Stanton Avery, Jr., a mathematician who spent a long career computing tide tables for the U.S.
Description
This was made by Robert Stanton Avery, Jr., a mathematician who spent a long career computing tide tables for the U.S. Coast Survey, and who gave the Smithsonian Institution a substantial sum of money to be used for the “extension of the sciences.”
We know that Avery made several telescopes in the early 1850s, while working on the family farm in Connecticut. This example has a brass barrel 24½ inches long that measures 4¾ inches diameter at the large end and 1½ inches at the small end. The lenses are lacking.
Ref: “Robert Stanton Avery, Jr.,” in Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of Washington 12 (1895): 435-442.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
PH.311769
catalog number
311769
accession number
152769

Spectroscope

This is a simple three-armed brass spectroscope with one glass prism, on a black iron tri-leg base. It was used by William Francis Hillebrand (1853-1925), an American chemist with a PhD from the University of Heidelberg who analyzed a vast array of mineral samples for the U.S.
Description
This is a simple three-armed brass spectroscope with one glass prism, on a black iron tri-leg base. It was used by William Francis Hillebrand (1853-1925), an American chemist with a PhD from the University of Heidelberg who analyzed a vast array of mineral samples for the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1890, Hillebrand found that when crushed uraninite was dissolved in sulfuric acid, this uranium-bearing rock emitted a gas that he and his colleague William Hallock identified as nitrogen. When the British chemist, William Ramsay, analyzed similar rocks in 1895, he attributed the spectral lines to argon. William Crookes, however, realized that some of the lines were caused by helium, a substance hitherto found only in the sun. That meant that this instrument captured the first evidence of terrestrial helium.
Ref. F. W. Clarke, “Biographical Memoir of William Francis Hillebrand,” National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoirs 12 (1925): 43-70.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
PH.326657
catalog number
326657
accession number
259238

Keuffel & Esser 4078 Duplex Slide Rule

This 20-inch mahogany linear slide rule is coated on the front and back with white celluloid; the edges are bare. The scales are labeled on the right end of each side. On both sides, the top of the base has an A scale, and the bottom of the base has a D scale.
Description
This 20-inch mahogany linear slide rule is coated on the front and back with white celluloid; the edges are bare. The scales are labeled on the right end of each side. On both sides, the top of the base has an A scale, and the bottom of the base has a D scale. On one side, the slide has B and C scales; on the other, the slide has BI and CI scales. The rule has two indicators: the original brass double-chisel style indicator, and the frameless glass with plastic edges that Keuffel & Esser adopted in 1915. According to the donor, the second indicator was acquired some years after the original slide rule.
The bottom of the base on one side and the chisel indicator on the other side are both marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co. NEW-YORK. The bottom of the base is also engraved: CHAS. C. BRUSH 1901. The symbol for pi has also been scratched on the D scale on that side. On the other side, the bottom of the base is marked: PAT. OCT. 6. 1891. One edge of the frameless indicator is marked: K&E.CO.N.Y. (/) PAT.8.17.15. For information on these patents, see MA.318477 and MA.318475.
The cardboard case is covered with brown morocco leather. It is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) DUPLEX (/) SLIDE RULE. See the similar case for MA.326613.
According to the donor, the instrument was used by his father, Charles C. Brush (1880–1968), who graduated from high school in Philadelphia in 1898 and subsequently studied at the Franklin Institute. He received a certificate from the School of Naval Architecture there in 1904. The model 4078 is only listed in Keuffel & Esser catalogues for 1901 and 1903, priced at $16.50. The catalog evidence and the date on the slide rule make it reasonable to suppose that Brush acquired the slide rule in the course of his studies. Charles C. Brush was then associated with the Bureau of Lighthouses from 1917 to 1939. When the Lighthouse Service ended in 1939, he served as a marine engineer in the engineering department of the U.S. Coast Guard until his retirement in 1944.
References: Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 30th ed. (New York, 1900–1901), 296; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 31st ed. (New York, 1903), 306; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901-1903
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1977.0370.01
accession number
1977.0370
catalog number
335926

Curve for Drawing a Hyperbola, Keuffel & Esser 2182

This small, flat unpainted wooden pear wood curve has a hyperbolic top edge and a straight bottom. There are two holes along the axis. A mark on one side reads: 2182.
Description
This small, flat unpainted wooden pear wood curve has a hyperbolic top edge and a straight bottom. There are two holes along the axis. A mark on one side reads: 2182. Another mark on the same side reads; KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y.
Keuffel & Esser’s model 2182 was a set of pear wood curves of hyperbolas in eight sizes, ranging from 2 to 5 1/2 inches in depth. This is the 3 ½ inch size. Keuffel and Esser sold ellipses, hyperbolas and parabolas made from pear wood from at least 1892 until at least 1913. By 1921, such curves were available from K & E only in xylonite.
References:
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1892, p. 151.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1909, p. 226.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1913, p. 203.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1921, p. 147.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1985.0112.229
catalog number
1985.0112.229
accession number
198540112

Open Triangle

This unmarked 8" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood laid between two sections of lighter wood. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. Compare to MA.335330.
Description
This unmarked 8" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood laid between two sections of lighter wood. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. Compare to MA.335330. Neither Keuffel & Esser nor the Eugene Dietzgen Company advertised triangles like this one. James W. Queen of Philadelphia did offer walnut or mahogany triangles with a maple inlay, but the firm did not sell the instrument in the 8-inch size.
Reference: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), 51.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335329
catalog number
335329
accession number
305958

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