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.

Topic: Mathematics

Engraving of frog species "Batrachyla longipes, Heloecetes clarii, Ylarana fusca, Acris archeta"

William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print ofdifferent reptile species after original illustrations by John H. Richard (c.1807-1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 37 in “Reptiles of the Boundary” by S.F.
Description (Brief)
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of
different reptile species after original illustrations by John H. Richard (c.1807-1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 37 in “Reptiles of the Boundary” by S.F. Baird (1823–1887), published in Volume 2, Part 2 of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C. The species illustrated include: “Batrachyla longipes [Baird], Heloecetes clarkia [Baird], Hylarana fusca [Baird], and Acris archeta [sic] [Baird]," now "Eleutherodactylus longipes" (common names Long–footed frog, Long–footed robber frog, or Longfoot robber frog), "Pseudacris clarkia" (common names Clark’s tree frog, Clark’s striped tree frog, or Spotted chorus frog), Hylarana fusca [Baird], and "Acris gryllus" (common name Cricket frog).
Description
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Batrachyla longipes [Baird], Heloecetes clarkia [Baird], Hylarana fusca [Baird], and Acris archeta [sic] [Baird]," now "Eleutherodactylus longipes" (Long–footed frog, Long–footed robber frog, or Longfoot robber frog), "Pseudacris clarkia" (Clark’s tree frog, Clark’s striped tree frog, or Spotted chorus frog), Hylarana fusca [Baird], and "Acris gryllus" (Cricket frog); from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 37 in the “Reptiles” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by S.F. Baird (1823–1887). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date of book publication
1859
author
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
original artist
Richard, John H.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Wendell, Cornelius
author
Emory, William H.
publisher
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Army
ID Number
2009.0115.061
catalog number
2009.0115.061
accession number
2009.0115

Engraving of fish species "Belone scrulator"

William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of fish species, "Belone scrulator [Grd]," after an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia.
Description (Brief)
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of fish species, "Belone scrulator [Grd]," after an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The engraving was printed as Plate 13 in “Ichthyology of the Boundary” by Charles Girard (1822-1895), published in Volume 2, Part 2 of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
Description
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Belone scrulator [Grd]”, now "Strongylura marina" or Atlantic needlefish, from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 13 in the “Fishes” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, which was written by Charles Girard (1822–1895). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date of book publication
1859
publisher
U.S. Department of the Interior
original artist
Richard, John H.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Wendell, Cornelius
author
Girard, Charles
Emory, William H.
publisher
U.S. Army
ID Number
2009.0115.058
catalog number
2009.0115.058
accession number
2009.0115

Engraving of fish species "Ictiobus tumidus, Pytchostomus albidus, Luxilus leptosomus"

William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of three fish species after original sketches by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia.
Description (Brief)
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of three fish species after original sketches by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The engraving was printed as Plate 19 in "Ichthyology of the Boundary” by Charles Girard (1822-1895), published in Volume 2, Part 2 of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C. The fish species illustrated include: Ictiobus tumidus [Grd], Ptychostomus albidus [Grd], and Luxilus leptosomus [Grd].
Description
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Ictiobus tumidus [Grd], Ptychostomus albidus [Grd], and Luxilus leptosomus [Grd]”—now "Ictiobus bubalus" (Smallmouth buffalofish), "Moxostoma albidum" (Longlip jumprock), and "Notemigonus crysoleucas" (Golden shiner or Golden shiner minnow); from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 19 in the “Fishes” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date of book publication
1859
publisher
U.S. Army
author
Girard, Charles
original artist
Richard, John H.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Wendell, Cornelius
author
Emory, William H.
publisher
U.S. Department of the Interior
ID Number
2009.0115.067
catalog number
2009.0115.067
accession number
2009.0115

Engraving of fish species "Caragnus esculentus, Doliodon carolinus, Chorinemus lanceolatus, Chloroscombrus cambraeus, Argyreiosus capillaris, Vomer setapinnis"

William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of a fish species after an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia.
Description (Brief)
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of a fish species after an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The engraving was printed as Plate 1 in “Ichthyology of the Boundary” by Charles Girard (1822-1895), published in Volume 2, Part 2 of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C. Species represented in the engraving include:
Figs. 1- 3 - Caragnus esculentus [Grd], Fig. 4 - Doliodon carolinus [Grd],
Fig. 5 - Chorinemus lanceolatus [Grd], Fig. 6 - Chloroscombrus carribaeus [Grd], (Atlantis bumper), Fig. 7 -- Argyreiosis capillaris [De Kay], and Fig. 8 - Vomer setapinnis [Grd]; now "Oligoplites saurus" (Leatherjacket).
Description
William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Caragnus esculentus [Grd], Doliodon carolinus [Grd], Chorinemus lanceolatus [Grd], Chloroscombrus carribeaus [Grd], Argyreiosis capillaris [De Kay], and Vomer setapinnis [Grd]; now "Oligoplites saurus" (Leatherjacket), "Trachinotus carolinus" (Florida pompano), "Oligoplites saurus" (Leatherjacket), "Chloroscombrus carribaeus" (Atlantic bumper), and "Selene setapinnis" (Atlantic moonfish or horsefish); from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was printed as Plate 11 in the “Fishes” section of the second part of volume II of the Report on the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895). The volume was printed in 1859 by Cornelius Wendell of Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date of book publication
1859
original artist
Richard, John H.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Wendell, Cornelius
author
Emory, William H.
publisher
U.S. Department of the Interior
author
Girard, Charles
publisher
U.S. Army
ID Number
2009.0115.080
catalog number
2009.0115.080
accession number
2009.0115

Balance

Analytical balance marked “A. RŰPRECHT WIEN” at the base of the column. A trade label in the case reads, in part: “ALB. RŰPRECHT. . .
Description
Analytical balance marked “A. RŰPRECHT WIEN” at the base of the column. A trade label in the case reads, in part: “ALB. RŰPRECHT. . . Mechanische Atelier für Präcisionwagen und Gewichte” with evidence of awards ranging from a diploma in 1873 to a gold medal from the Vienna exhibition of 1890.
The Smithsonian Institution bought this balance for Edward W. Morley, a chemist at Adelbert College of Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Morley used it to measure the atomic weight of oxygen, and returned it to the Smithsonian after completing this work.
Ref: Edward W. Morley, “On the Densities of Oxygen and Hydrogen and on the Ratio of their Atomic Weights,” Smithsonian Institution Contribution to Knowledge 29 (1895).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1886
1893
date made
1891
used by
Morley, Edward Williams
maker
Rüprecht, Albert
ID Number
CH.318173
catalog number
318173
accession number
232131

Joseph Henry's Yale electromagnet

Date made
1831
maker
Henry, Joseph
ID Number
EM.181343
catalog number
181343
accession number
26705

Flower Display Preserved in Plastic

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.A.7535
accession number
198812
catalog number
A.7535

Reflecting Telescope

This equatorially mounted telescope, made in Paris around 1860, has a 4-inch aperture silvered-glass primary mirror of the sort proposed by the physicist J. B. L. Foucault.
Description
This equatorially mounted telescope, made in Paris around 1860, has a 4-inch aperture silvered-glass primary mirror of the sort proposed by the physicist J. B. L. Foucault. A small printed label on the square wooden tube carries the message “Les Télescopes à mirroir de verre qui se vendent dans la maison SECRETAN portent tous la signature ci-dessous” along with Foucault’s signature. A one-page lithographed “Instruction pour les Télescopes de verre argenté” carries the stamp of Lerebours et Secretan.
Marc François Louis Secretan was a scientific instrument maker in Paris who worked in partnership with, and then succeeded, Noel-Lean Lerebours.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1860
maker
Secretan
ID Number
PH.330623
accession number
1979.0889
catalog number
330623

Poison Sumac Preserved in Plastic

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1943-10-11
ID Number
AG.A.7594
catalog number
A.7594
accession number
198812

Opera Glasses

When closed, this ingenious device appears as a simple tube covered with dark leather. When opened it is a binocular instrument. The “BTE SGDG” inscription on the focusing knob indicates that it is based on a French patent. The objective lenses are 29 mm diameter.
Description
When closed, this ingenious device appears as a simple tube covered with dark leather. When opened it is a binocular instrument. The “BTE SGDG” inscription on the focusing knob indicates that it is based on a French patent. The objective lenses are 29 mm diameter. The frame is nickel plated.
John Browning in London described an instrument of this sort as a “Portable Binocular.” McAllister in Philadelphia described it as an “Articulated Pocket Opera Glass.”
Ref: John Browning ad in Nature 20 (May 1, 1879): title page.
William Y. McAllister, Illustrated Catalogue of Spectacles, Opera Glasses, Opthalmoscopes and Meteorological Instruments (Philadelphia, 1882), p. 49.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
PH.336785
catalog number
336785
accession number
1978.2216

Biolistic Particle Gun, Prototype III

This object is the third prototype of a biolistic gene gun produced by John Sanford, Ed Wolf and Nelson Allen at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Description (Brief)
This object is the third prototype of a biolistic gene gun produced by John Sanford, Ed Wolf and Nelson Allen at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Biolistic gene guns are used to genetically transform plants by shooting microprojectiles (tiny bullets) covered in DNA into plant cells. This prototype was an improvement over previous models because it featured a surge tank (see object 1991.0785.01.2) to collect debris from the firing. It also incorporated many of the features that would be used in the first commercial models.
Gene guns were the brainchild of plant geneticist Dr. John C. Sanford, who spent much of the early 1980s looking for a way to insert foreign DNA into plant cells in order to create transgenic plants. At the time, the most successful process for doing this relied on a species of bacteria. The method, however, only worked for certain plant species and was not successful with important crops like wheat, rice, or corn.
Sanford considered a variety of techniques, including piercing cell walls with a laser, but it was not until he teamed up with Dr. Edward Wolf of the Cornell engineering labs that he hit on a method that worked. Following discussions with Wolf, Sanford mentioned a new idea-partially inspired by his ongoing fight against squirrels in his yard- a biolistic gene gun. “Biolistic” is a combination of the words “biology” and “ballistics.” Working on principles similar to a BB gun, the gene gun would blast cells with microprojectiles covered in DNA.
To create the first prototype, Wolf brought in Nelson Allen, head machinist in the engineering lab, to modify a standard air pistol so that it could accelerate extremely small particles of tungsten into whole onions. Allen became integral in bringing Sanford’s ideas to life, producing the multiple prototypes the team designed as they perfected the technology. His interest in the project was personal. His daughter had died of leukemia at the age of 20, and Allen hoped that eventually the technique could lead to medical advances.
Sanford, Wolf, and Allen spent Christmas break 1983 trying out the gun and splattering themselves with exploded onion parts. After proving that individual onion cells could survive bombardment by microprojectiles, and that the microprojectiles could be used to introduce DNA into the cells, the team filed for a patent. They also set to work designing a second prototype (see object 1991.0785.02), as the air power used in the first prototype proved too destructive to samples at close range and caused particles to lose their acceleration over longer ranges.
To solve these issues, prototype II incorporated gunpowder rather than air to accelerate particles, and a vacuum chamber to reduce drag on the particles from air resistance. This model was used by Sanford’s post-doctoral student Theodore Klein in extensive experiments to calibrate the technology for optimal results. It was also the model used in the first successful stable genetic transformation of plant cells by biolistics. The results were reported in Nature in 1987.
Eager to see the technology result in practical application, but unable to find any interested investors, Wolf and Sanford created their own business, Biolistics, Inc, in 1986 to sell gene guns to other researchers. Their product was met with great enthusiasm, and Wolf and Sanford were "hounded" for orders from the scientific community. A commercially friendly design, similar to prototype III, was perfected by Nelson and the guns were fabricated by Rumsey-Loomis Co. of Ithaca, N.Y., a local machine shop. In April of 1989, Wolf and Sanford sold the business to DuPont which was able to market the gun on a larger scale. Sandford's final update to the technology was the replacement of gunpowder with helium cartridges. A gun with these features was still available on the market from Bio-Rad as of 2012.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0785.01.1
catalog number
1991.0785.01.1
accession number
1991.0785

Engraved woodblock of "Marble Canyon"

This engraved woodblock of "Marble Canyon” was prepared by engraver Edward Bookhout (1844-1886) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as Figure 26 (p.77) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tribu
Description
This engraved woodblock of "Marble Canyon” was prepared by engraver Edward Bookhout (1844-1886) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as Figure 26 (p.77) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by John Wesley Powell (1834-1902). Thomas Moran (1837-1926) accompanied Powell on his expedition and drew the original image.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1875
1875
original artist
Moran, Thomas
publisher
Bureau of American Ethnology
printer
Government Printing Office
author
Powell, John Wesley
graphic artist
Bookhout, Edward
block maker
V. W. & Co.
ID Number
1980.0219.0259
catalog number
1980.0219.0259
accession number
1980.0219

Opera Glasses

This is a gold-plated brass instrument with a tortoise-shell handle. The barrels are covered with black lacquer. The eyecups are flat and marked “WALDSTEIN ET SOHN MÜNCHEN.” The objective lenses are 23 mm diameter. The three crossbars are fixed.
Description
This is a gold-plated brass instrument with a tortoise-shell handle. The barrels are covered with black lacquer. The eyecups are flat and marked “WALDSTEIN ET SOHN MÜNCHEN.” The objective lenses are 23 mm diameter. The three crossbars are fixed. Focus is by rotating the left barrel. The pouch is blue velvet.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th century
maker
Waldstein et Sohn
ID Number
PH.336791
catalog number
336791
accession number
1978.2216

Comb, Electrophoresis

This white plastic electrophoresis comb is made from hard plastic and has 15 tines.Electrophoresis combs are used to create the wells in gels for electrophoresis, a technique that uses the electrical charges of molecules to separate them by their length.
Description (Brief)
This white plastic electrophoresis comb is made from hard plastic and has 15 tines.
Electrophoresis combs are used to create the wells in gels for electrophoresis, a technique that uses the electrical charges of molecules to separate them by their length. It is often used to analyze DNA fragments. When a gel is poured, a comb is inserted. After the gel solidifies, the comb is removed, leaving wells for samples.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Genentech, Inc.
ID Number
2012.0198.19
accession number
2012.0198
catalog number
2012.0198.19

Painting - Geometry of a Triple Bubble (Plateau)

The Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau (1801–1883) performed a sequence of experiments using soap bubbles. One investigation led him to show that when two soap bubbles join, the two exterior surfaces and the interface between the two bubbles will all be spherical segments.
Description
The Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau (1801–1883) performed a sequence of experiments using soap bubbles. One investigation led him to show that when two soap bubbles join, the two exterior surfaces and the interface between the two bubbles will all be spherical segments. Furthermore, the angles between these surfaces will be 120 degrees.
Crockett Johnson's painting illustrates this phenomenon. It also displays Plateau's study of the situation that arises when three soap bubbles meet. Plateau discovered that when three bubbles join, the centers of curvature (marked by double circles in the figure) of the three overlapping surfaces are collinear.
This painting was most likely inspired by a figure located in an article by C. Vernon Boys entitled "The Soap-bubble." James R. Newman included this essay in his book entitled The World of Mathematics (p. 900). Crockett Johnson had this publication in his personal library, and the figure in his copy is annotated.
The artist chose several pastel shades to illustrate his painting. This created a wide range of shades and tints that allows the painting to appear three-dimensional. Crockett Johnson chose to depict each sphere in its entirety, rather than showing just the exterior surfaces as Boys did. This helps the viewer visualize Plateau's experiment.
This painting was executed in oil on masonite and has a wood and chrome frame. It is #23 in the series. It was completed in 1966 and is signed: CJ66. It is marked on the back: Crockett Johnson 1966 (/) GEOMETRY OF A TRIPLE BUBBLE (/) (PLATEAU).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
referenced
Plateau, Joseph
painter
Johnson, Crockett
ID Number
1979.1093.17
catalog number
1979.1093.17
accession number
1979.1093

Videotape

This videotape is the original copy of a recording of microscopic imagery of cells that have been shot with microprojectiles (tiny bullets) using a prototype biolistic gene gun.
Description (Brief)
This videotape is the original copy of a recording of microscopic imagery of cells that have been shot with microprojectiles (tiny bullets) using a prototype biolistic gene gun. Biolistic gene guns are used to genetically transform plants by shooting microprojectiles covered in DNA into plant cells. The video shows microprojectiles inside of living cells. In some shots cytoplasmic streaming can be seen moving the microprojectiles around in the cells. The recording is approximately 30 minutes long and has no sound.
To learn more about biolistic gene guns, please see gene gun prototype II (object number 1991.0785.02) or gene gun prototype III (object number 1991.0785.01.1).
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0785.04
catalog number
1991.0785.04
accession number
1991.0785

Painting - Star Construction

Crockett Johnson's interest in regular polygons included the pentagram, or five-pointed star. The relation between the pentagon and the star is simple. If each side of a regular pentagon is extended, a regular five-pointed star results.
Description
Crockett Johnson's interest in regular polygons included the pentagram, or five-pointed star. The relation between the pentagon and the star is simple. If each side of a regular pentagon is extended, a regular five-pointed star results. Similarly, connecting each diagonal of a regular pentagon creates a regular five-pointed star. The star will have a pentagon in it, so the method is self-perpetuating.
A method for a pentagram's construction in described in Book IV, Proposition II of Euclid's Elements, but the construction illustrated in this painting is the artist's own creation. It builds on the relationship between the sides of a regular five-pointed star and the golden ratio. As Crockett Johnson may have recalled from his earlier paintings, the five rectangles that surround the central pentagon of the star are golden, that is to say the ratio of the length of the two equal sides of the triangle to the side of the enclosed pentagon is (1 + √5) / 2. Hence one can construct the star by finding a line segment divided in this ratio. No figure by Crockett Johnson showing his construction has been found.
The pentagram, executed appropriately enough in hues of gold, contrasts vividly with the purple background in Star Construction.
The painting is #103 in the series. It is in oil or acrylic on pressed wood and has a gold-colored metal frame. The painting is unsigned and undated. Compare #46 (1979.1093.33) and #64 (1979.1093.39).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1970-1975
painter
Johnson, Crockett
ID Number
1979.1093.70
catalog number
1979.1093.70
accession number
1979.1093

Name Tag, R. Michael Blaese M.D.

Dr. R. Michael Blaese wore this name tag during his time as a member of the team conducting the first NIH-approved human gene therapy treatment in September 1990. To learn more, see object 1999.0008.01, the blood cell separator.Source:Accession FileCurrently not on view
Description (Brief)
Dr. R. Michael Blaese wore this name tag during his time as a member of the team conducting the first NIH-approved human gene therapy treatment in September 1990. To learn more, see object 1999.0008.01, the blood cell separator.
Source:
Accession File
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1993.0445.03
catalog number
1993.0445.03
accession number
1993.0445

Biotech Bay

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989
ID Number
1990.3200.01
catalog number
1990.3200.01
nonaccession number
1990.3200

Vinca Minor Preserved in Plastic

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.A.7544
catalog number
A.7544
accession number
198812

Fun With Scientific Experiments

Ira Freeman was a professor of physics at Rutgers University, and Mae Freeman an active author of beginner's books on a variety of topics.
Description
Ira Freeman was a professor of physics at Rutgers University, and Mae Freeman an active author of beginner's books on a variety of topics. Before 1957 the couple had collaborated on such popular science books as Fun With Chemistry (1944) and Fun With Astronomy (1953).
With the launch of Sputnik , the Freemans began writing books related to space travel. You Will go to the Moon and The Sun, the Moon and the Stars were both published in 1959. They also began to write scientific books for use in the home. Fun With Science (1958) was quickly followed by Fun With Scientific Experiments (1960).
Fun With Scientific Experiments was supplemented with the "Ed-U-Cards of Science."
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960
maker
Random House, Inc.
ID Number
2007.0041.02
catalog number
2007.0041.02
accession number
2007.0041

Test Tube

The test tube is one of the most commonly used pieces of laboratory ware, available in many sizes ranging from less than 1 inch to 6 inches in length.
Description
The test tube is one of the most commonly used pieces of laboratory ware, available in many sizes ranging from less than 1 inch to 6 inches in length. The test tube was developed by Michael Faraday (1791-1867), the renowned British physicist and chemist, to replace the much larger wine glass test glass. Test tubes are the perfect shape and size to hold small amounts of substances, usually liquid, which are then manipulated in some way, such as being placed over the flame of a Bunsen burner.
The test tube has changed little since the early 19th century, although it is now made of plastic as well as glass.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
CH.315121.057
catalog number
315121.057
accession number
215563

Painting -Seventeen Sides (Gauss)

Those making mathematical instruments for surveying, navigation, or the classroom have long been interested in creating equal divisions of the circle. Ancient geometers knew how to divide a circle into 2, 3, or 5 parts, and as well as into multiples of these numbers.
Description
Those making mathematical instruments for surveying, navigation, or the classroom have long been interested in creating equal divisions of the circle. Ancient geometers knew how to divide a circle into 2, 3, or 5 parts, and as well as into multiples of these numbers. For them to draw polygons with other numbers of sides required more than a straightedge and compass.
In 1796, as an undergraduate at the University of Göttingen, Friedrich Gauss proposed a theorem severely limiting the number of regular polygons that could be constructed using ruler and compass alone. He also found a way of constructing the 17-gon.
Crockett Johnson, who himself would develop a great interest in constructing regular polygons, drew this painting to illustrate Gauss's discovery. His painting follows a somewhat later solution to the problem presented by Karl von Staudt in 1842, modified by Heinrich Schroeter in 1872, and then published by the eminent mathematician Felix Klein. Klein's detailed account was in Crockett Johnson's library, and a figure from it is heavily annotated.
This oil painting on masonite is #70 in the series. It is signed: CJ69. The back is marked: SEVENTEEN SIDES (GAUSS) (/) Crockett Johnson 1969. The painting has a black background and a wood and metal frame. There are two adjacent purple triangles in the center, with a white circle inscribed in them. The triangles have various dark gray regions, and the circle has various light gray regions and one dark gray segment. The length of the top edge of this segment is the chord of the circle corresponding to length of the side of an inscribed 17-sided regular polygon.
Reference: Felix Klein, Famous Problems of Elementary Geometry (1956), pp. 16–41, esp. 41.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1969
referenced
Gauss, Carl Friedrich
painter
Johnson, Crockett
ID Number
1979.1093.45
accession number
1979.1093
catalog number
1979.1093.45

Cymbidium Orchid Preserved in Plastic

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
AG.A.7557
catalog number
A.7557
accession number
198812

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