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: 1880s

Microscope

Simple aquatic microscope that fits into and stands on a wooden case. It has a large stage, sub-stage mirror, and cylindrical stand, and is so designed that the observer can keep an eye on aquatic creatures as they move about.
Description
Simple aquatic microscope that fits into and stands on a wooden case. It has a large stage, sub-stage mirror, and cylindrical stand, and is so designed that the observer can keep an eye on aquatic creatures as they move about. The form was introduced in the 1740s by the English optician, John Cuff, at the behest of a Swiss naturalist named Abraham Trembley. In 1752, Cuff modified the microscope for the naturalist, John Ellis. That instrument, known as “Ellis’s aquatic microscope” and made by others, remained popular for years.
Ref: Savile Bradbury, The Evolution of the Microscope (Oxford, 1967), pp. 97-98.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
MG.302606.066
accession number
302606
catalog number
302606.066

Microscope

This modest compound monocular is an example of Tolles’ Student’s Microscope with rack-and-pinion, trunnion, square stage, Lister limb with sub-stage mirror, wheel of apertures to adjust the light cone coming up through the specimen, curvilinear tri-leg base, and wooden box.
Description
This modest compound monocular is an example of Tolles’ Student’s Microscope with rack-and-pinion, trunnion, square stage, Lister limb with sub-stage mirror, wheel of apertures to adjust the light cone coming up through the specimen, curvilinear tri-leg base, and wooden box. The base, uprights and arm are iron, japanned black. The inscription on the tube reads “TOLLES Boston” and the serial number 242 appears on the underside of the stage. There are three objective lenses: one Tolles, one Murray & Heath, and one unmarked.
Robert B. Tolles (1823-1883) apprenticed with Charles A. Spencer, became supervisor of the Boston Optical Works in 1867, and sole proprietor of the firm in 1872.
Ref: Boston Optical Works, Microscopes and Telescopes (Boston, 1883), pp. 3-5.
Deborah J. Warner, “The Microscopes and Telescopes of Robert B. Tolles,” Rittenhouse 9 (1995): 65-83.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Tolles, Robert B.
ID Number
MG.M-09704.01
catalog number
M-9704
accession number
227740

Microscope

This compound monocular is an example of the American Concentric microscope that Bausch & Lomb brought to market in the mid-1880s. It has coarse and fine focus, circular stage, and tri-leg base. The sub-stage iris diaphragm and mirror can be angled above and below the stage.
Description
This compound monocular is an example of the American Concentric microscope that Bausch & Lomb brought to market in the mid-1880s. It has coarse and fine focus, circular stage, and tri-leg base. The sub-stage iris diaphragm and mirror can be angled above and below the stage. The body moves, as it were, within a circular arm. The inscriptions on the stage and sub-stage apparatus read “BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO.” The inscriptions on the arm read “PAT. OCT. 3, 1876” and “PAT. OCT. 13, 1885.” Jacob Dolson Cox, a lawyer, Union Army general, governor of Ohio, Secretary of the Interior, and active microscopist, devised the form.
Ref: Bausch & Lomb, Price List of Microscopes, Objectives and Accessories (Rochester, 1884), pp. 22-23.
Ernst Gundlach, “Microscope,” U.S. Patent 182,919 (Oct. 3, 1876).
Edward Bausch, “Microscope,” U.S. Patent 328,277 (Oct. 13, 1885).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1885
maker
Bausch & Lomb
ID Number
MG.M-12189
accession number
272522
catalog number
M-12189
272522.04

Microscope

Compound monocular microscope with coarse and fine focus, inclination joint, large square stage, sub-stage diaphragm, sub-stage mirror, horseshoe base, and wooden box with extra lenses. The inscription reads “E. LEITZ WETZLAR / No.
Description
Compound monocular microscope with coarse and fine focus, inclination joint, large square stage, sub-stage diaphragm, sub-stage mirror, horseshoe base, and wooden box with extra lenses. The inscription reads “E. LEITZ WETZLAR / No. 7630.” The serial number indicates a date around 1885. The accompanying instructions are dated 1883. A second brochure describes the mechanical stage in German, English, French and Spanish.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1883
maker
Ernst Leitz
ID Number
MG.M-12957
catalog number
M-12957
accession number
287618
catalog number
287618.01

Beaker

This beaker is made by Schott & Genossen. Short, squat beakers are referred to as Griffin beakers, differentiating them from taller, thinner beakers known as Berzelius beakers. The Griffin beaker’s name refers to John Joseph Griffin (1802–1877), an English chemistry enthusiast.
Description (Brief)
This beaker is made by Schott & Genossen. Short, squat beakers are referred to as Griffin beakers, differentiating them from taller, thinner beakers known as Berzelius beakers. The Griffin beaker’s name refers to John Joseph Griffin (1802–1877), an English chemistry enthusiast. His interest in bringing chemistry to the common man led him to publish popular works on the subject and eventually to begin supplying scientific apparatus, including his eponymous beakers.
Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott und Genossen (Glass Technology Laboratory, Schott & Associates), later the Jenaer Glasswerk Schott & Gen. (Jena Glassworks, Schott & Associates), was founded in 1884 by Otto Schott (1851–1935), Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), and Zeiss' son Roderick.
In 1881 Schott, a chemist from a family of glassmakers, and Abbe, a physicist with an interest in optics, formed a research partnership. Together they hoped to perfect a chemical glass formula for lenses in optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes. Their original goal was to develop glasses of high quality and purity with consistent optical properties. As their research expanded, they eventually developed the first borosilicate glasses. Their strength against chemical attack and low coefficient of thermal expansion made them better suited to the harsh circumstances of the chemical laboratory than any other glass.
Jena Glass quickly became a success among the scientific community, widely considered the best on the market until World War I.
Sources:
Baker, Ray Stannard. Seen in Germany. Chautauqua, N. Y.: 1908. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433043165608.
Cauwood, J.D., and W.E.S. Turner. “The Attack of Chemical Reagents on Glass Surfaces, and a Comparison of Different Types of Chemical Glassware.” Journal of the Society of Glass Technology 1 (1917): 153–62.
Hovestadt, Heinrich. Jena Glass and Its Scientific and Industrial Applications. London, New York: Macmillan, 1902.
Pfaender, H. G. Schott Guide to Glass. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
Sella, Andrea. “Classic Kit: Griffin’s Beaker.” Chemistry World, 2011. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2011/August/GriffinsBeaker.asp.
Walker, Percy H. Comparative Tests of Chemical Glassware. Washington, D.C.: 1918. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015086545707.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1884
maker
Jena Glasswork, Schott & Associates
ID Number
MG.M-12931
catalog number
M-12931
accession number
286284
collector/donor number
191

Microscope

After a fire destroyed his shop at Canastota, N.Y., Charles A. Spencer moved to Geneva, N.Y., and made microscopes for the Geneva Optical Company. This example inscribed “C. A. SPENCER & SONS / FOR GENEVA OPT. CO. / NO.
Description
After a fire destroyed his shop at Canastota, N.Y., Charles A. Spencer moved to Geneva, N.Y., and made microscopes for the Geneva Optical Company. This example inscribed “C. A. SPENCER & SONS / FOR GENEVA OPT. CO. / NO. 32” is a compound monocular with rack-and-pinion focus, circular rotating stage, inclination joint, sub-stage mirror on Lister limb, and tri-leg base. The lenses have been lost.
Marshall Ewell, a Chicago lawyer and microscopist, informed the Smithsonian in 1909 that he had seen this microscope in the hands of Herbert R. Spencer. He also said that, after Spencer’s death, his widow had sent it to him with the request that, in time, he would forward it to the Smithsonian.
Ref: Oscar W. Richards, “Charles A. Spencer and His Microscopes,” Rittenhouse 2 (May 1888): 70-81.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1873-1880
maker
Geneva Optical Company
C. A. Spencer & Sons
ID Number
MG.M-09774
accession number
50311
catalog number
M-09774

Microscope

This compound monocular, an example of the Crouch histological microscope, has rack-and-pinion for coarse adjustment, lever for fine adjustment above the nosepiece, trunnion, square stage, sub-stage apparatus, and Lister limb with sub-stage mirror.
Description
This compound monocular, an example of the Crouch histological microscope, has rack-and-pinion for coarse adjustment, lever for fine adjustment above the nosepiece, trunnion, square stage, sub-stage apparatus, and Lister limb with sub-stage mirror. The inscription on the rounded foot reads “HENRY CROUCH / LONDON / 1108.”
Ref: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Optical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), pp. 116-118.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 1880s
maker
Crouch, Henry
ID Number
MG.308729.03
catalog number
308729.03
accession number
308729

Microscope

Bausch & Lomb introduced their Physician’s microscope in 1877, boasting that it was “firm and well balanced” and well adapted “to the use of physicians and students.” The stand and case cost $40; with two objectives and camera lucida it cost $65.
Description
Bausch & Lomb introduced their Physician’s microscope in 1877, boasting that it was “firm and well balanced” and well adapted “to the use of physicians and students.” The stand and case cost $40; with two objectives and camera lucida it cost $65. Ernst Gundlach, the Prussian immigrant who had become superintendent of the firm’s new microscope department in 1876, was largely responsible for the form.
This is an example of the modified version that the firm brought out in 1884. It is a compound monocular with coarse and fine focus, double nosepiece (one missing), rectangular stage, inclination joint, sub-stage diaphragm, sub-stage mirror, and curvaceous base. The tube and limb are brass; the base is black iron; the stage is heavy glass. The inscription on the stage reads “BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO.” That on the arm reads “PAT. OCT. 3. 1876 / PAT. OCT. 13, 1885.”
Ref: Bausch & Lomb, Price List of Microscopes, Objectives and Accessories (Rochester, 1884), pp. 14-15.
Ernst Gundlach, “Microscopes,” U.S. Patent 182,919 (Oct. 3, 1876).
Edward Bausch, “Microscope,” U.S. Patent 328,277 (Oct. 13, 1885).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1886
maker
Bausch & Lomb
ID Number
MG.M-12193
accession number
272522
catalog number
M-12193

Microscope

Bausch & Lomb designed the Model microscope (No.
Description
Bausch & Lomb designed the Model microscope (No. 520) “in compliance with a generally expressed demand for a simple, low-priced and well-made instrument, which is adapted to every grade of work.” The basic stand with wooden case cost $25; with two objectives and camera lucida it cost $45. This example is of that sort. It is a compound monocular with coarse and fine focus, trunnion, circular stage, sub-stage mirror, and Y-shaped base. The tube and stage are brass; the stand is black iron. An inscription on the arm reads “PAT. OCT. 3, 1876 / PAT. OCT. 13, 1885.” An inscription on the objective reads “Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Rochester, N.Y.”
This instrument has been customized for petrographic work. To that end, there is a double chambered box in the tube for holding an analyzer. An opening in the nosepiece, just above the objective, is designed to hold a Bertrand lens. The polarizer, which should be below the stage, is missing.
Ref: Bausch & Lomb, Illustrated Catalogue (Rochester, 1884), pp. 12-13.
Sharp & Smith, Catalogue of Surgical Instruments (Chicago, 1889), pp. 858-859.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1887
maker
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company
ID Number
MG.M-12195
accession number
272522
catalog number
M-12195
272522.10

Florence flask

This object is a 400 mL Florence flask made by Schott & Genossen. The Florence flask is characterized by a long neck and rounded bottom with a flat base.
Description (Brief)
This object is a 400 mL Florence flask made by Schott & Genossen. 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.
Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott und Genossen (Glass Technology Laboratory, Schott & Associates), later the Jenaer Glasswerk Schott & Gen. (Jena Glassworks, Schott & Associates), was founded in 1884 by Otto Schott (1851–1935), Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), and Zeiss' son Roderick.
In 1881 Schott, a chemist from a family of glassmakers, and Abbe, a physicist with an interest in optics, formed a research partnership. Together they hoped to perfect a chemical glass formula for lenses in optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes. Their original goal was to develop glasses of high quality and purity with consistent optical properties. As their research expanded, they eventually developed the first borosilicate glasses. Their strength against chemical attack and low coefficient of thermal expansion made them better suited to the harsh circumstances of the chemical laboratory than any other glass.
Jena Glass quickly became a success among the scientific community, widely considered the best on the market until World War I.
This object is part of a collection donated by Barbara Keppel, wife of C. Robert Keppel. Robert Keppel taught at the University of Nebraska-Omaha after receiving his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from M.I.T. The glassware in the Keppel collection covers the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sources:
Baker, Ray Stannard. Seen in Germany. Chautauqua, N. Y.: 1908. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433043165608.
Cauwood, J.D., and W.E.S. Turner. “The Attack of Chemical Reagents on Glass Surfaces, and a Comparison of Different Types of Chemical Glassware.” Journal of the Society of Glass Technology 1 (1917): 153–62.
Estridge, Barbara H., Anna P. Reynolds, and Norma J. Walters. Basic Medical Laboratory Techniques. Cengage Learning, 2000.
Hovestadt, Heinrich. Jena Glass and Its Scientific and Industrial Applications. London, New York: Macmillan, 1902.
National Museum of American History Accession File #1985.0311
Pfaender, H. G. Schott Guide to Glass. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
“University of Nebraska Omaha.” 2015. Accessed May 4. http://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-arts-and-sciences/chemistry/student-opportunities/scholarships.php.
Walker, Percy H. Comparative Tests of Chemical Glassware. Washington, D.C.: 1918. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015086545707.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1884
maker
Jena Glasswork, Schott & Associates
ID Number
1985.0311.024
catalog number
1985.0311.024
accession number
1985.0311

Warren de la Rue

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880s
ID Number
1983.0838.0078
catalog number
1983.0838.78
accession number
1983.0838

Geometric Model by J. Schroeder, 39, Regular Octahedron

This wooden model of a regular octahedron has eight equilateral triangles for sides. Maker and number deduced from listing described at 1982.0795.39.Currently not on view
Description
This wooden model of a regular octahedron has eight equilateral triangles for sides. Maker and number deduced from listing described at 1982.0795.39.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1889
ID Number
1982.0795.41
catalog number
1982.0795.41
accession number
1982.0795

Kjeldahl flask

This 200 mL Kjeldahl flask was made by Schott & Genossen. In 1883 Danish chemist Johan Kjeldahl (1849–1900) of the Carlsberg Laboratory published the Kjeldahl method.
Description
This 200 mL Kjeldahl flask was made by Schott & Genossen. In 1883 Danish chemist Johan Kjeldahl (1849–1900) of the Carlsberg Laboratory published the Kjeldahl method. It was the first accurate, simple, and speedy way to determine nitrogen content in organic matter.
Kjeldahl’s employer, Carlsberg Laboratory, had been originally established as a place for scientific research to perfect the process of beer making. Later, the laboratory took on a broader mission to contribute to pure research. The need for the Kjeldahl method grew from his analysis of the protein content of grains for beers at different stages—from germination to fermentation as beer wort. Analyses of nitrogen content can be used to quantify the amount of protein in a sample, and protein content of grains influences the volume of beer they produce.
The Kjeldahl method proved to have wide-ranging applications and was quickly adopted by scientists from a variety of fields. In the mid-2010s, the method (with minor modifications) was still in use for purposes ranging from analysis of protein in foods to nitrogen content in soil samples. To “Kjeldahl” a sample has become a verb in chemical parlance, considered by some the greatest honor bestowed by the chemical community.
Along with his method, Kjeldahl’s name also became attached to a piece of laboratory equipment he developed in 1888. The long-necked, round-bottomed flask was ideal for avoiding splashback when heating solutions. Splashback was a threat during the first step of the Kjeldahl method—which requires heating the sample in concentrated sulfuric acid.
Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott und Genossen (Glass Technology Laboratory, Schott & Associates), later the Jenaer Glasswerk Schott & Gen. (Jena Glassworks, Schott & Associates), was founded in 1884 by Otto Schott (1851–1935), Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), and Zeiss' son Roderick.
In 1881 Schott, a chemist from a family of glassmakers, and Abbe, a physicist with an interest in optics, formed a research partnership. Together they hoped to perfect a chemical glass formula for lenses in optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes. Their original goal was to develop glasses of high quality and purity with consistent optical properties. As their research expanded, they eventually developed the first borosilicate glasses. Their strength against chemical attack and low coefficient of thermal expansion made them better suited to the harsh circumstances of the chemical laboratory than any other glass.
Jena Glass quickly became a success among the scientific community, widely considered the best on the market until World War I.
This object is part of a collection donated by Barbara Keppel, wife of C. Robert Keppel. Robert Keppel taught at the University of Nebraska-Omaha after receiving his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from M.I.T. The glassware in the Keppel collection covers the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sources:
Baker, Ray Stannard. Seen in Germany. Chautauqua, N. Y.: 1908. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433043165608.
Burns, D. Thorburn, and W. I. Stephen. “Kjeldahl Centenary Meeting.” Analytical Proceedings 21, no. 6 (1984): 210–20. doi:10.1039/AP9842100210.
Cauwood, J.D., and W.E.S. Turner. “The Attack of Chemical Reagents on Glass Surfaces, and a Comparison of Different Types of Chemical Glassware.” Journal of the Society of Glass Technology 1 (1917): 153–62.
Hovestadt, Heinrich. Jena Glass and Its Scientific and Industrial Applications. London, New York: Macmillan, 1902.
National Museum of American History Accession File #1985.0311
Pfaender, H. G. Schott Guide to Glass. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
Sáez-Plaza, Purificación, Tadeusz Michałowski, María José Navas, Agustín García Asuero, and Sławomir Wybraniec. “An Overview of the Kjeldahl Method of Nitrogen Determination. Part I. Early History, Chemistry of the Procedure, and Titrimetric Finish.” Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry 43, no. 4 (2013): 178–223. doi:10.1080/10408347.2012.751786.
Sella, Andrea. 2008. “Classic Kit: Kjeldahl Flask.” Chemistry World. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2008/May/KjeldahlFlask.asp.
“University of Nebraska Omaha.” 2015. Accessed May 4. http://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-arts-and-sciences/chemistry/student-opportunities/scholarships.php.
Walker, Percy H. Comparative Tests of Chemical Glassware. Washington, D.C.: 1918. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015086545707.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1884
maker
Jena Glasswork, Schott & Associates
ID Number
1985.0311.052
catalog number
1985.0311.052
accession number
1985.0311

Model for Descriptive Geometry by A. Jullien - Line Perpendicular to a Plane

Plane APA’ is given. The line perpendicular to the plane is represented by the oblique wire passing through (m, m’).
Description
Plane APA’ is given. The line perpendicular to the plane is represented by the oblique wire passing through (m, m’). The point of intersection of the line and the plane would be about halfway along the wire between (m, m’) and (c,0).
For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.01.07
catalog number
1986.0885.01.07
accession number
1986.0885

Model for Descriptive Geometry by A. Jullien - Representation of a Line (Trace, Angle of Projection with a Plane, Distance between Two Points)

Two projections are shown. The left shows the vertical and horizontal projection of a line.
Description
Two projections are shown. The left shows the vertical and horizontal projection of a line. The right shows a line rotated to the horizontal and vertical plane at a point of contact with each plane to show the angle of the line with each plane.
For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.01.02
catalog number
1986.0885.01.02
accession number
1986.0885

Model for Descriptive Geometry by A. Jullien - Representation of a Line, Special Case

This relief shows the special case of a line that passes through the origin (0, 0, 0) and another point (a, b, c). The line is represented by the wire.For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.Currently not on view
Description
This relief shows the special case of a line that passes through the origin (0, 0, 0) and another point (a, b, c). The line is represented by the wire.
For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.01.03
catalog number
1986.0885.01.03
accession number
1986.0885

Geometric Model, Octant of a Wave Surface for Refraction in a Negative Biaxial Crystal, L. Brill or M. Schilling Ser.6 No.4 (Part), D41,4

This is a white plaster model of an octant of a Fresnel wave surface for refraction in a biaxial crystal. It appears to be bounded by part of a sphere on the outside and part of an ellipsoid on the inside. It has no tags.
Description
This is a white plaster model of an octant of a Fresnel wave surface for refraction in a biaxial crystal. It appears to be bounded by part of a sphere on the outside and part of an ellipsoid on the inside. It has no tags. A grid of lines is indicated on both the inside and the outside. The model is the mirror image of 1982.0795.18.These two models form Series 6, No. 4 in the series of models produced by L. Brill and later M. Schilling. They are Brill's model 162 and Schilling's model 360.
The model is part of a series designed under the direction of Alexander Brill at the technical high school in Munich and first published in Darmstadt in 1880.
References:
L. Brill, Catalog, 1892, p. 13, 87.
Francis A. Jenkins and Harvey E. White, Fundamentals of Optics, New York: McGraw Hill, 1976, pp. 553-555
M. Schilling, Catalog, 1911, p. 13, 168.
For another example of the model, with a reference to a related publication, see the Goettingen collection of mathematical models, model number 287.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1889
ID Number
1982.0795.19
catalog number
1982.0795.19
accession number
1982.0795

L. Brill No. 159, Ser. 10.1 No. 7, D41,6

The German label on this white plaster model indicates that it is a model of a wave surface for a uniaxial optical crystal, Brill Ser. 6 No. 3. The catalog entry for that Brill number adds (with negative birefringence) at the end of the title.
Description
The German label on this white plaster model indicates that it is a model of a wave surface for a uniaxial optical crystal, Brill Ser. 6 No. 3. The catalog entry for that Brill number adds (with negative birefringence) at the end of the title. Such a model always has an outer shell that is an ellipsoid and an inner shell that is a sphere. However, this model is a sphere with one octant cut away to reveal part of an ellipsoid. Thus this is a model of a wave surface of a positive uniaxial crystal, whose Brill model number is No. 159, Ser. 10.1 No. 7.
Stand 304722.23.01 may be for this model, as both have tag D41,6.
Compare to 1985.0112.125.
The correct label for this model appears on 1982.0795.23.
This is one of a series of models designed at the Munich polytechnic high school under the direction of Alexander Brill in 1885.
References:
L. Brill, Catalog, 1892, p. 21, 87.
For examples of related models, with a reference to a related publication, see the Goettingen collection of mathematical models, model numbers 283 (Schilling #356) and 284 (Schilling #357).
Francis A. Jenkins and Harvey E. White, Fundamentals of Optics, New York: McGraw Hill, 1976, p. 553-555.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1889
1889
maker
L. Brill
ID Number
1982.0795.21
catalog number
1982.0795.21
accession number
1982.0795

Model for Descriptive Geometry by A. Jullien - Image (Rotation) of a Vertical Plane about a Line in the Horizontal Plane

Plane APA’ is a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane with point (m, m’) on APA’ (at corner of wire).
Description
Plane APA’ is a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane with point (m, m’) on APA’ (at corner of wire). Vertical and horizontal projections are shown, as well as rotation about line AP in the horizontal plane.
For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.01.12
catalog number
1986.0885.01.12
accession number
1986.0885

Model for Descriptive Geometry by A. Jullien - Angle between a Horizontal Line and another Line

The horizontal line is represented by the wire coming out of the vertical plane at c’. The second line would run from point a on the horizontal plane to b’ on the vertical, however the black string that should represent this line is missing.
Description
The horizontal line is represented by the wire coming out of the vertical plane at c’. The second line would run from point a on the horizontal plane to b’ on the vertical, however the black string that should represent this line is missing. The two lines intersect at point (m, m’) at the bend in the wire. Lines cd and ab are the projections of the lines on the horizontal plane, with line nm perpendicular to cd at m. By rotating about these three lines as in relief 25, the angle between the given lines is shown on the horizontal plane as angle aM2D1.
For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.01.26
catalog number
1986.0885.01.26
accession number
1986.0885

Geometric Model, Wave Surface of a Biaxial Crystal, L. Brill No. 160 Ser. 6. No. 1b, D41,10

This white plaster model shows the inner shell of a Fresnel wave surface for a biaxial crystal. A paper tag on the model reads: D41,10.The outer shell of the wave surface is 1982.0795.25 and is L. Brill’s model No.
Description
This white plaster model shows the inner shell of a Fresnel wave surface for a biaxial crystal. A paper tag on the model reads: D41,10.
The outer shell of the wave surface is 1982.0795.25 and is L. Brill’s model No. 160, 1a.
A wooden stand with museum number MA.304722.23.4 may be for this model.
This is a white plaster model of the outer shell of a Fresnel wave surface for a biaxial crystal. The model originally was in two pieces that were notched to fit together. Both of the original two pieces are broken in half.
A paper tag on one piece reads: D41,10. Another paper tag reads: Fresnel'sche Wellenflache (/) Verl. v. L. Brill 6. Ser. Nr. 1a.
The inner shell of the wave surface is 1982.0795.24.
The model is part of a series designed under the direction of Alexander Brill at the technical high school in Munich and first published in Darmstadt in 1880.
References:
L. Brill, Catalog, 1892, p. 13, 87.
For examples of related models, with a reference to a related publication, see the Goettingen collection of mathematical models, model numbers 285 and 286.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1889
maker
Brill, L.
ID Number
1982.0795.24
catalog number
1982.0795.24
accession number
1982.0795

Florence flask

This object is a 400 mL Florence flask made by Schott & Genossen. The Florence flask is characterized by a long neck and rounded bottom with a flat base.
Description (Brief)
This object is a 400 mL Florence flask made by Schott & Genossen. 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.
Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott und Genossen (Glass Technology Laboratory, Schott & Associates), later the Jenaer Glasswerk Schott & Gen. (Jena Glassworks, Schott & Associates), was founded in 1884 by Otto Schott (1851–1935), Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), Carl Zeiss (1816–1888), and Zeiss' son Roderick.
In 1881 Schott, a chemist from a family of glassmakers, and Abbe, a physicist with an interest in optics, formed a research partnership. Together they hoped to perfect a chemical glass formula for lenses in optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes. Their original goal was to develop glasses of high quality and purity with consistent optical properties. As their research expanded, they eventually developed the first borosilicate glasses. Their strength against chemical attack and low coefficient of thermal expansion made them better suited to the harsh circumstances of the chemical laboratory than any other glass.
Jena Glass quickly became a success among the scientific community, widely considered the best on the market until World War I.
This object is part of a collection donated by Barbara Keppel, wife of C. Robert Keppel. Robert Keppel taught at the University of Nebraska-Omaha after receiving his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from M.I.T. The glassware in the Keppel collection covers the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sources:
Baker, Ray Stannard. Seen in Germany. Chautauqua, N. Y.: 1908. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433043165608.
Cauwood, J.D., and W.E.S. Turner. “The Attack of Chemical Reagents on Glass Surfaces, and a Comparison of Different Types of Chemical Glassware.” Journal of the Society of Glass Technology 1 (1917): 153–62.
Estridge, Barbara H., Anna P. Reynolds, and Norma J. Walters. Basic Medical Laboratory Techniques. Cengage Learning, 2000.
Hovestadt, Heinrich. Jena Glass and Its Scientific and Industrial Applications. London, New York: Macmillan, 1902.
National Museum of American History Accession File #1985.0311
Pfaender, H. G. Schott Guide to Glass. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
“University of Nebraska Omaha.” 2015. Accessed May 4. http://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-arts-and-sciences/chemistry/student-opportunities/scholarships.php.
Walker, Percy H. Comparative Tests of Chemical Glassware. Washington, D.C.: 1918. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015086545707.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1884
maker
Jena Glasswork, Schott & Associates
ID Number
1985.0311.025
catalog number
1985.0311.025
accession number
1985.0311

Pamphlet Describing Jullien Models for Descriptive Geometry

This pamphlet accompanies a set of Jullien models for descriptive geometry and includes a full description of the models, an account of how to assemble them, and mathematical details.For related objects, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01 through 1986.0885.01.30.Currently not
Description
This pamphlet accompanies a set of Jullien models for descriptive geometry and includes a full description of the models, an account of how to assemble them, and mathematical details.
For related objects, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01 through 1986.0885.01.30.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.02
accession number
1986.0885
catalog number
1986.0885.02

Model for Descriptive Geometry by A. Jullien - Line of Greatest Slope

Plane APA’ and point (m, m’) are given. Construct the line on the plane with largest slope or inclination from the horizontal. Theory says that this line would be perpendicular to the horizontal trace of the plane, line PA.
Description
Plane APA’ and point (m, m’) are given. Construct the line on the plane with largest slope or inclination from the horizontal. Theory says that this line would be perpendicular to the horizontal trace of the plane, line PA. So the result is the black string from point c on the horizontal plane to point A’ on the vertical plane. The red string from point A is in the plane; the red string from point d forms the plane perpendicular to plane APA’ that the line lies on. All three lines meet at point (m, m’).
For more details, see COLL.1986.0885 and 1986.0885.01.01.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
maker
Jullien, A.
ID Number
1986.0885.01.09
catalog number
1986.0885.01.09
accession number
1986.0885

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