This heavy glass vessel open at both ends is designed for used with an air pump. When the air evacuated, a bladder (or hand) put over the top opening will be drawn into the vessel. The form has been used for physics demonstrations since the eighteenth century.
Ref: George Adams, A Catalogue of Optical, philosophical, and mathematical instruments (London, [1765]), p. 8.
G. P. Quackenbos, A Natural Philosophy (New York, 1860), pp. 180-181.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.