Gyroscope

Gyroscope

<< >>
Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description
Paul-Gustave Froment (1815-1865), an inventor and instrument maker in Paris, made Leon Foucault’s first gyroscope in the early 1850s. By the 1870s, the physical apparatus at Columbia College (now University) in New York City included "a complete Foucault gyroscope, by Froment." This is that instrument.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
gyroscope
maker
Froment, Paul-Gustave
place made
France: Île-de-France, Département de Ville-de-Paris
Measurements
overall: 50 cm x 27.5 cm x 20.5 cm; 19 11/16 in x 10 13/16 in x 8 1/16 in
overall in case: 8 1/2 in x 19 1/2 in x 11 in; 21.59 cm x 49.53 cm x 27.94 cm
ID Number
PH.322966
catalog number
322966
accession number
249200
subject
Science & Scientific Instruments
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

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.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.