Box of Glass
Box of Glass
- Description (Brief)
- Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) used this assortment of glass objects in his Northumberland, Pennsylvania laboratory. Priestley, the noted chemist whose accomplishments include the discovery of oxygen, was born in England. He lived and worked in Birmingham for many years, but his views as a Dissenter and an advocate of the French Revolution incited an angry mob into burning down his house and laboratory. In 1794 he fled to America, eventually settling in Northumberland, near Philadelphia. His great-great-granddaughter, Frances Priestley, donated his surviving laboratory ware to the Smithsonian in 1883.
- Source:
- National Museum of American History Accession File #13305
- Object Name
- glass
- used by
- Priestley, Joseph
- Physical Description
- glass (overall material)
- Measurements
- box: 11 1/2 in x 10 in x 2 1/2 in; 29.21 cm x 25.4 cm x 6.35 cm
- glass pieces: 27 in; 68.58 cm
- cylindrical tube: 27 in; 68.58 cm
- ID Number
- CH.315357
- catalog number
- 315357
- accession number
- 13305
- Credit Line
- Gift of Miss Frances D. Priestley
- See more items in
- Medicine and Science: Chemistry
- Science & Mathematics
- Joseph Priestley
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Comments
I once wrote an article about Priestley and the Priestley Riots, I also referred to the burning of his house and laboratory, but I was roundly criticized for making that comment. In fact, the house and laboratory were sacked, and the contents were spread near and far. Occasionally antiquarian books appear with the Priestley "Falling Waters" bookplate affixed which he used at the time. I suspect much of the material might still exist somewhere. Of course, through time it has gone into disrepair and in some cases destroyed.
Fred Stahl, Ph.d.
Mon, 2019-04-01 08:37
Fred Stahl, Ph.d.
Tue, 2019-11-19 08:53