Translucent green, glass round-bottomed vase with heavy rainbow luster throughout. Base of the vase is round and then attaches to a vertical tube in the center, top of the tube has an ornamental curved design that…

The alchemist sits in a small side chamber, absorbed by his readings, as his family works to prepare a meal in the open kitchen. Household and alchemical materials merge: a distillation apparatus sits on the hearth at…

This scene depicts tools and materials used both in alchemy and in art—most notably the large écorché figure placed on the alchemist's table, which was used by artists and students of human anatomy. A human skull,…

A bald alchemist stands at his furnace on the right, stirring the contents of his crucible while reading a small book. His young apprentice stands by, attentively looking to the alchemist for guidance. Books and other…

Robert Boyle in long curled wig, white neck cravat and sleeves, black coat; seated facing right with head turned three quarters left, looking out; turning page of book with left hand and gesturing toward book with…

In the center of a large room, a surgeon in a red cap and apron kneels to apply a leech to the foot of his bearded patient. Scenes of bloodletting and leechcraft are common in such images of doctors' surgeries. The…

Bowls like this one were used to catch the blood released by bleeding. The appearance of blood was a useful diagnostic tool for physicians, who examined it for clues about the body's internal state. This large bowl was…

A: Bulb containing mercury attached to a glass tube of narrow diameter. Thermometer has Celsius scale with 0-100 degree range.

B: Protective cardboard tube for the thermometer (not digitized).

Partial immersion…

A bearded man reading a book is standing in a great vaulted interior. A large window illuminates the room with warm daylight, reflecting against the glassware sparsely placed on upper shelves. At right, a long-necked…

Black metal (iron) U-shaped base with cylindrical brass (plated) parts; two metal slide clips mounted to slide plate; rotatable eye piece lowered or raised by the adjustment of top right knob; circular mirror underneath…

Set of celluloid billiard balls with brown cue ball; balls are divided in bottom section of square wooden box by cardboard dividers.

Round silver aluminum necklace consisting of numerous triangular shaped pieces arranged in an overlapping pattern; hook and eye clasp are attached via thread to the main body of the necklace.

Chemistry sets reached their heyday in the 1950s, but production of them began in the United States during World War I. Playing with a toy chemistry set inspired many a boy to become a chemist, and not until the late…

This type C medium-sized research microscope was manufactured by Ernst Leitz of Wetzlar, Germany. Featuring a black enamel horseshoe-shaped base and arm, this microscope also includes a reflecting mirror, eye piece,…

Standing portrait of George Trapp, a blue-collar worker, looking left; dressed in work clothes including a cap, white shirt, vest, and smock; holding the neck of a green glass carboy in left hand; to left, crates used…

Facing a glowing furnace at left, a bearded alchemist in green with a red cap looks at a flask of green liquid. A young assistant in a red singlet stands to his right. Laboratory apparatus is seen in foreground and…

Leeches have been used in medicine since ancient times. During the Victorian era, French physician Francois-Joseph-Victor Broussais sparked a boom in the leech trade with his popular theory that diet, bloodletting, and…

Wooden grey-blue case that opens on a hinge. Inside, the left side of the case contains a sealed glass bottle of mounting cement, a sealed glass bottle of thinner, small cardboard boxes labeled "Microcraft Microscopy…

American Optical Corporation Sixty student model monocular microscope features American Optical Spencer objective lenses.

American Optical Corporation was a successor to the Spencer Lens Company, founded by Charles…

Chemistry sets reached their heyday in the 1950s, but production of them began in the United States during World War I. Playing with a toy chemistry set inspired many a boy to become a chemist, and not until the late…

Used to create silicon ingots for use in the semiconductor industry, this crystal puller consists of two main parts, the furnace and the puller: the furnace is cylindrical and located at the bottom of the instrument, it…

Cardboard box with color printing on lid, showing young men and women engaged in chemical testing of environmental factors (air, water). Inside is a blue plastic tray with wells for test equipment, including a…

Developed in 1972, the HP-35 was Hewlett Packard's first pocket calculator and the first pocket calculator ever to have transcendental functions. Twenty HP engineers spent two years and approximately $1 million…

Soldiers are of various different designs; each seems to be hand painted.

William Henry Perkin depicted in his laboratory. Perkin, center, examines test dyeing of silk taffeta with mauve aniline dye. Left, his father, the backer of the plant, stands behind Perkin and admires the fabric. In…