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Instruments & Innovation

63 items

This digital collection features selected scientific instruments, apparatus, and analytical tools from the Institute's museum as well as photographs, rare-book engravings, and illustrations depicting various types of equipment and machinery found in laboratories, manufacturing plants, and mechanical treatises. Inventions from book wheels to fireballs can be found here, alongside more modern innovations such as Gammacells and Geiger counters.

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Current results range from 1846 to 1922

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  • Scientific apparatus and instruments52
  • Laboratories--Equipment and supplies49
  • Chemical apparatus24
  • Manufacturing Chemists' Association (U.S.)12
  • Physical instruments9
  • more Subject »

  • Central Scientific Company21
  • Eimer & Amend12
  • Manufacturing Chemists' Association (U.S.)12
  • Emil Greiner Company9
  • Williams, Brown & Earle9
  • more Creator »

  • Catalogs✖[remove]63
  • Charts, diagrams, etc12
  • Handbooks and manuals2
  • Engravings1
  • Rare books1

  • Text✖[remove]63
  • Image12

  • Illinois--Chicago30
  • New York (State)21
  • Pennsylvania--Philadelphia9
  • England--Birmingham2
  • New York (State)--New York1

  • English✖[remove]63

  • Public Domain Mark 1.063

  • Library✖[remove]63
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  • 44 items
    Catalogs, Rare books, Engravings

    Descriptive Catalogue of Chemical Apparatus, Chemicals and Pure Reagents

    • 1846
    • Creator Of Work Kent, Edward N.
    • Printer Sackett, Israel, 1809-1880
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Chemicals, Chemical tests and reagents, Chemical apparatus
  • Catalogs

    Pyrometer

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Pyrometers
  • Catalogs

    Recording H-Ion Potentiometer

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Potentiometer
  • Catalogs

    Type K Potentiometer Outfit

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Potentiometer
  • Catalogs

    Saybolt Standard Universal Viscosimeter

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Viscosimeter
  • Catalogs

    Metallographic Outfit

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922

    Combination of photomicrographic camera and metallurgical microscope.

    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Photomicrography, Metallography, Physical instruments, Microscopes, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Photomicrography--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Microscopes

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Microscopes, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Spencer Photo-Micrographic Outfit

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Photomicrography, Physical instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Photomicrography--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Mojonnier Apparatus

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922

    Moisture and milk testers for determining fat and total solids in milk and dairy products according to the Mojonnier process.

    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Milk--Testing, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Milkfat--Testing
  • Catalogs

    Microscopes

    • Part of Catalog of Laboratory Apparatus and Reagents for Industrial—Medical—Educational Laboratories
    • 1922
    • Creator Of Work Williams, Brown & Earle
    • Subject Physical instruments, Microscopes, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs, Handbooks and manuals

    McKenna mechanically operated agate mortar and pestle

    • Part of The Design and Equipment of Small Chemical Laboratories
    • 1908
    • Creator Of Work Meade, Richard K. (Richard Kidder), 1874-
    • Publisher The Chemical Engineer Publishing Co.
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical laboratories
  • Catalogs, Handbooks and manuals

    Automatic water stills

    • Part of The Design and Equipment of Small Chemical Laboratories
    • 1908
    • Creator Of Work Meade, Richard K. (Richard Kidder), 1874-
    • Publisher The Chemical Engineer Publishing Co.
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical laboratories
  • Catalogs

    Microscopes "The Worker" and "The Prize"

    • Part of Catalogue of Chemical and Physical Apparatus and Chemicals
    • 1889
    • Creator Of Work Philip Harris and Co.
    • Publisher Wright, Dain, Peyton, and Co.
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Scientific apparatus and instruments, Microscopes, Chemical apparatus
  • Catalogs

    Harris's Universal Microscope

    • Part of Catalogue of Chemical and Physical Apparatus and Chemicals
    • 1889
    • Creator Of Work Philip Harris and Co.
    • Publisher Wright, Dain, Peyton, and Co.
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Scientific apparatus and instruments, Microscopes, Chemical apparatus
  • Catalogs

    College spectrometer (Wilson No. 2)

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Instrument that measures the wavelengths of light through a chemical sample. Can be used to determine elements in a sample when different elements emit different wavelengths of light. Illustrated instrument made by…

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Spectrometer, Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Spectroscopes

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Spectroscopes use a lens or prism to disperse light into wavelengths. The spectroscopes shown can be handheld (top image) or attached to a camera (bottom image) to record the observation.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Spectroscope
  • 2 items
    Catalogs

    Precision photometers

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Instruments designed for photometric analysis. Photometers can be used to measure the presence and concentration of organic and inorganic compounds in solution by determining the absorbance of specific wavelengths of…

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Photometry--Instruments, Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Wave apparatuses

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Wave apparatuses for the study of transverse and longitudinal waves.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Shear waves
  • Catalogs

    Volt-Ammeters

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Instruments for measuring both voltage and amperes of direct electric current.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Electric apparatus and appliances, Voltmeters, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Ammeters
  • Catalogs

    Apparatus for lecture table demonstration with selenium cells

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    From page 97: "These cells show the extraordinary property which selenium possesses of changing its electrical resistance under the influence of light."

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Selenium cells, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Lamp rheostat

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    "Parsons' latest improved design, for controlling incandescent lighting circuits, and for demonstrating the laws of series and parallel combinations."

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Electric apparatus and appliances, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Apparatus for demonstrating alternating current

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Apparatus for showing the principles of an induction or alternating current motor; demonstrating the rotating magnetic field.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Apparatus for Tesla's experiments

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Apparatus for showing Tesla's experiments with electricity.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Tesla, Nikola, 1856-1943
  • Catalogs

    Various vacuum tubes

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Various vacuum tubes for cathode ray demonstrations, including Crookes' Tubes, Holtz' Tube, and Lenard's Tube.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
  • Catalogs

    Various Geissler tubes

    • Part of Catalog K: Physical Apparatus for Universities and Colleges
    • 1912-May

    Various Geissler tubes for demonstration purposes. Invented by the glassblower, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Geissler (1815-1878), a light is produced when an electric current is passed through the rarefied gas filled tubes.

    • Creator Of Work Central Scientific Company
    • Subject Scientific apparatus and instruments, Laboratories--Equipment and supplies
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