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Instruments & Innovation

889 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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  • Unknown 24

  • Chemical apparatus8
  • Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies8
  • Bausch & Lomb Optical Company6
  • Glassware6
  • Potentiometer6
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  • Lascelles, Henry8
  • Paas, John, 1790-18328
  • Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex8
  • Bausch & Lomb Optical Company6
  • Leeds and Northrup Company5
  • more Creator »

  • Scientific apparatus and instruments55
  • Electronics21
  • Engravings8
  • Glassware8
  • Vessels (Containers)6
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  • Physical Object61
  • Image8

  • England--London10
  • Pennsylvania--Philadelphia8
  • New York (State)--Rochester6
  • New Jersey--Newark3
  • California--South Pasadena2
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  • English1

  • Public Domain Mark 1.0✖[remove]69

  • Museum✖[remove]69

  • ExhibitLab5
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  • Lobby 20171
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  • Scientific apparatus and instruments, Glassware

    Geissler Tube

    • After 1857

    The Geissler Tube is a sealed glass cylinder of a unique design with a metal electrode at each end. The Geissler Tube was invented by the German glassblower and physicist, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Geissler (1814-1879) in…

    • Subject Glow discharges, Glassware, Scientific apparatus and instruments, Geissler, Heinrich, Electrodes, Fluorescence
  • 2 items
    Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Type C medium-sized research microscope

    • 1927 – 1928

    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,…

    • Manufacturer Ernst Leitz (Firm)
    • Subject Microscopes, Ernst Leitz (Firm), Scientific apparatus and instruments
  • 2 items
    Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Series Sixty student microscope

    • 1955 – 1960

    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…

    • Manufacturer American Optical Corporation
    • Subject Microscopes, Scientific apparatus and instruments, Science--Study and teaching, American Optical Corporation
  • 3 items
    Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Hewlett-Packard Model 35 Calculator with case

    • 1972

    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…

    • Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard Company
    • Subject Pocket calculators, Calculators, Hewlett-Packard Company
  • 2 items
    Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Reproduction of Voltaic Pile

    • 2018

    Modern reproduction of the first electric battery invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800. Base and top are wooden. Between the base and top rests a stack or pile of 46 copper-zinc cells. Electrodes used to tranfer the…

    • Artist Jenkins, Adam
    • Subject Electrochemistry, Electric batteries, Electricity, Scientific apparatus and instruments
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Thomas-Van Slyke Manometric Blood Gas Apparatus

    • Circa 1953

    The Manometric Blood Gas Apparatus was a revision on the original, fairly simple volumetric glass apparatus designed by Dr. Van Slyke in around 1917. The instrument liberated and isolated "the desired gas contained in a…

    • Manufacturer Arthur H. Thomas Company
    • Subject Blood gases, Medicine, Clinical chemistry
  • Vessels (Containers), Glassware

    "Omega" manual breast reliever with red bulb

    • After 1920 – before 1959

    Glass tube with a collecting reservoir that opens into a funnel (or breast piece). Round red rubber bulb attached to one end of the glass. Stamp in black ink on red bulb reads "Ingram's/'Omega'/London."

    • Subject Women--Health and hygiene, Breast pumps, Breastfeeding, Medical instruments and apparatus, Glassware, Pediatric nursing, Health
  • Vessels (Containers), Glassware

    Manual breast pump with black bulb

    • After 1920 – before 1959

    Glass tube with a collecting reservoir that opens into a funnel (or breast piece). Round black rubber pump attached to one end of the glass.

    • Subject Women--Health and hygiene, Breast pumps, Breastfeeding, Medical instruments and apparatus, Glassware, Pediatric nursing, Health
  • Vessels (Containers), Glassware

    The Glaxo Feeder 8oz nursing bottle in original box

    • 1900 – 1930

    Banana-shaped bottle design enabled ease of cleaning, making this bottle widely known as the hygienic baby bottle.

    A: Boat-shaped molded glass bottle. Embossed on one side of bottle are measurements in tablespoons;…

    • Manufacturer Glaxo Laboratories
    • Subject Infants--Care, Glassware
  • Vessels (Containers), Glassware

    Free-blown glass breast pump

    • 1850s

    Long stem, round bottom flask with custom flange. Needle-size hole on opposite side of flange allows for release of pressure.

    • Subject Women--Health and hygiene, Breast pumps, Breastfeeding, Medical instruments and apparatus, Glassware, Pediatric nursing, Health
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments, Electronics

    Lumetron Photoelectric Colorimeter Model 400-A

    • 1940s

    Electric-powered meter with instructions housed in wooden box. Movable components within box: two (2) slide glass filters (1 with red, green, and blue slides; 1 with orange, green, and blue slides); one (1) encasing to…

    • Manufacturer Photovolt Corporation
    • Subject Colorimetry--Instruments, Photovolt Corporation
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments, Glassware

    Total immersion mercury thermometer

    • 1800s

    A: Bulb containing mercury attached to a glass tube of narrow diameter. Thermometer has Celsius scale with 20-30 degree range with major divisions every 1 degree and minor divisions every 0.1 degree.

    B: Protective…

    • Subject Temperature measurements, Thermometers
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments, Glassware

    Mercury thermometer

    • 1800s

    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…

    • Subject Temperature measurements, Thermometers
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Crystal puller

    • Circa 1964 – 1968

    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…

    • Creator Of Work Lorenzini, Robert E.
    • Manufacturer Elmat
    • Subject Silicon, Semiconductors
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Distillation still

    • Before 2007

    Distillation is a method of separating chemical substances based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture. A distilled beverage is a liquid meant for consumption containing ethyl alcohol…

    • Subject Distillation apparatus, Distillation
  • Engravings

    Plate XI: The Calorimeter of Lavoisier and La Place.

    • 1801-Mar-10

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate X: 1. New Steelyards for weighing Gasses. 2. Apparatus for the Combustion of the Diamond.

    • 1801-Mar-02

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate IX: 1. New Gazometer of the Philosophical Society of London. 2 to 4. DeVigne's Apparatus for saturating Water with Gas. 5 and 6. Apparatus for freezing Mercury.

    • 1801-Mar-09

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate VIII: 1. Machine for the Combustion of Phosphorus. 2 to 6. The Mercurial Gazometer. 7. Guyton's Eudiometer.

    • 1801-Feb-10

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate V: The Modern Chemical Apparatus. No.5

    • 1800-Dec-22

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate III: The Modern Chemical Apparatus. No.3

    • 1800-Dec-01

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate II: The Modern Chemical Apparatus. No.2

    • 1800-Nov-20

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Engravings

    Plate I: The Modern Chemical Apparatus. No.1

    • 1800-Nov-15

    Hand-colored engraving by J. Pass after the drawing by Henry Lascelles for the section on "Chemistry." From Volume 4 of the Encyclopaedia Londinensis; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature,…

    • Artist Lascelles, Henry
    • Engraver Paas, John, 1790-1832
    • Publisher Wilkes, John, of Milland House, Sussex
    • Subject Chemical laboratories--Equipment and supplies, Chemical apparatus
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments

    Quartz Spectrograph

    • Circa 1924

    A spectrograph is an instrument used to obtain and record a light spectrum—it splits the light from an object into its component wavelengths so that it can be analysed. The spectral lines of a chemical element is…

    • Manufacturer Adam Hilger Ltd.
    • Subject Adam Hilger Ltd., Spectrograph, Optics
  • Scientific apparatus and instruments, Electronics

    Beckman Model G Glass Electrode pH Meter

    • Undated

    Self contained pH meter with wooden exterior; hinged lid opens to reveal meter face and inlaid paper instructions for use; the dial is calibrated from pH 0 to pH 13 in .1 pH divisions; porcelain enamel lined electrode…

    • Manufacturer Beckman Instruments, inc.
    • Subject Hydrogen-ion concentration--Measurement--Instruments, Electrodes, Glass, Beckman Instruments, inc.
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