Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments continues to amaze
Since 1672, Harvard University has been acquiring scientific instruments for teaching and research. In 1948, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments was established to preserve the objects as a resource for teaching and research in the history of science and technology. It has since grown to more than 20,000 objects making it one of the three largest university collections of its kind in the world. Originally associated with the Harvard Library system, the collection was placed under the stewardship of the Department of History of Science in 1987. Whether it’s the handmade globe electrical machine (circa 1750) Harvard President Edward Holyoke created using recycled materials to perform experiments with Professor John Winthrop or the camera obscura given to the College by Benjamin Franklin, these astonishing collections never cease to amaze. Ivory pocket sundials, made in Nuremberg, Germany, between 1575 and 1645, enabled wealthy traveling merchants to keep track of time during their expeditions. Harvard...