Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
58.52 |
Object Name |
Goniometer |
Title |
Wollaston's Goniometer |
Artist |
Pixii, N.C. |
Place of Origin |
France |
Date |
1815-30 |
Description |
Brass instrument on wooden stand. Inscription on brass says "Pixii, Neveu et Succeur de Dumotiez a Paris." Paper label on base says "The property of Dr. Hare value [?] Smithsonian." |
Label |
Robert Hare, a professor of chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania from 1818 to 1847, once owned this instrument. Hare was known for his large collection of scientific objects, some of which he invented himself. Upon retiring from the University of Pennsylvania, Hare donated his collection to the Smithsonian Institution in 1848, the first gift of its kind to the museum. In 1865, most of the instruments were destroyed in a fire. This goniometer is one of the very few pieces owned by Hare that has survived over the years. In 1809, William Wollaston introduced this type of goniometer, which measured crystal face angles by the reflection of a beam of light. Wollaston claimed that his design improved accuracy of measurement and would “afford corrections to many former observations.” Nicolas Constant Pixii, who made the example in the APS collection, was the nephew and successor of Louis Joseph and Pierre François Dumotiez, brothers who had formed the well-known French firm Dumotiez Frères. Pixii became one of the most important instrument makers in Europe in this era, and sent many examples of his work to the United States. |
Dimensions |
H-6 W-4.125 L-4.5 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century measurement science scientific instrument French France |