Study, Measure, Experiment: Stories of Scientific Instruments at Dartmouth College

Pantalony, David;Manasek, Francis J.;Kremer, Richard L.

ISBN 10: 0964900092 / ISBN 13: 9780964900097

Published by Terra Nova Press, Norwich, VT, U.S.A., 2005

About this Item

1st Edition. ix, [1 blank], 271, [1 blank], [1 colophon ] pages. 4to. Publisher's cloth in dj, a new copy. Upper corner bumped. Cloth. Here is a book that has been underestimated in the marketplace. Not only are the illustrations very useful to the collector, dealer, and historian, but the authors have made a strong attempt to place the instruments in a historical context. Usually we have to pick between a picture book and a scholarly word-play when choosing scientific instrument books. Here we have both, a credit to the authors and their expertise.

Seller Inventory # 27833

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Study, Measure, Experiment: Stories of Scientific Instruments at Dartmouth College
• Publisher: Terra Nova Press, Norwich, VT, U.S.A.
• Publication Date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0964900092
• ISBN 13: 9780964900097
• Binding: Cloth
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Scientific Instruments
  • History of Science
  • History of Chemistry
  • History of Technology

About this title

Synopsis

Dartmouth College holds one of the largest academic collections of historic scientific instruments in North America. They range from the elegance of the finest European makers, incorporating the most advanced technology of their day, to homemade devices produced by faculty and students. This book examines about 120 items from this remarkable collection to offer insights into the interaction of instruments with the teaching of science and the conduct of scientific research at a leading educational institution.
Although the instruments are beautifully photographed and presented, the authors do not treat them as isolated objects: rather, they stress the historical and social circumstances of the instruments' manufacture and use. The instruments are grouped loosely by function, emphasizing their roles in scientific enterprise, and they are often presented with supporting documentation, such as bills of sale, that shed light on how they were produced and employed. The photographs frequently focus on the details of their design and construction, giving a dynamic rather than a static sense of the objects.
The descriptions of the instruments explore their appearance, function and use, and concluding analytical chapters place them in greater context.

About the Authors

DAVID PANTALONY is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Dibner Institute, MIT; he spent two years as a visiting curator of Dartmouth's King Collection. RICHARD L. KREMER is professor of history at Dartmouth, specializing in the history of science; he regularly teaches a course on the material culture of science that draws on materials from this collection. FRANCIS J. MANASEK is a dealer in antique books and maps and a former professor at the Dartmouth Medical School; when he retired, he earned a Master's degree in the history of science from Oxford.

Richard L. Kremer teaches a course on the material culture of science in which students prepare exhibitions of instruments from the King Collection at Dartmouth.