 |
Air Pump
1783
Today's vacuum pump
The Reverend John Prince, a Harvard graduate, instrument aficionado, and minister of the Congregationalist First Church in Salem, Massachusetts built this beautiful and powerful air pump. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences published Prince’s detailed description of the pump in 1783. Prince wanted the air pump to be handsome as well as efficient, and he encased the mechanism in a Chippendale cabinet, which is now recognized as one of the finest surviving examples of high-end Boston casework of the period. Prince used this particular instrument to conduct experiments and entertain guests in his house for 20 years, and then sold it to Bowdoin College. The instrument is on loan to the National Museum of American History.
Notes
 |
John Prince (1751-1836) |
|
On loan from Bowdoin College |
|
Web display only |
What do you think?
Would you like to see more objects like this on the site? Tell others by casting your vote.
|
