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The Dartmouth Collection of Historic Scientific Instruments
dates from the founding of the College in 1769. It mirrors the
development of American science in an academic setting, from
the early days of the Republic through the Cold War. There are
surveying chains, orreries, telescopes and globes from the first
years of the College; American and European apparatus from the
early nineteenth century; apparatus from the purchasing trips
of Dartmouth professors throughout the nineteenth century; the
astronomical instruments of the Shattuck observatory (completed
in 1854) and of Charles Young (1843-1908), who became a pioneer
in the study of the solar spectrum.
The collection is strong in optics and spectroscopy, instruments
from the early student laboratories, teaching and research apparatus
dating from the first few decades of the new Wilder Laboratory
(1900), and apparatus, rare and common, from the period 1920-1980.
The instruments are accompanied by a large number of original
boxes, pamphlets, purchase receipts, lab notes, correspondence
and catalogues.
Our rich collection is largely due to the effort of Professor
Emeritus, Allen King, who joined the faculty in 1942 and took
an active interest in preserving and documenting Dartmouth's
scientific heritage. With a new
curator, and in conjunction with the Hood Museum, we are now
formalizing Professor King's extraordinary efforts. Next year
we are introducing a course related to the collection. Currently,
efforts are underway to plan
for a permanent exhibition space.
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