 A universal compass sundial from Stockholmc. 1650 – 1679, on displayin the Putnam Gallery | |
  Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Location within Boston Show map of Boston Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (Massachusetts) Show map of Massachusetts Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°22′35″N71°06′58″W / 42.3765°N 71.1161°W /42.3765; -71.1161 |
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| Accreditation | AAM |
| Collection size | 20,000 |
| Owner | Harvard University |
| Public transit access | Harvard (MBTA Red Line) |
Harvard University'sCollection of Historical Scientific Instruments (CHSI),[1] established 1948, is "one of the three largest university collections of its kind in the world".[2] Waywiser, the online catalog of the collection, lists over 60% of the collection's 20,000 objects as of 2014[update].[3][4] The collection was originally curated by Mr. David P Wheatland in his office to prevent obsolete equipment from beingcannibalized for its component parts and materials.[5]
A selection of instruments and artifacts from the collection comprise the exhibitionTime, Life, & Matter: Science in Cambridge. This permanent display can be found in the Putnam Gallery on the first floor of theHarvard Science Center, which is free and open to the public during regularly scheduled hours, Sunday through Friday. In addition, rotating collaborative exhibitions drawn in part from the collection are shown in the Special Exhibitions Gallery on the second floor, as well as the more modest Foyer Gallery on the third floor.[1]
The physical facilities in the Science Center were expanded in 2004, by replacing a one-story wing of the building with a four-story "townhouse"-style structure with offices, classrooms, and a fully-glazed internal stairway. The new wing houses the Department of the History of Science as well as public display spaces for CHSI. The modifications to the Science Center (originally byJosep Lluís Sert) were designed byLeers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston.[6]
The CHSI includes a number of scientific instruments and demonstration apparatus purchased circa 1765 under the advice ofBenjamin Franklin, to replace original equipment which had been lost in a disastrous fire which also destroyed the university's library in the originalHarvard Hall.[7] This display includes apparatus for experimenting withelectricity, as well as demonstrating the laws ofphysics as they were understood in the late 18th century.
Other highlights of the permanent exhibit include a fine assemblage ofsundials (part of the largest private collection in North America)[citation needed], a geometrical compass designed byGalileo Galilei, and the control console from the formerHarvard Cyclotron Laboratory.
One of the larger items in the collection is theHarvard Mark I, a historic room-sizedelectromechanical computer commissioned in 1944, which was exhibited next to the central stairwell in the main lobby of the Science Center, and has since been moved to theHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.[8]
The collection continues to be expanded, under the guidance of David P. Wheatland CuratorSara J. Schechner. Originally a part of theHarvard Library system, the CHSI is now presented under the auspices of Harvard's Department of the History of Science, and is one of the four Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.[9]The CHSI is also affiliated with theAmerican Alliance of Museums.[3]
A strategic plan has been developed to expand the CHSI's missions of preservation, education, research, and display, including expanded educational outreach and higher-profile public exhibitions.[3]
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