Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments facts for kids
A universal compass sundial from Stockholm circa 1650-1679, on display in the Putnam Gallery
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The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments (CHSI) at Harvard University is a special place. It started in 1948. It's one of the biggest collections of old scientific tools in the world.
Imagine over 20,000 items! An online catalog called Waywiser lists more than 60% of them. This collection began because Mr. David P. Wheatland wanted to save old lab equipment. He didn't want it taken apart for its pieces.
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What is the CHSI?
The CHSI is like a treasure chest of science history. It holds many different scientific tools. These tools show how science has grown over hundreds of years. The collection helps people learn about past discoveries.
Exploring the Collection
You can see some of these amazing items in the Putnam Gallery. This gallery is on the first floor of the Harvard Science Center. It's free to visit on weekdays.
There are also changing exhibits. These are shown in the Special Exhibitions Gallery. It's on the second floor. A smaller Foyer Gallery is on the third floor.
Famous Items in the Collection
The CHSI has some very old and important instruments. Some were bought around 1765. This happened after a big fire destroyed Harvard's library. The fire also ruined their original science equipment.
Benjamin Franklin helped choose many of these new tools. You can see items in the Putnam Gallery that he picked out.
One of the largest items is the Harvard Mark I. This was a huge, room-sized computer. It was built in 1944. Today, you can see it right next to the main stairs in the Science Center lobby. It's a great example of early computing.
How the Collection Grows
The CHSI continues to add new items. A director, curators, and technicians help manage it. They make sure the collection keeps growing.
The CHSI is part of the Harvard Department of the History of Science. It's also one of the four Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. It works with the American Alliance of Museums too.
The CHSI aims to keep preserving, teaching, and showing these historical items. They want to reach more people. They also plan to have more public exhibits.
