Humboldt State University ® Department of Chemistry

Robert A. Paselk Scientific Instrument Museum

Humboldt State Teachers College: Instruments & Apparatus

Humboldt was officially known as Humboldt State Teachers and Junior College from 1921-1934. A variety of lines of evidence lead me to believe that the instruments below date to between 1925 and 1936. Thus most of the instruments in this portion of the collection have brass tags stamped Humboldt S-T-C (according to Humboldt property records Humboldt S-T-C tags have values between 1 and 5000). The earliest independently dated instruments (via manufacturer serial number lists) were made in 1923, while the AO Spencer spectroscope must be 1935 or later, since AO took over Spencer in 1935. My best guess is that all of these insruments were obtained by Humboldt between 1925 and 1936. (I suspect the brass tags were used until they were gone by a frugal property person, and thus some items purchased after the name change were still tagged with HSTC tags.)

Information regarding the instruments is available via the table in three formats: photographs of the instruments; text describing the usage/history of each instrument and appearance, condition etc. for each device, and scanned vendor's catalog descriptions of the instruments (when available). Additional information for select instruments is also provided via links to the text accessed in the center column. Thus early and/or contemporary instructions on usage, histories of manufacturers, etc. may be provided. Download sizes for photographs and scans are shown in parenthesis under each thumbnail.

 

Instruments by measurement or function

 

 Photoimage of Instrument

Instrument /Vendor's Catalog

  Vendor's Description
(98k)
Engineer's Transit or Theodolite
Keuffel & Esser
(HSTC c.1925)

Keuffel & Esser Co. Catalog 36 (1921)
(196k)
(64k)
Precision Alidade
A. Lietz
(HSTC c. 1925)
 
A. Lietz Co. Catalog 16 (1928)
(74k)
(44k)
Microscope, School
Spencer Lens Co.
 
Eimer & Amend Catalog BCM
(1927)
(84k) 

 

(60k)

 
Spectroscope, Small
Wm. Gaertner & Co.
(HSTC 1927)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 29 (1929)

 

(98k)

(24k)
Spectroscope, Student
AO Spencer
(HSTC c. 1935)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 40 (1940)
(80k)
(65k) 
 
Polariscope
(HTSC c. 1929)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 29 (1929)

 

(98k)

 

(28k)

 
Jolly Specific Gravity Balance
B-K-H
(HSTC 1927)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 29 (1929)

 

(130k)

 

(32k)

 
Student Analytical Balance
Voland & Sons
(HSTC 1927)
 
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
13th ed. (1928)

 

(98k)

 

(28k)

 
Analytical Balance Weights
B-K-H
(HSTC 1927)
 
Braun Catalog No 34 (1934)

 

(98k)

 

(43k)

 
Vacuum Manometer
"Pantec"
(HSTC 1927)
 
Braun Catalog No 34 (1934)

 

(98k)

 

(40k)

 
Simplified Potentiometer
Leeds & Northrop
(HSTC, c. 1934)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog F-129 (1927)

 

(98k)

 

(60k)

 
Resistance Box
W.M. Welch Scientific Company
(HSTC 1927)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 29 (1929)

 

(98k)

 

(24k)

 
Standard Cell
The Epply Laboratory
(HSTC 1927)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 29 (1929)

(98k)

 

(28k)

 

Slide Wire Rheostat
W.M. Welch Scientific Company
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co. Catalog
No. 29 (1929)

 

(98k)

 

(24k)

 
 
Portable Pointer Type Galvanometer
Leeds & Northrup Co.
(HSTC, c. 1930)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog J-141 (1941)

 

(98k)

 

(28k)

 
Reflecting Galvanometer, Current
Leeds & Northrup Co.
(HSTC 1927)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog F-129 (1927)

 

(98k)

 

(24k)

 

Reflecting Galvanometer, Ballistic
Leeds & Northrup Co.
(HSTC, c.1930)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog F-129 (1927)

(98k) 

 
 
(60k)
 
Galvanometer Telescope
Leeds & Northrup?
(HSTC, c. 1935)

 

(65k)

 

(36k)

 
Tangent Galvanometer
W.M. Welch Scientific Company
(HSTC, c.1930)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co.
Catalog No. 29 (1929)

 

(98k)

 

(24k)

 
 
Weston A.C. Ammeter, Model 155
Weston Electrical Instrument Corp.
(HSTC 1927)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog F-129 (1927)

(130k) 

 

(56k)

 
Weston A.C. Voltmeter, Model 155
Weston Electrical Instrument Corp.
(HSTC 1927)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog F-129 (1927)

(130k) 

 

(32k)

 
Weston D.C. Voltmeter, Model 45
Weston Electrical Instrument Corp.
(HSTC 1927)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog F-129 (1927)

 

(65k)

 

(50k)
 
Force Table
Central Scientific Company
(HSTC c. 1930)
 
Central Scientific Co.
Catalog J-141 (1941)

(98k)
 

(26k)

 
Spring Balance Universal Sonometer
W.M. Welch Scientific Company
(HSTC, c.1930)
 
Braun-Knecht-Heimann-Co.
Catalog No. 29 (1929)

 

(98k)

 
(65k)
 
"Alluard" Dew Point Hygrometer
"Pantec"
(HSTC? c. 1930)
  

 

(34k)
 
Large Demonstration Slide Rule
Kueffel & Esser
(HSTC, c.1927)
  

These instruments may currently be seen in the Robert A. Paselk Scientific Instrument Museum Display Cases located on the second floor of the Library at Humboldt State University, Arcata. California.

If you have additional information regarding the instruments you think I could/should include please share that information. I am particularly interested in additional contemporary catalog illustrations for the instruments missing that information. I am also interested in contemporary sources for the use of these instruments in teaching etc. I may be contacted by e-mail : rap1@axe.humboldt.edu; mail: Richard Paselk, Department of Chemistry, Humboldt State University, CA 95521; or telephone: (707) 826-5719.

 

Science at Humboldt (1921-34)
 
HSTC (1921-34)

HSTC Instrument Inventory
HSC (1935-1953)

Scientific Instrument Museum Home
HSC (1954-1973)
© R. Paselk
Last modified 13 June 2000
All photographs © R. Paselk