Bibliography:
19th and 20th Century Scientific Instruments
- I have listed below, with some personal annotations, the
books I have found most useful in understanding the development
and use of 20th century scientific instruments. These are all
"history" books, I have not attempted to list the texts
and monographs consulted over a professional career of using
scientific instruments in my work and teaching. Nor have I listed
contemporary references or the books I have made scans from.
Such sources are referenced in the individual instrument descriptions
etc. The number of books on microscopy reflects the available
literature rather than what is in this museum. A few books on
the history of a field or discipline instead of instrumentation
or apparatus are included because I have found them particularly
useful in my studies of instruments and/or apparatus.
- Bennett, J. A. The Celebrated Phaenomena of Colours: the
Early History of the Spectroscope. Whipple Museum of the
History of Science, Cambridge (1984). A short pamphlet tracing
the development of the spectroscope from its origin to the early
20th century. Well illustrated with contemporary engravings.
- Bracegirdle, Brian. A History of Microtechnique, 2nd
ed. Science Heritage Limited, Lincolnwood (1986). The standard
source for the development of techniques and apparatus for visualizing
specimens with light microscopy.
- Bracegirdle, Brian. Notes on Modern Microscope Manufacturers.
Quekett Microscopical Club, Oxford (1996). Gives the dates of
operation, addresses etc. of many instrument manufacturers who
made microscopes. Since many also made other instruments it is
more widely useful than just to students of the microscope. Also
provides brief histories for many companies.
- Bradbury, S. The Evolution of the Microscope. Pergamon
Press. Oxford (1967). An excellent survey on the development
of the microscope and microscopy by a practicing microscopist.
- Brand, John C. D. Lines of Light: The Sources of Dispersive
Spectroscopy, 18001930. Gordon and Breach Pub. (1995).
This is a history of the discipline of spectroscopy, rather than
the instruments per se. However it is very valuable for putting
the instruments into perspective and a source of information
of the people who developed and used spectroscopic instruments.
- Bud, Robert and Deborah Jean Warner, eds. Instruments
of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia. Garland Publishing,
Inc. New York (1998). This book is the result of a joint efforts
of the Science Museum (London) and the National Museum of American
History (Smithsonian Institution). The large (700+ p), well illustrated,
multi author volume features extremely broad coverage of scientific
instruments. As expected for a multi-author work the coverage
varies considerably with different instruments, some emphasizing
history and others description and usage of the instrument. It
is currently unique in its coverage of 20th century apparatus,
while also covering instruments beginning with antiquity.
- Child, Ernest. The Tools of the Chemist. Reinhold
Publishing Corporation, New York (1940). A wide ranging study
of the origins and development of chemical instruments and apparatus,
emphasizing U.S. accomplishments. Includes short histories of
manufacturers and distributors as well as the usual information
on scientists etc.
- Hartley, W. G. The Light Microscope: Its Use and Development.
Senicio Publishing Co., Oxford (1993). A recent history of the
development of the microscope, emphasizing 19th and 20th century
developments, by a practicing microscopist. Nicely illustrated
with contemporary engravings of details such as operation of
focus mechanisms, optical diagrams, etc.
- Hopp, Peter M. Slide Rules: Their History, Models, and
Makers. Astragal Press, Mendham (1999). The strength of this
book is its comprehensive listing of models etc. from manufacturers
around the world. There are also tables of patents, important
dates in slide rule history, an extensive bibliography, glossary,
etc. as well as chapters on the history, makers, types and features
of slide rules. This is probably the best book for the serious
collector/student of these instruments.
- Jenemann, Hans R. Die Waage des Chemikers / The Chemists
Balance. DECHEMA, Frankfurt am Main (1997). Printed side-by-side
in German and English, this is a very valuable resource for all
interested in the development of the modern chemical balance.
Covers developments from ancient times up through electronic
analytical balances.
- Laidler, Keith J. The World of Physical Chemistry.
Oxford University Press, Oxford (1993). A marvelous treatment
of the history of physical chemistry. Very well written. Provides
insight into how some instruments were used and why some were
developed.
- Middleton, W. E. Knowles. Invention of the Meteorological
Instruments. The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore (1969). As
the title states Middleton focuses on the invention, and thus
earliest versions of, meteorological instruments. however, many
have remained unchanged in principle and quite recognizable in
their modern versions. Overall this is the best book I have seen
for an overview of these instruments. It is often also the only
book I've found even covering many of the lesser known instruments.
- Pearsall, Ronald. Collecting and Restoring Scientific
Instruments. Arco, New York (1974). Written with the collector
in mind. Covers most major types of pre-twentieth century instruments
with interesting nuggets of information on their histories. Extensive
illustrated glossary of instruments. Also has an interesting
discussion on instrument restoration, though much of his restoration
philosophy must be carefully considered - one can always cleanup
more, but you can't restore what's been removed!
- Shannon, John M. and Geraldine
C. Shannon. The Assay Balance: Its Evolution and the Histories
of the Companies That Made Them. (privately printed,1999)*.
This is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in precision
balances. The Shannons focus on assay balances, but the companies
frequently made analytical balances as well, and much of the
information is equally applicable to chemical balances. The
source for information about the various American balance
manufacturers.
- Stock, John T. Development of the Chemical Balance.
Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London (1969). A brief but detailed
and well illustrated study of the development of the chemical
balance form ancient times to the mid-twentieth century.
- Stock, John T. and Denys Vaughan. The Development of Instruments
to Measure Electric Current. Science Museum, London (1983).
A brief but detailed and well illustrated study of the development
of electric meters and other measuring devices.
- Sydenham, P. H. Measuring instruments: tools of knowledge
and control. Peter Peregrinus Ltd. Stevenage (1979). This
is a very wide ranging study of measuring instruments, beginning
in ancient times and running to 1950. It is one of the few books
I've found with an emphasis on electrical methods. It also goes
into the "philosophy" of instrument design.
- Szabadváry, Ferenc. History of Analytical Chemistry.
Pergamon Press, Oxford (1966). An interesting study of the history
of analytical chemistry, a very instrument intensive field. Gives
background on the inventors and uses of various chemical instruments.
- Turner, Gerard L'E. Nineteenth Century Scientific Instruments.
Sotheby/U Cal., London/Berkeley (1983). The survey of
19th century instruments. Well written and researched; wonderfully
illustrated. Covers the origins of many instruments which were
still important in the 20th century.
- Turner, Gerard L'E. The Great Age of the Microscope.
Adam Hilger, Bristol (1989). A catalog of a collection. Much
useful historical information on microscopes. A model I have
used in developing my own cataloging.
- Turner, Gerard L'E. The Practice of Science in the Nineteenth
Century. Teyler Museum, Haarlem (1996). Much useful historical
information on all kinds of scientific instruments. A unique
study in that it covers an entire collection, which is largely
intact, of a large group of instruments used for teaching and
research at a single institution. A model I have used in developing
my own cataloging.
- von Jezierski, Dieter. Slide Rules: A Journey Through
Three Centuries. Astragal Press, Mendham (2000). An excellent
introduction to the history of the slide rule and its manufacture.
A particularly nice feature is the chapter on slide rule technology,
where aspects such as scale division etc. are discussed .
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- * This book is still available from the authors
(March 2002) as soft-bound copies with a protective coating on
the cover (Smythe sewn and perfect bound), and hard-back (case
bound) copies also with a protective coating. Cost of the soft
bound book is $55 (In Colorado add sales tax of $1.65) , while
the hard-back copy is $75 (In Colorado add sales tax of $2.25).
Books can be ordered by forwarding a check made out in the proper
amount to John M. Shannon and mailed to 7319 West Cedar Circle,
Lakewood, CO 80226. He will give quotes for foreign orders, due
to postage differences.
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- © R. Paselk
- Last modified 26 August 2002
