Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-08

It IS. Bells liquid transmitter is in the case
and SO Is the first form of hand telephone.
his must have made even the inventor
tired. for it is enormously large and affords
n striking contrast to the ear trumpet
OF the instruments now SO common. The first
experimental forms of the Blake transmitter
are shown. and alongside OF them are the COM
ponent parts of long distance telephone. How
far this latter will work no one knows.
Mr. II. V. HAYES. who is arranging the ex-
hibit. talked this morning with his family in
their home in Cambridge, Mass.-a mere mat
ter of 500 miles. Edison's motophone is shown
in the telephone case.
An ANTIQUE ELECTRICAL RAILROAD.
An antique electrical railway. dating back to
1887, is one of the interesting curios of the col
lection, attracting as much general attention,
perhaps, as the original telegraph instrument
used at the Baltimore end of the line which
made S. F. ID. Morse and Stephen Vail famous
THE GROWTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
A good many people clustered this morn
ing around big case in the center of the
ROOM The growth OF Photographic mechanism
was there shown. The first camera ever made
in tho United States-a plain, clumsy, wooden
box bearing the date 1839-stood alongside two
portable tripod cameras of 1880 and looked
much more awkward. In the corner is the
contract of partnership between Niepce and
Daguerre.
"
cylinder fully two feet in height stood along
side a little scrap of mechanism that could be
put IN little boys vest-and unwieldy by con-
trast- just below the old camera was the gem
OF the collectioa-an original daguerrcotype
OF Daguer-e. II is In trst-class condition and
Is better picture than many n so-called pho
toyrapher can produce even now. The big
cylinder, which is six inches in diameter,
is rapid" lens, made in 1876: the
other Is also rapid lens. but
do L.
and an inch in diameter. Both lenses are for
the same size plate, viz, 10 by ~ inches.
Inland camera in 1854, for a 5 by finch plate,
was big as full grown valise. Near the speci-
men in the case is a hand camera of 1850. and
Il Is comparatively baby in point of size.
/ s1he instantaneous shutter" that was re-
garded as perfect in 1858, is nothing but brass
slide with two holes in it for exposures.
Ii is q crude looking affair when COM
pared with the beautiful piece of mechanism
alongside 1.-THE instantaneous shutter of to-
day. in which the movement of the iris of the
eye is precisely initiated and by which as short
an exposure as the 15Oth part of a second is
possible.
The development of the signal service weather
maps Is made plain on large board, but
there Is no evidence to show that
row Of mutilated poker-chips is imme diately
beneath the specimens of ancient and modern
meteorological prophesy.
Side by side are the original Joseph Francis
life car and an improved version Of the same
great invention.
lho Benjamin Franklin hand press is
under glass in the center of the room
and go is collection of time
indicators-sun dials. clepsydra. hour glasses
and watches. With these latter is chrome
scope. an instrument that can cut a second
into 500 parts.
The steiner. collection of musical instru-
ments Is another center of attraction, from the
earliest keyed instrament-the clavichord of
MoSaTt and Bceshoven's tune, through the in
termediary harpsichords and pianos down to
the modern upright.
COLLECTION OF TYPEwRITERs.
A collection of typewriters has been assem-
bled this afternoon-not female operators. but
the writing machines. Some of them
are very clumsy and have an extremely antique
appearance, although none of them are very
OH.
Guns, revolvers and knives are there in
choice variety. The history of electric light
ing Is made plain and good many other lines
OF endeavor are clearly traced. The collec-
ton Is one of the mos; valuable and interest
ing ever gotten up by the museum authorities.
New features are hourly being added, Chief
Clerk Cox and Prof. Otis 4. Mason being
busi!y engaged in the work of direction.