Davis & Kidder magneto electric machine
date: label: date patented
content: 1854
label: date made
content: ca.1854
label: date made
content: ca 1858
name: label: maker
content: Davis & Kidder
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Ari Davis (ca. 1811-1855) was a skilled American craftsman who received two patents in 1854. One (#10,788 of April 18) described a machine for producing wooden boxes with metal-reinforced dovetail corners. The other (#11,415 of August 1) described a magneto-electric machine. While this second patent was still in process, Davis sold the rights to both patents to Walter Kidder, a physician in Lowell, Massachusetts, allegedly for $4000. Advertisements for DAVIS’ (later DAVIS & KIDDER’S) PATENT MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE, FOR NERVOUS DISEASES were soon to be seen. By 1857, the business was in the hands of William H. Burnap (b. 1825), also of Lowell. By 1865, Burnap was working in New York City, and advertising as “Manufacturer of Davis & Kidder’s Electric Machines.”
label: Description (Brief)
content: This example is in a wood box with brass corners. A two spool armature driven by a crank, a large horseshoe magnet field piece and two hollow brass hand grips with cords. Grasping both brass hand grips and cranking magneto would result in a shock voltage designed for therapeutic: purposes. The paper label is marked “DAVIS & KIDDER’S / PATENT MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE / FOR NERVOUS DISEASES” and “PATENTED AUG. 1, 1854” with testimonials from Silliman (at left) and Paige (at right). The text at bottom reads “Manufactured and sold by W. H. BURNAP, Sole Proprietor, 163 West 27th St., New York, whose signature is attached to all genuine / Machines. All infringements upon his Patent will be prosecuted.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Frances Shoemaker
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.309823
label: catalog number
content: 309823
label: accession number
content: 109599
objectType: label: Object Name
content: magneto
label: Object Name
content: magneto generator
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 in x 4 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in; 25.4 cm x 11.43 cm x 11.43 cm