Heliotellus
date: label: date made
content: ca 1870
name: label: maker
content: Davis, John
notes: label: Description
content: This is a vertical mechanical model of the inner solar system (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon). The inscription reads: “. . . Patentee. . . ber 24th., 1867 and October 27th . . .” The Earth is marked “J. DAVIS GLOBE.”
label: Description
content: John Davis (1821-1903) of Pittsburgh obtained several patents for railroad car brakes, tanning apparatus, and other devices. He was also interested in science education, serving as professor of mathematics and astronomy at Allegheny City College, principal of the Academy of Science, and president of the Polytechnic Institute of Western Pennsylvania. Around 1867 he introduced three astronomical demonstration devices: the Planetellus (sun with planets and moons out to Neptune), the Heliotellus (Sun with planets and moons out to Earth), and the Lunatellus (Sun, Earth, and Moon). The Heliotellus won a first prize at the American Institute fair of 1869.
label: Description
content: Ref.: John Davis <i>Guide for Using Davis’ New Geographical and Astronomical Apparatus</i> (Pittsburgh, 1870).
label: Description
content: D. J. Warner, “The Geography of Heaven and Earth,” <i>Rittenhouse</i> 2 (1988): 58-59.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh
topic: label: Subject
content: Astronomy
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Globes
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content: Measuring & Mapping
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Western Reserve University
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.322610
label: catalog number
content: 322610
label: accession number
content: 249272
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Orrery
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cast iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 31 1/2 in; 80.01 cm