Phosphoroscope
notes: label: Description
content: Mahogany box holding six glass vials containing the sulfides of lime, strontium, barium, etc. When exposed to light, the gases glowed in the dark. A paper tag box identifies this as a “PHOSPHOROSCOPE” and notes, in French, that it contains examples of the most beautiful specimens. A manuscript inscription reads “Draper.”
label: Description
content: According to the “Phosphorescence” article in <i>The American Cyclopaedia</i>, vol. 13 (1879), “Phosphorescent tubes have been made in Germany and France for several years, and their preparation was kept a secret; but such tubes are now produced by several experimenters showing all the colors of the rainbow, and preparations may be made to imitate flowers and bright-colored insects, as well as landscapes.”
label: Description
content: This example was found in the Draper family house in Hasting-on-Hudson, New York. It probably belonged to John William Draper (1811-1882), an English immigrant who did import work in several areas of science and medicine.
label: Description
content: Ref: “A Trap to Catch Sunbeams,” Pharmaceutical Journal 9 (1867-68): 444.
label: Description
content: “The Phosphoroscope,” Scientific American 21 (Oct. 9, 1869): 232.
label: Description
content: George F. Barker, “Memoir of John William Draper,” <i>Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences</i> (1886), pp. 349-388.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Science
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Chemistry
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: John William Christopher Draper and James Christopher Draper
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CH.333992
label: catalog number
content: 333992
label: accession number
content: 304826
objectType: label: Object Name
content: phosphorescent materials
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: mahogany (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 19 mm x 55 mm x 133 mm; 3/4 in x 2 3/16 in x 5 1/4 in
label: Measurements
content: overall in box: 13/16 in x 5 1/4 in x 2 3/16 in; 2.06375 cm x 13.335 cm x 5.55625 cm