Bancks frictional plate electrostatic generator in box
date: label: date made
content: ca. 1810
label: date made
content: ca 1820
label: date made
content: ca 1820
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: People from ancient times knew that rubbing certain materials and then touching something caused a spark. Studying what is called electrostatics laid the groundwork for understanding electricity and magnetism. Natural philosophers, scientists, and instrument makers created many ingenious devices to generate electrostatic charges starting in the 1600s. These machines varied in size and technique but all involved rotary motion to generate a charge, and a means of transferring the charge to a storage device for use.
label: Description (Brief)
content: In the latter 1700s electrical researchers adopted improved electrostatic machines that replaced earlier glass cylinders with a flat glass plate. This increased the machines’ efficiency by passing the glass plate between leather rubbing pads that increased the contact area. Experience with plate machines brought many design variations with sizes ranging from small table-top units for laboratory use to large cabinets that powered early x-ray machines.
label: Description (Brief)
content: This plate machine was made in London in the years around 1810 by Robert Bancks (later spelled Banks). Bancks crafted scientific instruments of many types including microscopes and made devices for, among others, King George IV. This machine comes in a locking wooden case and includes a variety of accessories. A similar machine in the collections of the Science Museum in London is believed to have been used for medical electrotherapy experiments.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from William T. Hassett, Jr.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1982.0587.01
label: accession number
content: 1982.0587
label: catalog number
content: 1982.0587.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Electrostatic Generator
label: Other Terms
content: Electrostatic Machine; Electrostatic Generator; Electrostatic Devices
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 40 cm x 31 cm x 13.5 cm; 15 3/4 in x 12 3/16 in x 5 5/16 in