The Arnold Steam Sterilizer
date: label: date made
content: 1883-1903
label: patent date
content: 1882-05-09
label: patent date
content: 1879-07-08
notes: label: Description
content: Steam sterilizer consisting of an outer, low-domed, cylindrical cover or hood with an arched strap handle that fits over an inner cylindrical container on a perforated cylindrical shaft mounted inside a basin attached to a shallow copper pan; removable, strap-handled caddy or lifter with circular cutouts for seven, eight-ounce, colorless glass bottles (five remain, one has cotton stopper). Both cover and inner cylinder are embossed "THE ARNOLD (arched) / STEAM / STERILIZER / PAT. JUL. 8. 79 MAY 9. 82. / WILMOT CASTLE & CO. / ROCHESTER.N.Y.", all in sans serif letters. Two-part molded bottles marked "WILMOT CASTLE (arched) / & CO / ROCHESTER / N.Y. (curved)".
label: Description
content: Wilmot Castle (1855-1941) founded Wilmot Castle & Co. in Rochester, NY, in 1883; it was incorporated in 1903 as Wilmot Castle Co. The firm manufactured sterilizers and bacteriological apparatus for laboratory, medical, dental and hospital use as well as for the home.
label: Description
content: This device, however, was patented by William E. Arnold, also of Rochester, NY, as a grain cooker or steamer (U.S. Patent No. 257,810 dated May 9, 1882, an improvement on his earlier patent, No. 217,314, received on July 8, 1879). In keeping with Arnold's original intent, Wilmot Castle & Co. also produced "The Arnold Automatic Steam Cooker", which looked and functioned the same as their sterilizer (see DL*251349.0193).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Rochester
topic: label: Subject
content: Food Culture
label: Subject
content: Patented
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Kenneth E. Jewett
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.251349.0192
label: catalog number
content: 251349.0192
label: accession number
content: 251349
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sterilizer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: iron (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: tin (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron wire (rims material)
label: Physical Description
content: copper (bottom pan material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (bottles material)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton (stopper material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 13 1/2 in x 8 1/2 in; 34.29 cm x 21.59 cm