Magneto-Electric Machine
date: label: Date made
content: 19th Century
notes: label: Description
content: Ari Davis (ca. 1811-1855) was a skilled American craftsman who received two patents in 1854. #10,788 (of April 18) described a machine for producing wooden boxes with metal-reinforced dovetail corners. #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
content: This magneto-electric machine—clearly based on the Davis & Kidder model—sits in rectangular wood box. The paper label reads “PORTABLE / MAGNETO ELECTRIC MACHINE / FOR / CURATIVE ANASTHETIC AND EXPERIMENTAL USE” with directions for use.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.M-10486
label: catalog number
content: M-10486
label: accession number
content: 251552
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Electrotherapeutic Apparatus
label: Other Terms
content: Electrotherapeutic Apparatus; Electro-Magnetic Machine; Medicine
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 10.2 cm x 24.2 cm x 11 cm; 4 in x 9 1/2 in x 4 5/16 in