Davis & Kidder magneto electric machine
date: label: date made
content: ca 1858
name: label: maker
content: Davis & Kidder
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Ari Davis (ca. 1811-1855) was a skilled American craftsman who received two patents in 1854. One (#10,788 of April 18) described a machine for producing wooden boxes with metal-reinforced dovetail corners. The other (#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 (Brief)
content: This fairly late example is in a wood box with brass corners and ivory-handled crank protruding from the front. Encased is a magnet connected by means of a belt and gear train to the crank. The belt string is missing as well as hand-grip output leads. The paper label is marked “DAVIS & KIDDER’S / PATENT MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE / FOR NERVOUS DISEASES.” At left, “ENDORSED / AND USED BY THE / Leading Physicians / throughout the / UNITED STATES / AND EUROPE” and at right “W. H. BURNAP MANUFACTURER / AND / Sole Proprietor, / NEW YORK, / U.S.A.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from S. Malkin
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.314247
label: catalog number
content: 314247
label: accession number
content: 195993
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Magneto Electric Machine
label: Object Name
content: magneto generator
label: Other Terms
content: Magneto Electric Machine; Electromagnetic Devices; Magnetic Devices; Electromagnetic Devices
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in x 10 in; 6.35 cm x 11.43 cm x 25.4 cm