Cylinder-type Electrostatic Machine
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: This table-top electrostatic cylinder machine came to the Smithsonian along with a large assortment of equipment used by traveling lecturer and scientific showman Charles Came (1806-1881) and his successors. From the 1840s through the 1870s, Came traveled around New York State entertaining audiences with magic lantern shows and demonstrations of electrical phenomenon. His son-in-law Samuel Corby (1839-1913) continued the traveling shows for about 30 years after Came’s death, and John S. Fisher (1907-2002) revived the shows in the 1950s. Some of Came’s equipment was homemade and other pieces were purchased from commercial suppliers.
label: Description (Brief)
content: During the 1750s electrical researchers refined the design of electrostatic machines by replacing earlier spherical globes with a glass cylinder, a design used for many years. This change increased the surface area of the glass in contact with the rubbing pad and improved the efficiency of the generator. No maker’s markings appear on this machine so we do not know its origin.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Electrostatic Machines
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0743.302
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0743.302
label: accession number
content: 1989.0743
label: collector/donor number
content: 1
objectType: label: Object Name
content: electrostatic generator
label: Object Name
content: frictional cylinder electrostatic machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: silk (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal foil (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: main section: 21 in x 37 in x 25 in; 53.34 cm x 93.98 cm x 63.5 cm
label: Measurements
content: prime conductor: 16 in x 8 3/4 in x 4 in; 40.64 cm x 22.225 cm x 10.16 cm
label: Measurements
content: conductor stand: 15 3/4 in x 3 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in; 40.005 cm x 8.89 cm x 8.89 cm
label: Measurements
content: friction stand: 16 1/2 in x 7 in x 5 1/2 in; 41.91 cm x 17.78 cm x 13.97 cm
label: Measurements
content: curved shim: 4 3/8 in x 1 3/8 in x 3/16 in; 11.1125 cm x 3.4925 cm x .47625 cm
label: Measurements
content: rectangular shim: 3 3/8 in x 1 1/4 in x 3/16 in; 8.5725 cm x 3.175 cm x .47625 cm