Magneto-Electric Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1850s
name: label: maker
content: W. H. Burnap
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, with testimonials from three Americans involved with science: Benjamin Silliman at Yale College, Charles G. Page in Washington, D.C., and James R. Chilton, an instrument dealer in New York City. These machines were “MANUFACTURED BY W. KIDDER, Sole Proprietor, whose signature is attached to all genuine Machines.” 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 example has a wood box with brass corners, ivory handle on front, and brass handle on top. The paper label is marked “DAVIS & KIDDER’S / PATENT MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINE / FOR NERVOUS DISEASES.” Overlaid on this is another paper label marked “FOR SALE BY / G. W. DIVELY & CO. / Cleveland, O.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Thomas M. Benner
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.321651.01
label: catalog number
content: 321651.01
label: accession number
content: 321651
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Electro-Magnetic Machine
label: Object Name
content: electro-magnetic machine
label: Object Name
content: electrotherapeutic apparatus
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cloth (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (handles(2) material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: string (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 11.5 cm x 25 cm x 11.5 cm; 4 1/2 in x 9 13/16 in x 4 1/2 in