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Sony Video Camera Recorder CCD-TR5
This video camera records to 8mm video format cassettes, and is capable of recording both video and sound. Videos can be played back to TVs or color monitors by AV inputs. Videos can also be watched back directly on the camera. Some edits can be done on the camera, such as recording title screens and inserting footage over other footage, for making more advanced home videos. This camera comes with a large case of accessories, and the soft-touch plastic on the camera body is beginning to degrade and become sticky.
King Camera
Very similar to the King camera made by Rochester Camera Mfg. Co., this camera is distinguished by the direction of the springs on the back (two springs facing the other two, rather than all being in the same direction) and brass pieces on the side of the camera. This is a very large camera, though it could be folded if it were in better condition. On this particular camera, the bellows are ripped in a few places. Pictures it took would have been with glass plates, not film.
No. 1A Rexo
The Rexo 1A, manufactured between 1916 and 1931, was positioned as a lower-price alternative to the Kodak Autographic popular at the time. This camera folds into a rectangular shape for travel and storage, and uses 2.5/4.5 inch film. The lens is a F7-5 Rexo Anastigmat F 5 1/4 in lens, and it has an Ilex shutter.
Faraday Disk
Invented by Michael Faraday in 1831, his Faraday disk showed the connection between electricity and magnetism by producing an electric current between the center of the disk and its rim as the disk is rotated by a hand crank.
The disk center and rim are connected to the terminals, the rim via a mercury bath on the base. The copper rim passes through the bath.
This Faraday disk is a demonstration motor. With a battery or DC power supply connected to the terminals, the disk rotates due to the force on the moving charges produced by the magnetic field from the horseshoe magnet.
We no longer use this demonstration to avoid possible mercury vapor emission due to electrical sparks at the copper-mercury connection.
Galvanometer Ayrton Shunt
Universal Ayrton Leeds & Northrup shunt for any galvanometer. . Decreases galvanometer sensitivity by shunting a selected fraction of the input current to bypass the galvanometer. Shunt resistance affects galvanometer damping.
Date Unknown.
Model No. 2116, Serial No. 275073
Induction Coil
Induction coil probably manufactured or at least marketed by Cental Scientific Company. The coil matches the image of another coil with a Central Scientific nameplate. The nameplate is missing from our coil, but the mounting spots are visible. Nameplates containing Central Scientific Company were probably manufactured between 1900 and 1909 with those containing the trademark CENCO manufactured after 1909.
Cenco Density Ball and Box
Density Ball floats in tap water, sinks in water at 85 F or higher. Label on box contains CENCO trademark indicating ball was purchased after 1909; otherwise, date is unknown.
Signal Corps Test Unit I-176
Signal Corp Test Unit I-176, serial no. 0238, containing a Triplet Elec. Inst. Co. multimeter. The Physics Department probably obtained this unit from army surplus in the decades following World War II.
L. Bradley Circular Resistance Box
Circular resistance box manufactured by L. Bradley & Co. in Chicago. Patent date is Jan. 7, 1873. Construction of box consistent with 1870s technology. Box was probably used in trouble shooting telegraph or possibly telephone lines. We have no further information about the box.
Cine-Kodak Model K 16 mm camera
Kodak manufactured the Cine-Kodak Model K 16 mm motion picture camera from 1930 until 1946. This camera accomodates up to 100 foot rolls and a Kodak astigmatic focusing 25 mm f/1.9 lens. The mechanism is spring driven using a side-mounted winding crank. We do not know the acquisition date.
MESCO Pony Telegraph Relay
Standard Pony Telegraph Relay manufactured between 1900 and 1910 and listed in the MESCO 1905 catalog for use as burglar alarm for a given length of telegraph line. The list price is between $3.00 and $4.00 depending on the coil resistance.
MESCO states that the relay uses much less power to operate than a sounder of similar resistance.
A resistance measurement was imposible as this device has a break in the coil windings.
Student’s Oil Lamp
This lamp was used by Prof George L. Pierce while studying at Oberlin and given to the museum by Wayne and Clara Denny. Grinnell students used oil or gas lamps until the mid 1890’s.
