armillary sphere
Date: 1959
Inventory Number: 2006-1-0109
Classification: Armillary Sphere
Maker: Fizpribor (fl. 1955 - present)
Maker: Soviet Russian
Supplier: The Ealing Corporation (founded 1961)
User: Science Center Prep Room, Harvard University (founded 1974)
User: Harvard College (founded 1636)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
58 × 42.2 × 43.8 cm (22 13/16 × 16 5/8 × 17 1/4 in.)
Accessories: Instruction manual written in Russian, 1957. (in instrument file folder)
Description:
This large armillary sphere is enamel coated metal with rings are painted blue, red, and white. The horizon is a disk that is adjustable with respect to a quadrant underneath. The sphere shows the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the celestial equator, the ecliptic, and the colures.
The sphere is held in an aluminum meridian ring. The ring carries an adjustable curved metal piece, which might be used for forming spherical triangles. The meridian ring is held in a clamp on the base and can be tipped. The metal base is circular and coated black.
The horizon disk is stamped in Cyrillic with the name of the manufacturer and the city in which the instrument was fabricated.
A sticker on which is written "armillary sphere" is pasted over the sticker marked "MADE IN / U.S.S.R."
The sphere is held in an aluminum meridian ring. The ring carries an adjustable curved metal piece, which might be used for forming spherical triangles. The meridian ring is held in a clamp on the base and can be tipped. The metal base is circular and coated black.
The horizon disk is stamped in Cyrillic with the name of the manufacturer and the city in which the instrument was fabricated.
A sticker on which is written "armillary sphere" is pasted over the sticker marked "MADE IN / U.S.S.R."
In Collection(s)
Signedon horizon plane in punched letters [Cyrillic maker's name and place]: FIZPRIBOR / G[OROD]. KIROV [Physics Instruments / city of Kirov]
on sticker on base: MADE IN / U.S.S.R.
on sticker on base: MADE IN / U.S.S.R.
Historical AttributesThis is Soviet teaching model was briefly distributed in the United States around 1959-1960 by the Ealing Corporation, before Cold War politics prevented its import.
It was used in the physics teaching labs in the Harvard Science Center from about 1959 to 2000.
It was used in the physics teaching labs in the Harvard Science Center from about 1959 to 2000.
Curatorial RemarksA simliar model can be found the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK (GLB0227). They list the maker as Sajelawo.
Primary SourcesA manual for this armillary in Russian is in the instrument file.
Ealing Corporation, Science Teaching Apparatus Manufactured in Russia (Cambridge, MA, 1960). [See CHSI lib.3625]
"Soviet Equipment for Science Scored," New York Times, May 26, 1959.
"Soviet Teaching Equipment" in "News of Science," Science, 129 (27 February 1959): 550-557.
Ealing Corporation, Science Teaching Apparatus Manufactured in Russia (Cambridge, MA, 1960). [See CHSI lib.3625]
"Soviet Equipment for Science Scored," New York Times, May 26, 1959.
"Soviet Teaching Equipment" in "News of Science," Science, 129 (27 February 1959): 550-557.