transformer for microscope illumination
Date: 1945-1960
Inventory Number: 2009-1-0074
Classification: Transformer
Subject:
Maker: Kenyon Transformer Company, Inc. (founded 1936)
User: William Alexander Jackson (1905 - 1964)
User: Houghton Library, Harvard University (founded 1942)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
without cord: 9 × 7 × 12.7 cm (3 9/16 × 2 3/4 × 5 in.)
Description:
Small transformer for powering a microscope lamp. Metal housing has black crackle finish. The base has for holes for screws to secure it to work table. There is a toggle ON-OFF switch in the front, above an AC power cord. The cord's insulation is cracking. In the rear, there is a short power cord with a two-prong socket. This is where the lamp would be plugged in.
Signedplaque on top: K [in diamond logo with electrical bolts] / A PRODUCT OF / KENYON TRANSFORMER CO., INC. / NEW YORK, N.Y., U.S.A.
Inscribedon plaque on top: TYPE S-23722 TRANSFORMER / 115 PRI. VOLTS V.A. 24 / 8 SEC. VOLTS CYCLES 60
Historical AttributesUsed by William A. Jackson (died 1964), first librarian of Houghton Library.
When Houghton Library opened in 1942, Jackson invested in a lot of state-of-the-art equipment for examining books and investigating them. The apparatus included microscopes, black lights, and special lamps. This was one of them.
When Houghton Library opened in 1942, Jackson invested in a lot of state-of-the-art equipment for examining books and investigating them. The apparatus included microscopes, black lights, and special lamps. This was one of them.
ProvenanceWilliam A. Jackson, Librarian, Houghton Library, Harvard University, c. 1942 ; transfer to CHSI courtesy of Dennis Marnon, 2009.