Accession No

2296

Brief Description

26 crystal models, English, c.1875

Origin

England

Maker

Class

chemistry; crystallography; demonstration

Earliest Date

1850

Latest Date

1900

Inscription Date

Material

wood; cloth (velvet); paper; metal (brass)

Dimensions

bag length 160mm; breadth 95mm; height 30mm; box length 115mm; breadth 90mm; height 68mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from A. Davidson, London, England, 1977.

Inscription

Description Notes

Incomplete set of wooden models of various minerals. Each is stamped with the mineral name: 2 forms of ‘Augite’, ‘Axinite’, ‘Borax’, 2 sizes of ‘Calx Spar’, 2 sizes of ‘Chrysolite’, 2 sizes of ‘Common Salt’, 2 forms of ‘Diamond’, 2 forms of ‘Emerald’, 2 sizes of ‘Fahlore, &c.’, 2 sizes of ‘Felspar’, ‘Mica’, ‘Phos. of Lead’, ‘Rutile’, 2 sizes of ‘Sapphire’, ‘Sul. of Lead’, 2 forms of ‘Zircon’.
Wooden case covered in black paper, lined with red velvet; brass hinges (broken) and hook fasteners. On base a paper label, marked in ink ‘35 pieces May 28th 1875’.

Condition good; incomplete (various pieces missing)

References

Events

Description
These twenty-six teaching models represent different crystal formations of various minerals and gems, including Common Salt, Borax and Emerald. Models are essential to teaching and research in crystallography. They are useful tools for visualising the structures, shapes and morphology of minerals. The first set of crystal models were made of clay and produced by the French mineralogist Romé de l’Isle (1736–1790) to accompany his book Cristallographie (1783). René Just Haüy (1743–1822) produced a wooden set of crystals to better illustrate the images in his Traité de Minérologie (1801). This teaching aid set is from an English manufacturer from the end of the nineteenth century.

10/03/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 10/03/2014

FM:43753