Accession No
6052
Brief Description
mathematical string model in wooden folding case by John H. Brown; early 20th century
Origin
Maker
Brown, John H. Sunshine Technical Works
Class
mathematics
Earliest Date
1900
Latest Date
1950
Inscription Date
Material
wood (two types); metal (brass; stainless steel); cardboard; string (two types)
Dimensions
630mm by 402mm; thickness 40mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Trevor Philip & Sons Ltd, 75a Jermyn Street, St James’s, London, SW1Y 6NP, England on or before 8/9/2005.
Inscription
“ILLUSTRATIONS OF DESCRIPTIVE GEOMETRY
showing two parallel oblique planes and the method of finding the real distance between them. Also showing various lines lying in the planes, and the common perpendicular between two of them.” (on top panel)
“John H. Brown
Sunshine
Technical Works” (stamped into bottom right corner of bottom panel)
Description Notes
mathematical string model in wooden folding case by John H. Brown; early 20th century
Wooden panels, comprised of a dark and light wood, open like a book on four steel hinges, with brass supports that snap into a locked position.
The model features two parallel planes comprised of 25 strings (24 yellow 1 black) and 21 (21 red and one black) strings attached to the wooden panels. The two black strings are parallel to each other but angled to the yellow and red strings that comprise each plane. Coloured lines and angles on the backing cardboard illustrate the traces of the planes and lines onto the vertical and horizontal cardboard backings.
Condition: good/fair; complete
References
Events
Description
Making mathematical models was an integral part of a mathematician’s research in the late nineteenth century; however, the role of models as a central feature of mathematical research became less pronounced in the first decades of the twentieth century. This model was used as a teaching aid for students of geometry. A common difficulty in studying geometry is visualising the problem or exercise in three dimensions. Mathematical string models demonstrate the methods to determine the shortest distance between two planes. The practice of constructing mathematical models (like this string model) originated with Gaspard Monge (1746–1818) who invented descriptive geometry, which represented three-dimensional surfaces in two dimensions. He also worked at classifying ruled surfaces. In modeling, tightly stretched strings following the path of a generated line best described a ruled surface according to Monge. He and his student Théodore Olivier (1793–1853) designed and built such models. This model by John H. Brown shows “two parallel oblique planes and the method of finding the real distance between them”. The model was produced by Sunshine Technical Works.
11/03/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 11/03/2014
FM:46521
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