Every scientific instrument is more than just a tool—it is a trace of human curiosity, craft, and historical, cultural, and scientific context. Behind its material form lies a network of stories: the hands that built it, the minds that used it, the questions it was meant to answer, and the intellectual climate of its time. Occasionally, an object carries with it a deeper sense of enigma—an unsolved puzzle that invites further investigation. This article traces the history of one such enigmatic object: a 19th -century apparatus for measuring electrical phenomena, housed today in the historical collections of the Deutsches Museum (DM) in Munich, though it is not currently on display. We shall refer to it hereafter as DM 1182. The museum catalogue describes it as a modified Coulomb torsion balance—yet a closer look reveals that this instrument significantly diverges in structure from the well-known torsion balance devised by Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736–1806) to investigate electrostatic forces. The 19th century witnessed a remarkable proliferation of torsion-based instruments— adapted and reinvented to serve as electrometers, galvanometers, and more. This object, peculiar in its design and rich in historical complexity, seems to belong to that lineage, while also raising new questions. Could it be a variation of that celebrated device? Was it operated, and for what purpose? Our research over the past months aimed to uncover the layered history of this unpublished instrument, to clarify its use, and to situate it within contemporary scientific practices. It turned out that DM 1182 tells a larger story of experimentation, adaptation, and the vibrant intellectual milieu of 19th-century physics. This paper presents the history of the apparatus through archival documentation and secondary sources, and speculates on its functioning, scope, and employment—recovering both its historical and material significance.
Garrison, J., Gressot, J., Liu, D., Rossi, E. (2025). One of a kind: A Unique Coulomb Torsion Balance with Modifications in the Collections of the Deutsches Museum, Munich. BULLETIN OF THE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT SOCIETY, 166, 14-21.
One of a kind: A Unique Coulomb Torsion Balance with Modifications in the Collections of the Deutsches Museum, Munich
E. Rossi
2025
Abstract
Every scientific instrument is more than just a tool—it is a trace of human curiosity, craft, and historical, cultural, and scientific context. Behind its material form lies a network of stories: the hands that built it, the minds that used it, the questions it was meant to answer, and the intellectual climate of its time. Occasionally, an object carries with it a deeper sense of enigma—an unsolved puzzle that invites further investigation. This article traces the history of one such enigmatic object: a 19th -century apparatus for measuring electrical phenomena, housed today in the historical collections of the Deutsches Museum (DM) in Munich, though it is not currently on display. We shall refer to it hereafter as DM 1182. The museum catalogue describes it as a modified Coulomb torsion balance—yet a closer look reveals that this instrument significantly diverges in structure from the well-known torsion balance devised by Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736–1806) to investigate electrostatic forces. The 19th century witnessed a remarkable proliferation of torsion-based instruments— adapted and reinvented to serve as electrometers, galvanometers, and more. This object, peculiar in its design and rich in historical complexity, seems to belong to that lineage, while also raising new questions. Could it be a variation of that celebrated device? Was it operated, and for what purpose? Our research over the past months aimed to uncover the layered history of this unpublished instrument, to clarify its use, and to situate it within contemporary scientific practices. It turned out that DM 1182 tells a larger story of experimentation, adaptation, and the vibrant intellectual milieu of 19th-century physics. This paper presents the history of the apparatus through archival documentation and secondary sources, and speculates on its functioning, scope, and employment—recovering both its historical and material significance.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
