astronomy

History of Science Museum, Oxford

History of Science Museum, Oxford is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand History of Science Museum, Oxford rather than just read about it. In short: The History of Science Museum in Broad Street, Oxford, England, holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. The museum building is also known as the Old Ashmolean Building to distinguish it from the newer Ashmolean Museum building completed in 1894.

Key takeaways

History of Science Museum, Oxford belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect History of Science Museum, Oxford to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of History of Science Museum, Oxford from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The History of Science Museum in Broad Street, Oxford, England, holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. The museum building is also known as the Old Ashmolean Building to distinguish it from the newer Ashmolean Museum building completed in 1894. The museum was built in 1683, and it is the world's oldest surviving purpose-built museum.

History Built in 1683 to house Elias Ashmole's collection, the building was the world's first purpose-built museum building and was also open to the public. The original concept of the museum was to institutionalize the new learning about nature that appeared in the 17th century and experiments concerning natural philosophy were undertaken in a chemical laboratory in the basement, while lectures and demonstration took place in the School of Natural History, on the middle floor. Ashmole's collection was expanded to include a broad range of activities associated with the history of natural knowledge. In 1924, Lewis Evans donated his collection of historic scientific instruments, creating the Lewis Evans Collection. In 1935, with more donations, the museum's name was changed to the Museum of the History of Science. In 2018, the museum was renamed the History of Science Museum.

Historic building listings The History of Science Museum is a Grade I listed building, the highest grade reserved for "buildings of exceptional interest". The screen fronting the building, with busts of Roman Emperors in a continuance of the north screen of the Sheldonian Theatre, has a separate Grade I listing.

Collections and exhibitions

The collection and the building itself now occupies a special position in the study of the history of science and in the development of western culture and collecting. One of the most iconic objects in the collection is Einstein's Blackboard that Albert Einstein used on 16 May 1931 in his lectures while visiting the University of Oxford, rescued by dons including E. J. Bowen and Gavin de Beer. The current collection contains around 18,000 objects from antiquity to the early 20th century, representing almost all aspects of the history of science and is used for both academic study and enjoyment by the visiting public. The museum contains a wide range of scientific instruments, such as quadrants, astrolabes (the most complete collection in the world with c.170 instruments), sundials, early mathematical instruments (used for calculating, astronomy, navigation, surveying and drawing), optical instruments (microscopes, telescopes and cameras), equipment associated with chemistry, natural philosophy and medicine, and a reference library regarding the history of scientific instruments that includes manuscripts, incunabula, prints and printed ephemera, and early photographic items. The museum shows the development of mechanical clocks. Lantern clocks and longcase clocks are exhibited in the Beeson Room, named after the antiquarian horologist Cyril Beeson (1889–1975) who gave his collection to the museum. Early turret clocks are exhibited above the stairs from the basement to the raised ground floor. The museum hold a collection of turned ivory and other objects made by Lady Gertrude Crawford. From October 2009 until February 2010, the Museum hosted the first major exhibition of Steampunk art objects, curated by Art Donovan and presented by Dr Jim Bennett, then the museum director. The museum is also home to the Rochester Avionic Archive, which includes a collection of avionics that originated with the Elliot Brothers, but also includes pieces from Marconi and BAE Systems.

Multaka network In 2019, the museum joined six similar museums in Germany, Italy, Greece and Switzerland, creating the international Multaka network. This intercultural museum project organizes guided tours for refugees and migrants designed and offered for free by specially trained Arabic-speaking Multaka guides. The visitor-centered discussions with migrants are focused on the historical origins and history of acquisition of cultural objects, including the visitors' own understanding of their country's cultural heritage.

Curators

The following have been Curator or Secretary to the Committee or Director at the museum:

R. T. Gunther (1924–40) F. Sherwood Taylor (1940–45, temporary; 1945–50) C. H. Josten (1950–64; 1964–94, emeritus) F. R. Maddison (1964–94) J. A. Bennett (1994–2012) Stephen Johnston (acting director, 2012–14) Silke Ackermann (2014 onwards)

See also Dr Jim Bennett, the museum's former Keeper/Director (retired in 2012) Dr Silke Ackermann, the museum's Director (from 2014) Oxford University Scientific Society Museum of Oxford Whipple Museum of the History of Science, the equivalent institution at the University of Cambridge

References

External links

History of Science Museum website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with History of Science Museum, Oxford

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what History of Science Museum, Oxford claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to History of Science Museum, Oxford before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about History of Science Museum, Oxford ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of History of Science Museum, Oxford

In research: History of Science Museum, Oxford appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses History of Science Museum, Oxford in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: History of Science Museum, Oxford is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1924 establishments in England, Buildings and structures completed in 1683, Grade I listed buildings in Oxford, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for History of Science Museum, Oxford outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study History of Science Museum, Oxford in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is History of Science Museum, Oxford in simple terms?

Why does History of Science Museum, Oxford matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study History of Science Museum, Oxford?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on History of Science Museum, Oxford.