CCI Newsletter, No. 33, May 2004

On Display: The Physics Collection of Queen's University

by Bernard Ziomkiewicz,¹ Technologist, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

The Department of Physics at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, has over the years accumulated a number of rare and valuable scientific instruments. These pieces of demonstration and laboratory apparatus were used at the beginning of science teaching at Queen's (and, indeed, in the whole country) in the 1840s, and throughout the history of physics teaching at Queen's.

In order to catalogue, restore and display items related to the early days of science teaching at Queen's, the Department of Physics Historical Museum Project was initiated in 1989 with a grant from the Principal's Development Fund.

The collection includes several hundred pieces of apparatus related to teaching mechanics, heat, light, sound, astronomy and measurement. There has been practical interest in astronomy in the Queen's community since the 1850s. Although the combination of engineering and astronomy may seem very odd to us, the growth of astronomy in the 19th century owes its origin to solving the practical problems associated with surveying, mapmaking and navigation, for which the determination of longitude and time were essential.

The first optical observatory in Ontario was erected in 1856 in Kingston's City Park by a committee of "Gentleman Amateurs" who purchased a 6 1/4 in. refracting telescope from Alvan Clark of Boston. After five years of operation, Queen's College took over management of the Observatory, which was later moved onto the campus. Nathan Dupuis, a recent graduate, was appointed as observer. In order to reduce operating costs, Dupuis himself built several of the required clocks and other apparatus. In the Physics Department's building, a display commemorating Dupuis and the centenary of engineering at Queen's contains several of his handmade clocks as well as the Alvan Clark telescope and two transit telescopes (for determining latitude, longitude and time).

Two objects from the department's collection related to Dupuis' era were treated at CCI — a transit telescope and a Universal Ring Sundial. Figure 1 shows one of the transit telescopes, which has a 4 in. aperture. These telescopes were used to make celestial measurements. Below the telescope is a level for calibrating the instrument. The Universal Ring Sundial (Figure 2) is undated and unsigned, and is probably a replica of an 18th-century design. It can be adjusted to determine the local time at any location and can be folded flat for carrying.

As well, other objects have been restored by students in the Queen's Art Conservation Department, with which the Physics Department is very fortunate to have established a collaboration.

1. Mr. Ziomkiewicz, a technologist with the Queen's University Physics Department, took on the care of the department's collection. He learned the techniques of cleaning, stabilization and repair of historical instruments during his visiting internship at CCI over several summers.