Carried out over a period of ten years, this is a listing of scientific instruments dating before 1920, preserved in many collections throughout the island of Ireland. It gives location, date, and description for each of the more than 5,000 entries, together, where appropriate, with relevant accompanying detail. It demonstrates clearly that Ireland has an important resource which hitherto had not been appreciated. It also preserves information about collections which have since been lost, sold, or otherwise dispersed.

Based on original contributions by specialists, this manual covers both the theory and the practice required in the management of museums. It is intended for all museum and art gallery profession staff, and includes sections on new technology, marketing, volunteers and museum libraries.

This text focuses on the history of the development of hand-held celestial navigation instruments, offering descriptions of the tools used. It also includes a glossary of technical terms.

Jesse Ramsden was one of the most prominent manufacturers of scientific instruments in the latter half of the eighteenth century. To own a Ramsden instrument, be it one of his great theodolites or one of the many sextants and barometers produced at his London workshop, was to own not only an instrument of incredible accuracy and great practical use, but also a thing of beauty. In this, the first biography of Jesse Ramsden, Dr Anita McConnell reconstructs his life and career and presents us with a detailed account of the instrument trade in this period. By studying the life of one prominent instrument maker, the entire practice of the trade is illuminated, from the initial commission, the intricate planning and design, through the practicalities of production, delivery and, crucially, payment for the work. The book will naturally be of immeasurable interest to historians of science and scientific instruments but, as it also sheds light on the increasing commercialisation of the scientific trade on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, should also interest social and economic historians of the eighteenth century.

Originally developed in 1993 for an auction of an Architect's private collection of over 1,500 drawing instruments and calculators; this extensive book is one of a few comprehensive references available for comparative study of these instruments. The original collection was assembled over a twelve year period from sources in the US and Europe. Each instrument is listed in a scientific format for comparative evaluation and identification. An abbreviations table supports this approach. Profusely illustrated with 113 color photos and 61 highly organized text pages. The Subject Index has over 400 individual references dissecting this impressive collective of instruments from the 18th C. thru the mid 20th century. Instruments are categorized by Maker, Country, Period of Manufacture and function. Different instrument makers and suppliers are referenced to over 300 individual items. The four page Table of Contents provides a logical and extremely useful subjective summary of the catalog contents so that whatever the instrument or drawing tool, its location can be easily found. The photographs were taken with the idea of showing these important instruments in a comparative array. Researchers and collectors will find this a valuable resource. These instruments represent a most prolific period of time in our history of invention and advancements in technology. Computers are the new tools which demand a new pace of design and documentation.... They leave behind the centuries of drawing instruments that were the connection from the hand to the paper.