Skip to main content
Advanced Search
lightning house
lightning house

lightning house

Date1790-1830
Inventory NumberDW0841
ClassificationThunder House
Subject
    Maker French ?
    Cultural Region
      Place of Origin
        Dimensions36 x 25.5 x 18 cm (14 3/16 x 10 1/16 x 7 1/16 in.)
        Material
          DescriptionThunder house of tin, Paris, ca. 1790-1830. From Instrument Card: "LIGHTNING HOUSE. Small metal house and round tower like a lighthouse, a large twin lightning rod on the tower. The house contains receptacle presumably for explosive powder which when ignited collapsed the house with the blast - sides of the house are on hinges."
          In Collection(s)
          Signedunsigned
          FunctionThe lightning house was a demonstration device to show the effectiveness of lightning rods in preserving buildings from lightning strikes.

          A video demonstration of a lightning house by the Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica in Florence is available on Youtube here.
          ProvenanceDavid Wheatland received as a gift from Alain Brieux, Paris, May 1, 1963 (with lot 11).
          lightning rod on house frame
          lightning rod on house frame
          French
          Date: circa 1800
          Object number: DW0835
          thunder house
          thunder house
          the Reverend John Prince
          Date: 1789
          Object number: 0019
          replica of a thunder house, 1789
          replica of a thunder house, 1789
          Harvard University
          Date: 1939
          Object number: 1997-1-1363
          profile of a house with lightning rod
          profile of a house with lightning rod
          George Adams (I)
          Date: circa 1765
          Accessories: brass ball and fitting on top of the lightning conductor
          Object number: 0017
          maps of Blue Hills Reservation (3)
          maps of Blue Hills Reservation (3)
          Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
          Date: 1895-1919
          Accessories: Panorama of landmarks visible from the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory Map of the Blue Hills Reservation and its surrounding area from 1919 Topographical map of the Blue Hills Reservation from 1895
          Object number: 1998-1-0977
          painting of Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
          painting of Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
          Carl Delcey
          Date: 1890
          Accessories: gold wood frame (gold paint on plaster)
          Object number: 1998-1-0431
          solid receiver -- Couch house telephone
          solid receiver -- Couch house telephone
          S. H. Couch Company
          Date: circa 1905
          Accessories: telephone wall unit
          Object number: 8092b
          Couch house telephone wall unit
          Couch house telephone wall unit
          S. H. Couch Company
          Date: circa 1905
          Accessories: solid telephone receiver
          Object number: 8092a
          jointed steeple with lightning rod
          jointed steeple with lightning rod
          George Adams (I)
          Date: circa 1765
          Object number: 0018
          telegraph recorder
          telegraph recorder
          Alphonse Darras
          Date: circa 1900
          Object number: DW0094
          Beckman quartz spectrophotometer
          Beckman quartz spectrophotometer
          Beckman Instruments, Inc.
          Date: after 1940
          Accessories: clear rings (3); black cylindrical tube; long black rectangular object; short black rectangular object; metal rings (4); glass slides (3); CENCO FILTER / NO. 87308-A and CENCO FILTER / NO. 87308-?10B from CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC CO.; manual on file
          Object number: 1998-1-1003a
          Bell Hunnings-Cone house telephone transmitter
          Bell Hunnings-Cone house telephone transmitter
          Henry Hunnings
          Date: circa 1892
          Object number: 8089a