stand for manometric flame apparatus

Datecirca 1889

Inventory Number2000-1-0014

ClassificationManometric Flame Apparatus

Subject

Maker Rudolph Koenig 1832 - 1901

Cultural Region

Place of Origin

Dimensions57 × 39 × 78.7 cm (22 7/16 × 15 3/8 × 31 in.)

Material

DescriptionRectangular wooden platform with two wooden wind chests made for four manometric organ pipes (two pipes on each). One pipe on the wind chests was for the airflow coming from bellows, the other for the gas fueling the flames. A large rotating mirror (in bad shape) is mounted in a cast iron frame. It has unusual chamois padded gears.

This instrument may have been used with the following pipes: 1997-1-0933a, 1997-1-0933b, 1997-1-0933c, 1997-1-0934a and 1997-1-0934b.

As several other acoustical instruments in the collection, this one has an old location number inscribed on an oval paper glued to the base: 19-4-1. There is another old location number stamped on this instrument: 22-3.

Signedon base: RUDOLPH KOENIG / À PARIS

FunctionWhen organ pipes adapted with manometric capsules are mounted on the wind chests of this apparatus, the small flames fuel by gas oscillate according to the sound waves produced in the organ pipes. This instrument was one of the firsts to visually display the vibrations of sound waves. The rotating mirror is essential for the visualization of interference phenomena in sound waves. Koenig's catalogue shows nice pictures of how the flames will appear when, for instance, two organ pipes are tuned so they produce a beat.

A video demonstration of a manometric flame was also produced by the Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica in Florence, Italy and is on YouTube here.