pedometer
Date1675-1710
Inventory NumberHO81Z-11
ClassificationPedometer
Subject
Maker
Johann Martin
1642 - 1721
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensions7.5 x 5.3 x 1.5 cm (2 15/16 x 2 1/16 x 9/16 in.)
Material
Credit LineA gift of Philip Hofer to the Houghton Library, Harvard University. Currently on long-term loan in CHSI.
DescriptionThis pedometer is made of four wheels: one for units (1-10), one for tens (10-20-30... 100), one for hundreds (100-200-300... 1000) and one final for thousands (1000-2000-3000... 10,000). It still works fine. It has a nice floral-motif decoration on it. To make it work, a string (missing) would run from the ratchet arm to the user's leg. Each step was registered on the counters, which as we described could go up to 10,000 steps.
In Collection(s)
Signedengraved on back: Johann Martin / in / Augspurg [sic]
FunctionTo measure the distance (in steps) traveled while walking.
ProvenanceErnst Weil; Frances Hofer, 1952; gift to Department of Printing and Graphic Arts, Houghton Library, Harvard University, 1981; longterm loan to CHSI, 1991.
William Fraser
Date: circa 1785
Accessories: in a small yellow (chamois?) pouch, perhaps not original
Object number: DW0619
W. & S. Jones
Date: circa 1813
Accessories: crank; gears (14); pencil arm; thumbtacks (5); stub pencils (5); pencil holder; flat mahogany case
Object number: DW0470
Cast Iron Pipe Research Association
Date: copyright 1967
Accessories: envelope; folder containing instruction booklet
Object number: 1997-1-1624