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Open Tube with Different Openings at End (Koenig)

Koenig Acoustical · Physics

A wooden organ pipe, open at one end (452.1). At the other end there is a beveled attachment into which a second flat piece of wood with rounded ends (452.2) can be slid. This sliding piece of wood has four round holes of increasing size cut through it. Each of these is labelled with a note: SOL2, LA2, SI2, UT3.

On the pipe, where the slider fits though, there is a degraded leather surface in order to form a seal.

Accession Number: 2011.ph.452.1-2

Alternative Name: Pipe

Primary Materials: Wood, Leather

Markings:

On the base of the pipe, near the beveled attachment: “RUDOLPH KOENIG À PARIS”

Stuck on the base of the pipe, at the slot into which the wood can be slid, a paper sticker that reads: “PHY 1-U”

On the sliding piece, against each hole: “SOL2”, “LA2”, “SI2”, “UT3”.

Written on the reverse side of the sliding piece, in pen: “87”. This refers to the pipe’s entry in Koenig’s 1873 catalogue.

Dimensions (cm): 5.5cm x 5.5cm x 63cm

Function:

Changing the aperture of the hole along the base of the pipe changes its pitch. This pipe was used to demonstrate acoustical principles.

Condition:

Fair. The body of the pipe and the slider are in good condition with a few marks and scratches. The beveled base into which the slider fits is coming away from the base of the pipe. The leather seal is badly degraded.

Associated Instruments:

Manufacturer: Rudolf Koenig, Paris

Date of Manufacture: 1878

Provenance:

This pipe was likely one of those purchased by Professor of Physics James Loudon on his initial trip to Paris in the summer of 1878. The 1873 catalogue number written on the object indicates it pre-dates the Koenig catalogue of the 1880s. It was used for acoustical investigation at the Department of Physics.

Additional Information and References:

Historical Notes:

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