The following is a brief survey of galvanometers and related materials across the U of T collection. It is created for the paper “Reading Galvanometers: Reflecting on the Infrastructure and Instrumental Practice of Electrical Metrology at the University of Toronto.” published in the journal Scientia Canadensis in 2024.
When considering such a survey, a few factors should be kept in mind:
- Like the survival of acquisitions and collections generally, the survival of galvanometers within a particular collection is the result of a variety of factors and not necessarily representative of the instrument’s importance relative to other collections and disciplines.
- There likewise are major gaps in the collections ability to represent galvanometer use across relevant disciplines. Notably, most of the historical material belonging to the Faculty of Engineering was destroyed in fire at the Sanford Fleming building in February 1977
- The definition of “galvanometer” is somewhat arbitrary and shades into other electrical instruments such as the jeweled pivot ammeter. The galvanometer also exists as a subcomponent of other instruments. A certain level of subjectivity is inevitable such a list.
- In most cases, it is particular artifacts have not yet been linked to a particular research project. Likewise, many relevant instruments have not yet been catalogued. In such cases a photo is provided.
Galvanometers in the natural sciences
The Department of Physics Collection
Galvanometers in medicine, biology, and psychology
The Psychology collection notably includes a highly sensitive early 20th century Einthoven string galvanometer (2012.psy.74), an electrical instrument developed for physiological research. It also includes a
Zoology Sanborn galvanometer 2016.zoo.6
The Astronomy collection features a number of galvanometers, compnents, and consumables. Their specific research contexts has not been determined, though galvanometers cound
See footnote