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Tonometer set

Koenig Acoustical · Physics

This series of 66 tuning forks set atop wooden resonant boxes presents a range of pitches from a frequency of 512 to 1024. Each resonant box has rubber, felt, or foam strips attached to the bottom surface.

Accession Number: 2013.ph.361.1-70

Alternative Name:

Primary Materials: Wood, metal, rubber

Markings:

Each fork is marked in the upper left corner with a number that indicates their place in the set. Some of them are marked with their corresponding note on the solfège scale. Each box is marked with the frequency of the fork. Beneath this number on each box is stamped “RUDOLPH KOENIG A PARIS”. On the metal of each tuning fork is etched with its set number and frequency.

Dimensions (cm):

Height= Range from 21.5 to 26.5; Width= Range from 9 to 12; Length= Range from 16 to 30

Function:

These forks were developed to produce a series of frequencies separated by an even number of vibrations in order to tune and set the standard for pitch.

Condition:

Range from fair to very good. Most of the resonant boxes are scratched, and many are partially or fully missing the rubber strips on the bottom surface. Most of the forks are in good condition.

Associated Instruments:

Manufacturer: Rudolph Koenig

Date of Manufacture: Late nineteenth century

Provenance:

University of Toronto Physics Department

Additional Information and References:

David Pantalony, Altered Sensations: Rudolph Koenig’s Acoustical Workshop in Nineteenth-Century Paris, New York: Springer, 2009, 200-202.

Historical Notes:

Themes:

Flags:
  • Donated to UTSIC