Foscarini High - Virtual Physics Museum

Physics Lab
	Anton Maria Traversi Physics Museum
Virtual Section
a XIX century Physics Lab in Venice

Anton Maria Traversi
Physics Museum

Virtual Section

a XIX century Physics Lab in Venice

In 1994 Foscarini organized an exhibition of the 19th century instruments still to be found in its Physics Lab. Giuseppe Fabbri, headmaster at the time, hoped this exhibition would be the first step towards a Science Museum in Venice. This dream has now been realized! In fact, concluded in January 2003 work on the restoration of the rooms which were to house the permanent Foscarini Physics Museum, the "Anton Maria Traversi Physics Museum" opened its doors to the public on Saturday 20th December 2003! But before its material birth, this museum was virtually realized on the net in 2000 with the rich collection of pages regarding its ancient tools. Foscarini has opened the Ancient Physics Lab to guided tours and former Foscarini student Pierandrea Malfi created pages about the most interesting instruments. This Museum is in continuous evolution, because new cards are costantly being added, so please visit us again ...
Information about A. M. Traversi Museum museo.traversi@liceofoscarini.it
Subscription to Traversi-News List (to keep up todate)
GUEST BOOK

In 1994 Foscarini organized an exhibition of the 19th century instruments still to be found in its Physics Lab. Giuseppe Fabbri, headmaster at the time, hoped this exhibition would be the first step towards a Science Museum in Venice. This dream has now been realized! In fact, concluded in January 2003 work on the restoration of the rooms which were to house the permanent Foscarini Physics Museum, the "Anton Maria Traversi Physics Museum" opened its doors to the public on Saturday 20th December 2003!

But before its material birth, this museum was virtually realized on the net in 2000 with the rich collection of pages regarding its ancient tools. Foscarini has opened the Ancient Physics Lab to guided tours and former Foscarini student Pierandrea Malfi created pages about the most interesting instruments. This Museum is in continuous evolution, because new cards are costantly being added, so please visit us again ...

Information about
A. M. Traversi Museum
museo.traversi@liceofoscarini.it

Subscription to
Traversi-News List
(to keep up todate)

GUEST BOOK

Museum sections
The Mechanics Section has a lot of valuable tools, realized by artisans of the 19th century, such as the Parabolic motion tool of Dr. Miotti. For their remarkable didactic importance we recommend the so-called equipment Mechanical paradox, a singular tool for the study of the theorem of the motion of the mass centre, and the instrument for the demonstration of the parallelogram law regarding forces composition. They are both working perfectly and still used during physics praticals.	The Section of Fluid Mechanics is divided into two Subsections (Liquids and Gases) with tools of immense historical importances, for example the Magdeburg hemispheres in brass. On the one hand there is equipment remarkable for its value such as the Psychrometer by Cavalieri and the Suction pump, built by the ingenious "lab technician" Francesco Cobres. On the other hand this Section has some apparatuses built to astonish the observer, such as the Equipment for the so-called Cartesian devil, which are still working after almost two centuries!
The Section dedicated to Thermodynamics has its pièce de résistance in the Big steam locomotive model, realized by the "lab thecnician" Francesco Cobres. It is a fully functioning steam locomotive in miniature which faithfully reproduces the locomotive used for the first Italian railway (Naples-Portici, 1839). There are also other apparatuses for the to measurement of temperature and for use in various experiments on the "caloric".	The Electromagnetism Section, particularly rich in XIX century tools (so contemporary with the birth of modern electromagnetic theory) is divided into four Subscections (Magnetostatic, Electrostatic, Electrodynamics ed Electrochemistry). Here there are a lot of precious tools like the Ancient spinterometer realized by Francesco Cobres, and a Nobili galvanometer built by Nobili, the inventor of the precision galvanometer.
The Waves Section is divided into two Subsections (Optic and Acoustic) and has various pieces of great interest like the Phonograph with trumpet and engraved cylinders, still working perfectly, Chladni's figures equipment and the Parabolic reflectors with support.	In this Section, dedicated to general information, it's possible to have information about the virtual museum history and about the tools of the Ancient Physics Lab. Here is explained where the instruments were found, how they were cleaned and dated (through inventories). There are also some biographic notes on the most important personalities in Marco Foscarini history.

Museum sections

Pulleys system in brass with weights, Malfi, © S 1997

The Mechanics Section has a lot of valuable tools, realized by artisans of the 19th century, such as the Parabolic motion tool of Dr. Miotti. For their remarkable didactic importance we recommend the so-called equipment Mechanical paradox, a singular tool for the study of the theorem of the motion of the mass centre, and the instrument for the demonstration of the parallelogram law regarding forces composition. They are both working perfectly and still used during physics praticals.

Suction pump by Francesco Cobres, Bona, © D 2001

The Section of Fluid Mechanics is divided into two Subsections (Liquids and Gases) with tools of immense historical importances, for example the Magdeburg hemispheres in brass. On the one hand there is equipment remarkable for its value such as the Psychrometer by Cavalieri and the Suction pump, built by the ingenious "lab technician" Francesco Cobres. On the other hand this Section has some apparatuses built to astonish the observer, such as the Equipment for the so-called Cartesian devil, which are still working after almost two centuries!

Big steam locomotive model (built by Francesco Cobres), Malfi, © S 1997

The Section dedicated to Thermodynamics has its pièce de résistance in the Big steam locomotive model, realized by the "lab thecnician" Francesco Cobres. It is a fully functioning steam locomotive in miniature which faithfully reproduces the locomotive used for the first Italian railway (Naples-Portici, 1839). There are also other apparatuses for the to measurement of temperature and for use in various experiments on the "caloric".

Astatic galvanometer by Nobili, Bona, © D 2001

The Electromagnetism Section, particularly rich in XIX century tools (so contemporary with the birth of modern electromagnetic theory) is divided into four Subscections (Magnetostatic, Electrostatic, Electrodynamics ed Electrochemistry). Here there are a lot of precious tools like the Ancient spinterometer realized by Francesco Cobres, and a Nobili galvanometer built by Nobili, the inventor of the precision galvanometer.

Complete phonograph with trumpet and carved cylindres, Malfi, © S 1994

The Waves Section is divided into two Subsections (Optic and Acoustic) and has various pieces of great interest like the Phonograph with trumpet and engraved cylinders, still working perfectly, Chladni's figures equipment and the Parabolic reflectors with support.

In this Section, dedicated to general information, it's possible to have information about the virtual museum history and about the tools of the Ancient Physics Lab. Here is explained where the instruments were found, how they were cleaned and dated (through inventories). There are also some biographic notes on the most important personalities in Marco Foscarini history.