National Museum of American History
Heliostat
Gambey, Henri Prudence · ca 1830
A heliostat throws sunlight where it might be used for photography or scientific observations. This example has one glass mirror 9.5 cm in diameter, a clockwork mechanism, and a tripod base with leveling screws. The “Gambey à Paris” inscription refers to Henri-Prudence Gambey, a mathematical instrument maker who won a gold medal at the Paris exhibition of 1823 for his heliostat of new construction.
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