Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

10/06/2026

𝙈𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚: 𝙎𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 is an upcoming exhibition to open in our Special Exhibitions Gallery on October 16.
https://tinyurl.com/MOCLExhibit

Curated by Evelynn M. Hammonds, the Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard, the exhibition draws directly from her co-authored book, with Bates College Professor Rebecca Herzing, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘑𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴. Her research highlights how early scientific disciplines, including anthropology and medicine, sought physical justifications for social hierarchies.

The exhibit will be open 11am-4 pm starting on October 16, and ongoing Sunday-Friday (same hours). Don’t miss the free hybrid lecture with Professor Hammonds on November 4. See more details: https://tinyurl.com/RaceintheMachineEvent

09/25/2026

Scientific Instruments with a refreshed gallery, Science Through Its Instruments, open Sundays–Fridays 11:00 am–4:00 pm.

Harvard has been collecting scientific instruments for teaching and research since 1672. As researchers have created new fields and used new tools, we have continued acquiring the artifacts of their work. These objects show some of the ways that faculty and students have taught, studied, and extended science at Harvard. The history of science education, practice, and discovery at Harvard is on display at the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. We care for over 25,000 objects from a broad range of scientific disciplines. We invite you to come explore these instruments and their stories. https://tinyurl.com/NewPutnam

08/24/2026

With clearing skies starting off the week, New Englanders may be able to view the partial lunar eclipse Thursday night into early Friday. Here's how to see it. https://trib.al/TJU0rCS

07/22/2026

It's been a stormy Spring and Summer in New England. Did Harvard students know how to keep buildings safe from lightning in 1776? This thunder house, on view in the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Putnam Gallery, was a demonstration device to show the effectiveness of lightning rods in preserving buildings from lightning strikes.

Find out more about what Harvard students may have known in the year of America’s newfound Independence with the Pop Quiz: 1776 scavenger hunt, available at our visitor desks. Find all of the things and stop by the Shop at the Harvard Museum of Natural History for a small prize!

#1776

07/16/2026

✨ In a major astronomy milestone, scientists have detected the first atmosphere on a habitable-zone rocky world. It's the strongest evidence yet for other planets that could support life.

Collin Cherubim, who just earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University and is affiliated with the Center for Astrophysics l Harvard & Smithsonian, let the study.

The atmosphere was predicted in orbit of a red dwarf star about 48 light-years away from Earth by astronomer Collin Cherubim's statistical model, and were confirmed by observations from the Magellan Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory.

This first success validates his models and tells us that at least some rocky planets can keep their air for billions of years.

The next step, the authors say, is to find more of them.

Learn more: https://s.si.edu/4pqnSxb

📸 Melissa Weiss/CfA

07/09/2026

The Grand Orrery, c. 1787, is one of the most well-known objects in the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. Created by Joseph Pope, it is a gear-driven, hand-cranked representation of how the first six planets of our solar system revolve around the Sun. It is decorated with figures of Benjamin Franklin, Sir Isaac Newton, and Massachusetts Governor James Bowdoin, cast in brass by Paul Revere.

07/02/2026

Saturday, July 4th marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It can be challenging to imagine what life was like in the 18th century, and what folks may have known about the wider world.

Test your knowledge with “Pop Quiz: 1776,” a new scavenger hunt available at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture visitor desks!

This Cometarium demonstrates that comets move faster near the sun. In 1776, could Harvard students use math to predict when comets would appear? How is the famous Halley's Comet related to this instrument? Find out in our Putnam gallery open Friday, July 3 and Sunday, July 5, 11 am-4 pm.

Once your quiz is complete, loop back to the Shop at the Harvard Museum of Natural History to get your custom sticker!

06/11/2026

Celebrate the beginning of summer, Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈, and Father’s Day at our annual FREE Summer Solstice Celebration!

Enjoy Pride-themed activities like a dance party, street chalking, and temporary tattoos. The Revels will present lively music, dance performances, and lead the Procession of the Sun! ☀️Visitors will also be able to observe science demos, make a signature flower crown, and more. 🌼

See here for more details on parking, giveaways, exhibitions, and food offerings: https://tinyurl.com/HMSCSolstice2026


𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 & 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮. 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 © 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘰.

06/11/2026

A collection of late 18th-century instruments that powered early America are featured in a new exhibit on view at the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. “Revolutionary Technology” is open through 2026.

The show includes a cabinetful of instruments associated with Harvard benefactor Benjamin Franklin. Some objects, like a brass conductor, represent the founding father’s popular experiments with electricity. Symbolizing the innovation that spared countless households from fiery ruin is a miniature profile of a simple wooden cottage topped by a spiky lightning rod — a lifesaving technology introduced by Franklin in 1752. Read more in the Gazette: https://tinyurl.com/RevTechGazette

Exhibit at Harvard's Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments showcases the tools that powered Revolutionary America.

05/13/2026

Congratulations to Professor Hannah Marcus, faculty director of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, who was awarded a Harvard College Professorship alongside five senior faculty members.

The distinction recognizes tenured faculty for their distinguished contributions to undergraduate teaching. Read more about Hannah’s story, research, and teaching.

Five senior faculty members have been awarded Harvard College professorships for excellence in undergraduate teaching and for helping students “develop their intellectual passions.” Hopi Hoekstra, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, announced the recipients at the May 5 Mee...