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Electricity
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Ever since antiquity, people had observed that rubbed amber attracted light objects placed near it. But it was not until 1600 that William Gilbert clearly distinguished between magnetic phenomena, generated by magnets, and electrical phenomena, produced by rubbed substances such as amber and sulfur. Until the early nineteenth century, the study of electricity was confined to electrostatics, which focuses on the phenomena pertaining to the distribution of electrical charges in equilibrium.

Research in this field of experimental physics expanded dramatically from the early eighteenth century onward. The construction of ever more powerful electrostatic machines, the invention of the first condenser (known as the Leyden jar) in 1745, the observation of surprising and spectacular phenomena such as sparks, glow discharges, and vacuum discharges—all these developments helped not only to attract the attention of specialists, but also to arouse the curiosity of the educated classes, for whom electrical experiments were a source of entertainment and wonder. In the eighteenth century, many theories were formulated about the existence of one or more elusive electrical fluids. The closing decades of the century witnessed the invention of increasingly sophisticated instruments such as electroscopes and electrometers, which served to reveal and measure electrical charges. The electrometric researches of Alessandro Volta and the comprehensive study of electrostatic forces by Charles Coulomb paved the way for the definition and mathematical description of the fundamental laws of electrostatics.

Objects
Apparatus demonstrating pointed and ball lightning conductors

Apparatus demonstrating pointed and ball lightning conductors

Inv. 2693
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Aurora flask

Aurora flask

Inv. 423
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Aurora tube

Aurora tube

Inv. 1203
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Bifilar suspension electrometer, Palmieri pattern

Bifilar suspension electrometer, Palmieri pattern

Inv. 1411
G. Caputo, Naples, 1887

Conductor

Conductor

Inv. 2703
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Cylinder electrical machine

Cylinder electrical machine

Inv. 2739
Edward Nairne, London, ca. 1778

Cylinder electrical machine

Cylinder electrical machine

Inv. 392
George Adams junior, London, late 18th cent.

Device for boring glass

Device for boring glass

Inv. 3764
Maker unknown, 19th cent.

Drum electrical machine

Drum electrical machine

Inv. 3408
Maker unknown, ca. 1776

Electric bells

Electric bells

Inv. 3116
Maker unknown, second half 19th cent.

Electric pistol, Volta type

Electric pistol, Volta type

Inv. 897
Maker unknown, ca. 1780

Electric pistol, Volta type

Electric pistol, Volta type

Inv. 898
Maker unknown, ca. 1780

Faraday's net

Faraday's net

Inv. 387
Maker unknown, first half 19th cent.

Globe electrical machine, Nollet type

Globe electrical machine, Nollet type

Inv. 1341, 1342, 2737
Museo di fisica workshops, ca. 1775

Gold-leaf electroscope

Gold-leaf electroscope

Inv. 441
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Henley quadrant electrometer

Henley quadrant electrometer

Inv. 1199
Edward Nairne, London, second half 18th cent.

Kinnersley electrometer

Kinnersley electrometer

Inv. 421
Maker unknown, English?, late 18th cent.

Kundt and Cantoni electrical machine

Kundt and Cantoni electrical machine

Inv. 507
Maker unknown, ca. 1870

Lane electrometer

Lane electrometer

Inv. 543
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Lane electrometer and Leyden jar on insulated support

Lane electrometer and Leyden jar on insulated support

Inv. 1326
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Lane electrometer on Leyden jar

Lane electrometer on Leyden jar

Inv. 446
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Luminous discharge tube

Luminous discharge tube

Inv. 852
Maker unknown, English?, late 18th cent.

Luminous discharge tubes

Luminous discharge tubes

Inv. 850, 851
Maker unknown, English?, late 18th cent.

Modified Carré electrical machine

Modified Carré electrical machine

Dep. LV, Torino
Maker unknown, Turin, ca. 1890

Nairne cylinder electrical machine

Nairne cylinder electrical machine

Inv. 2736
Edward Nairne, London, 1773

Plate electrical machine

Plate electrical machine

Dep. LV, Torino
Maker unknown, early 19th cent.

Plate electrical machine

Plate electrical machine

Inv. 2705
Maker unknown, English?, second half 18th cent.

Plate electrical machine

Plate electrical machine

Inv. 3909
Maker unknown, second quarter 19th cent.

Plate electrical machine

Plate electrical machine

Inv. 3766
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Portable globe electrical machine

Portable globe electrical machine

Inv. 444
Edward Nairne, London, ca. 1770

Portable globe electrical machine

Portable globe electrical machine

Inv. 516
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Portable plate electrical machine

Portable plate electrical machine

Inv. 2686
Maker unknown, ca. 1775

Portable plate electrical machine

Portable plate electrical machine

Inv. 2688
Maker unknown, English?, ca. 1775

Portable plate electrical machine

Portable plate electrical machine

Inv. 2687
Maker unknown, English?, ca. 1775

Portable plate electrical machine

Portable plate electrical machine

Inv. 2689
Maker unknown, English?, ca. 1775

Portable plate electrical machine

Portable plate electrical machine

Inv. 374
Maker unknown, second half 18th cent.

Puffer for Lichtenberg figures

Puffer for Lichtenberg figures

Inv. 1257
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Set of mercury friction tubes

Set of mercury friction tubes

Inv. 3765
Maker unknown, first half 18th cent.

Single gold-leaf electroscope, Bohnenberger type

Single gold-leaf electroscope, Bohnenberger type

Inv. 2691
Carlo Dell'Acqua, ca. 1850

Small cup for inflaming spirits

Small cup for inflaming spirits

Inv. 466
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Spiral conductor

Spiral conductor

Inv. 2692
Gaetano Cari, 1770

Straw electrometer, Volta type

Straw electrometer, Volta type

Inv. 1167
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Straw electrometer, Volta type

Straw electrometer, Volta type

Inv. 1188
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Straw electrometer, Volta type

Straw electrometer, Volta type

Inv. 1197
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Thunder house

Thunder house

Inv. 1164
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Thunder house

Thunder house

Inv. 1252
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Thunder house

Thunder house

Inv. 1545
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Thunder house

Thunder house

Inv. 1253
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Thunder house

Thunder house

Inv. 1211
Maker unknown, late 18th cent. or later

Thunder obelisk

Thunder obelisk

Inv. 1174
Maker unknown, late 18th cent.

Tube Leyden-jar

Tube Leyden-jar

Inv. 2742
Maker unknown, second half 19th cent.

Volta hydrogen lamp

Volta hydrogen lamp

Inv. 1243
Maker unknown, ca. 1790

Volta hydrogen lamp with electrophorus

Volta hydrogen lamp with electrophorus

Inv. 1251
Maker unknown, early 19th cent.

Voltaic detonating-gas eudiometer

Voltaic detonating-gas eudiometer

Inv. 1627
Maker unknown, ca. 1790

Voltaic pistol

Voltaic pistol

Inv. 1244
Nairne & Blunt firm, London, 1778-1793

Winter plate electrical machine

Winter plate electrical machine

Inv. 1526
Museo di fisica workshops, second half 19th cent.