The Scientific Instrument Society (SIS) was formed in April 1983 to bring together people with a specialist interest in scientific instruments, ranging from precious antiques to electronic devices only recently out of production.

Collectors, the antiques trade, museum staff, professional historians and amateur enthusiasts will all find the varied activities of the Society suited to their tastes. We have a truly international membership offering those who join the chance to link up with instrument devotees across the world.

Promoting the Society is a Piece of Cake!

Visitors to the 44th Scientific Instrument Fair found it a sweeter tasting event than they might have expected, but fortunately no one bit off more than he or she could chew. We cut a celebratory cake to mark our 25th anniversary. Whether you wanted a small piece or a large piece we cut it with scientific precision, and everyone agreed that it went down well. Indeed, when our Chairman said 'Let them eat cake' far from provoking revolution it proved a most popular remark with the assembled mob. This first picture shows a detail of the cake. To see it in its full glory, complete with printed images of scientific instruments, click on the thumbnail and a larger picture will magically appear.

The second picture shows our committee member (and chief procurer of cakes) Marcus Cavalier keeping an eye on our book sales. Note the plush new Society banner that also enjoyed its first airing at this event.
 

25th Anniversary Members' Special Loan Exhibition

To celebrate our 25th anniversary it is proposed that there should be an exhibition of Members' own instruments, to be held at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford from 19 August to 26 October 2008.

We will use three exhibition cases in the entrance gallery and the remainder of the objects will be placed within the permanent displays throughout the Museum. The message is that serious collecting can complement and enhance museum work and display. Our novel approach will create a unique event in the world of scientific instruments.

Members are invited to submit suggestions for exhibits and will be encouraged to provide text for special labels. In emphasising the role of the collector, it will be particularly appropriate to communicate the personal significance and the story of each instrument. Contributions need not be exclusively instrumental, and associated material such as ephemera is very welcome: the more broad-ranging the better!

To get involved please see the details and expression of interest form on the MHS website.

Dutch Conference 6-9 May 2008

The Society's visit to the Netherlands in 1991, on the occasion of the re-opening of the Museum Boerhaave, the Dutch National Museum of the History of Science and Medicine, is fully reported in the SIS Bulletin number 29. This second visit, planned for 6-9 May 2008, will by no means be a carbon copy of the first. For example, as the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam is closed for refurbishment, we will visit its Rotterdam counterpart, which gives us a chance to include the nearby Unesco Heritage site of the Kinderdijk windmills. We will also travel to the rural north to see the truly unique 18th-century Eise Esinga Planetarium, the oldest working planetarium in the world.

Update: 2 April 2008: A new demonstration session by Nicolas de Hilster has been added to the programme. The deadline for bookings has now passed and we expect 42 delegates to participate in what promises to be a varied, informative and entertaining programme.

For details of the conference, including the newly added session, see the programme page. There are still some places left for the separate visit on Saturday 10 May to Ede for a demonstration of instruments designed and made by Tatja van Vark. If any members not otherwise attending the conference are interested in this particular visit, please contact the Meetings Secretary, Peter de Clercq. It has been decided to focus the presentation on the Antikythera Mechanism and Hypothetical Planetarium. For more information see the updated Craftsmanship Museum Website

For any enquiries relating to the conference please contact the Executive Officer,

All the Fun of the Fair

Come and visit the SIS stand at the Scientific, Early Technology and Medical Instruments Fair held twice a year in London. This fair was founded by SIS member Peter Delehar and is now run by our member Matthew Nunn. At our stand you can meet committee members, join the SIS, purchase a Society tie/badge or Society publications including available back numbers of the Bulletin.

The 45th International Antique Scientific & Medical Instrument Fair will be held on Sunday 2nd November 2008, 10am-3pm, at the Thistle Marble Arch hotel.

For more details keep an eye on our Dealers Page where the information will be updated as soon as we have it.

President's Badge

In March 2007 the Society was delighted to unveil the new President's badge. Designed to be handed on as a distinguished mark of office the badge was presented to its first custodian, Paolo Brenni, during the Society's conference in Florence. The badge is gold plate on silver with a plain reverse and a blue collar. It was commissioned from the distinguished medal makers Thomas Fattorini of Birmingham. The company was founded in 1827 by Antonio Fattorini, an Italian-speaking immigrant who settled in Yorkshire where he established a number of retail outlets specialising in jewellery, watches and fancy goods including barometers. In the late 19th century the company established a badges, medals and insignia factory in Birmingham. The present works has been operational since 1927.

Click here to see a picture of Paolo resplendent in his new regalia