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Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
Encyclopedia
The Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology (1992–2006) was a research institute established at MIT, and housed in a renovated building (E56) on campus at 38 Memorial Drive
, overlooking the Charles River
.
At the heart of the Institute was the Burndy Library
on the ground floor, initially containing 37,000 volumes on the history of science and technology
collected by the Dibner Fund. The Library also possessed a large collection of antique scientific instruments, such as astrolabe
s, telescope
s, microscope
s, early spectrometer
s, and a Wimshurst machine
, which were on public display in a dedicated gallery outside the library. Also on display was a large collection of antique incandescent light bulbs, gas discharge tubes, electronic vacuum tube
s, and other early examples of electrical and electronic technology. The Library would mount occasional special exhibits, such as The Afterlife of Immortality: Obelisks Outside Egypt.
Above the Library and display space, on the second and third floor were offices and lecture and seminar rooms. The Institute held regular lectures, seminars, study programs, and an annual symposium in the history of science and technology. Over the period of its existence, the Institute supported over 340 short- and longer-term fellowships.
(1897–1988), who had conceived of it before his death. The Institute was developed and supported by the Dibner Fund he had established in 1957, directed by his son David Dibner. On the academic side, the Institute was supported by a consortium of MIT, Boston University
, Brandeis University
and Harvard University
.
In 1995, the 600-volume Babson Collection of historical material related to Isaac Newton
was placed on permanent deposit with the Burndy Library. The collection had been assembled by Roger Babson
, founder of Babson College
in Wellesley, Massachusetts
, and was previously housed at the College. In 1999, the addition of the 7,000-volume Volterra Collection from Italy increased the Burndy Library collection by more than a third.
In 2004 MIT decided not to renew its affiliation, and the Dibner family began looking for a new location to house the collection. David Dibner died unexpectedly in 2005. The Dibner Institute closed in 2006, and the Burndy Library and associated collections were transferred to The Huntington Library
in San Marino
, California
, which now offers a Dibner History of Science Program to fund fellowships, a lecture series and annual conference. The acquisition of the Burndy Library (by then numbering 67,000 volumes)
transformed the Huntington Library's collection on the history of science and technology into one of the world's largest in that field. The Huntington houses a permanent exhibition, Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World, in the 2800 square feet (260.1 m²) Dibner Hall of the History of Science that displays a small selection from the books and scientific instruments donated by the Dibner family. The status and accessibility of the Burndy collection of antique light bulbs, gas tubes, vacuum tubes, and electronic artifacts is not clear from the Huntington website.
The Dibner Institute's former building was demolished in early 2007 to make way for new buildings for the MIT Sloan School of Management
. The Dibner name remains at MIT, in the endowed Frances and David Dibner Professorship of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing.
Memorial Drive (Cambridge)
Memorial Drive runs along the north bank of the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is designated as U.S. Route 3 or Massachusetts Route 3 for its entire length, and Massachusetts Route 2 over the portion west of the Boston University Bridge....
, overlooking the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
.
At the heart of the Institute was the Burndy Library
Burndy Library
The Burndy Library, founded in 1941 by electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian Bern Dibner, is one of the world's largest libraries of books on the history of science and technology. The holdings include important scientific literature from antiquity to the 20th century...
on the ground floor, initially containing 37,000 volumes on the history of science and technology
History of science and technology
The history of science and technology is a field of history which examines how humanity's understanding of the natural world and ability to manipulate it have changed over the centuries...
collected by the Dibner Fund. The Library also possessed a large collection of antique scientific instruments, such as astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
s, telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
s, microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
s, early spectrometer
Spectrometer
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. The variable measured is most often the light's intensity but could also, for instance, be the polarization...
s, and a Wimshurst machine
Wimshurst machine
The Wimshurst influence machine is an electrostatic generator, a machine for generating high voltages developed between 1880 and 1883 by British inventor James Wimshurst ....
, which were on public display in a dedicated gallery outside the library. Also on display was a large collection of antique incandescent light bulbs, gas discharge tubes, electronic vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s, and other early examples of electrical and electronic technology. The Library would mount occasional special exhibits, such as The Afterlife of Immortality: Obelisks Outside Egypt.
Above the Library and display space, on the second and third floor were offices and lecture and seminar rooms. The Institute held regular lectures, seminars, study programs, and an annual symposium in the history of science and technology. Over the period of its existence, the Institute supported over 340 short- and longer-term fellowships.
History and development
The Institute was named in honor of Bern DibnerBern Dibner
Bern Dibner was an electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian of science and technology.Dibner was born near Kiev, Ukraine in 1897. He moved to the United States with his family at the age of 7. In 1921, he graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn with a degree in Electrical...
(1897–1988), who had conceived of it before his death. The Institute was developed and supported by the Dibner Fund he had established in 1957, directed by his son David Dibner. On the academic side, the Institute was supported by a consortium of MIT, Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
In 1995, the 600-volume Babson Collection of historical material related to Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
was placed on permanent deposit with the Burndy Library. The collection had been assembled by Roger Babson
Roger Babson
Roger Ward Babson , remembered today largely for founding Babson College in Massachusetts, was an entrepreneur and business theorist in the first half of the 20th century...
, founder of Babson College
Babson College
Babson College is a private business school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts near Boston.- History :Babson College was founded by Roger Babson on September 3, 1919, as the Babson Institute. It was renamed "Babson College" in 1969...
in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
, and was previously housed at the College. In 1999, the addition of the 7,000-volume Volterra Collection from Italy increased the Burndy Library collection by more than a third.
In 2004 MIT decided not to renew its affiliation, and the Dibner family began looking for a new location to house the collection. David Dibner died unexpectedly in 2005. The Dibner Institute closed in 2006, and the Burndy Library and associated collections were transferred to The Huntington Library
The Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is an educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington in San Marino, in the San Rafael Hills near Pasadena, California in the United States...
in San Marino
San Marino, California
San Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which now offers a Dibner History of Science Program to fund fellowships, a lecture series and annual conference. The acquisition of the Burndy Library (by then numbering 67,000 volumes)
transformed the Huntington Library's collection on the history of science and technology into one of the world's largest in that field. The Huntington houses a permanent exhibition, Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World, in the 2800 square feet (260.1 m²) Dibner Hall of the History of Science that displays a small selection from the books and scientific instruments donated by the Dibner family. The status and accessibility of the Burndy collection of antique light bulbs, gas tubes, vacuum tubes, and electronic artifacts is not clear from the Huntington website.
The Dibner Institute's former building was demolished in early 2007 to make way for new buildings for the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
. The Dibner name remains at MIT, in the endowed Frances and David Dibner Professorship of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing.
External links
- Legacy stub page at MIT
- Dibner Institute website as of August 31, 2006. Archived by the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
. - Dibner Institute Studies in the History of Science and Technology, MIT PressMIT PressThe MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts .-History:...