Inside Harvard’s Science Center in Cambridge, the Putnam Gallery displays historic instruments used to study and measure the world. The compact collection spans surveying, timekeeping, acoustics and planetary motion, with objects that trace a path from early scientific tools to electronics used for cyclotron control. Look for Galileo’s geometric sector and clocks showing changes in timekeeping. Admission is free, and the room is a focused stop for anyone curious about how scientific observation and measurement developed.
A collection built over centuries
Harvard has collected scientific instruments for teaching and research since 1672. The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments was established in 1948 to preserve and care for objects connected to the university’s history of science teaching and research. Its holdings include more than 20,000 objects, dating from about 1400 to the present.
The Putnam Gallery presents a selection from that larger collection. Its objects come from many fields, including astronomy, navigation, surveying, geology, calculation, physics, biology, medicine, psychology, electricity and communication. This range gives the gallery a wider scope than its compact display might suggest.
Instruments for measuring and observing
The exhibits bring together tools made for different kinds of scientific work. Surveying instruments and timepieces sit within a collection that also covers acoustics and the movement of planets. A geometric sector designed by Galileo is one object to seek out. Clocks help show how modern timekeeping developed.
The displays also connect early instruments with later technology. Among the objects are electronics used for cyclotron control, as well as old computers. Together, these items show how the equipment used in scientific teaching and research changed across the collection’s long span.
Finding your way around the gallery
The gallery is inside Harvard’s Science Center, at 1 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Look for its sign upstairs; the entrance can be difficult to spot while walking through the building. The exhibition occupies a small room, so a visit is a manageable addition to time on the Harvard campus.
Admission is free. The gallery is closed on Saturdays, and the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture also hold rotating exhibitions and gallery talks. You can add the Harvard Museum of Natural History or the Peabody Museum to your campus visit.
Perguntas frequentes
Is the Putnam Gallery free?
Yes. Admission is free.
Where is the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments?
It is in the Science Center at Harvard University, 1 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Look for the gallery sign upstairs.
How long do you need at the gallery?
Plan for about an hour to explore the collection.
Is the Putnam Gallery open on Saturdays?
No. The museum is closed on Saturdays.
