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Air pump

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probably made in Boston, USA

Air pump
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This air pump was made around 1845, probably by Joseph M. Wightman (1812-85), a scientific instrument maker based in Boston in the United States of America between 1830 and 1861.

The pump has its pistons fixed while the cylinder is worked up and down. It has a stirrup handle and is marked on an ivory plate set into the base 'I M WIGHTMAN / BOSTON'. The glass bell jar (not shown) was placed on the table on top of the instrument.

Wightman did not invent the single-barrelled lever activated air pump, but improved upon it, as he felt that it was the most practical design to use in American schools. These ranged in prices from $37 to $150.

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