Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL

Research & Collections

Historic Scientific Instruments Collection: A Selection

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Armillary Spheres

Astrolabes

Celestial Globes

The Dearborn Telescope

The Mensing Collection

Navigational Instruments

Orreries

Sundials

Surveying Instruments

Telescopes

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The Mensing Collection

The Mensing collection is the heart of the Adler's Antique Instrument Collection. Its core was assembled by Raoul Heilbronner, a German dealer in Paris around the beginning of the twentieth century. When war broke out in 1914, Heilbronner hurriedly returned to Germany. His collection was confiscated by the French government and sold to Antoine W. M. Mensing. Mensing added a number of other items to the collection and in due course sold the entire instrument collection to Max Adler.

Plate 1 from the 1924 catalog of the Mensing Collection. This old photograph shows some of the armillary spheres, sundials, astrolabes, and telescopes purchased by Max Adler and donated to the Adler Planetarium at its founding in 1930.


		Research & Collections Historic Scientific Instruments Collection: A Selection Back to the Collections main page Armillary Spheres Astrolabes Celestial Globes The Dearborn Telescope The Mensing Collection Navigational Instruments Orreries Sundials Surveying Instruments Telescopes Search our Collections Database The Mensing Collection The Mensing collection is the heart of the Adler's Antique Instrument Collection. Its core was assembled by Raoul Heilbronner, a German dealer in Paris around the beginning of the twentieth century. When war broke out in 1914, Heilbronner hurriedly returned to Germany. His collection was confiscated by the French government and sold to Antoine W. M. Mensing. Mensing added a number of other items to the collection and in due course sold the entire instrument collection to Max Adler. Plate 1 from the 1924 catalog of the Mensing Collection. This old photograph shows some of the armillary spheres, sundials, astrolabes, and telescopes purchased by Max Adler and donated to the Adler Planetarium at its founding in 1930.