TitleCambridge Fluxmeter, No. C543768Datec 1940s-1950sAbout this objectThis precision instrument was designed to measure changes in magnetic flux, i.e. the variation of a magnetic field passing through a coil or given area. Functioning as a ballistic galvanometer, it detects the brief surge of electric charge induced by changes in surrounding magnetic fields. While fluxmeters were not directly used for signal transmission, they provided measurements essential in calibrating magnets and maintaining magnetic components used in the telecommunications infrastructure in the 20th century.
Cambridge Instrument Co., formerly Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company, originated from a workshop set up by Jamese Stuart, the first Professor of Mechanism and Applied Mechanics at Cambridge. The company was officially established in 1881 by two Cambridge graduates, Horace Darwin and Albert Dew-Smith. Initially focusing on developing instruments for laboratory work at the University, especially in physiology and physics, the company was well-known for manufacturing mechanical, physical and electrical measuring instruments in the 20th century.
The inscription ‘O.T.T’ on the fluxmeter is associated with the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia), whose headquarter was located at 12 Spring Street Sydney during the 1950s and 1960s. This address appears in a hand-written note on the label attached to the object.Object No.99.71CreatorCambridge Instrument Co. LtdInscriptions & marks‘O.T.T’ printed in gold on top and front of black casing; paper label attached to the handle, detailing that it was tested on 25 November 1952; header of the label reads ‘Burall, Wisbech’; serial number C543768 engraved on the underside. DimensionsH: 150 mm
W: 210 mm
D: 190 mmPlace madeLondon and CambridgeMaterialAluminium alloyGlassBrassElectrical componentsPlasticSteelSourceLa Perouse MuseumOn displayYesTypeMuseum objectsOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)ThemesScience and communication
