Francis Hauksbee and his air pump

Abstract

Francis Hauksbee was active in London between 1699 and 1713. During those years he built scientific instruments, gave public lectures on natural philosophy and worked as a curator of experiments for the Royal Society. His most celebrated instrument is the double-barrelled air pump, which represents the 'state of the art' of eighteenth-century vacuum technology in Britain. Based on original texts and an examination of extant pumps of this design, this article offers a description of the air pump and an account of some of the experiments performed with it. In addition, notes on existing Hauksbee pumps to be found in modern museums and collections are provided.