Learning from Fake Antique Scientific Instruments

Abstract

In 1956, historian of science Derek J. Price made the first published announcement that antique scientific instruments were being faked, based on work at the University of Cambridge’s Whipple Museum of the History of Science. Price found that five fake instruments in the Whipple could be linked to similar suspect objects in a range of important collections across Europe and the United States, all traceable to a single source: the dealership Frederik Muller & Co., under the direction of Anton Mensing. This chapter describes recent work at the Whipple Museum that seeks to expand on Price’s identification of the »Mensing fakes«. It argues that if provenances beyond Mensing are considered then it becomes clear that the problem of fake antique scientific instruments may be more widespread than previously thought. New forgeries are identified and their links with a suspect London dealer are explored. This work, it is argued, remains crucial in helping us better understand the history of major instrument collections and the problem of authenticity.