Medaljens baksida : Instrumentmakaren Daniel Ekström och hans efterföljare i 1700-talets Sverige

Sammanfattning: This thesis deals with scientific instrument-making in Sweden in the 18th century with an overview of the craft in the second half of the 17th century. The main character in this book, Daniel Ekström is introduced in chapter two. His position within the Swedish scientific community is described and the attempts by the Land Survey Board and the Academy of Sciences to institutionalise his business is discussed. Ekström travelled to England and France and the transfer of technology that followed from this journey is discussed. His followers, Johan Ahl and Johan Zacharias Steinholtz and their work are described. In 1762, Ahl moved to Denmark where the geographical circle, invented by Ekström, became an important technical condition for an ambitious mapping project. In Sweden on the other hand, J. Z. Steinholtz' business ended in bankruptcy. The optical instrument-makers are also described, the most prominent being Carl Lehnberg, who, just like Ekström, became a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences. In the final chapter a few comments on experimental physics and it's influence on Swedish instru-ment-making are given. Though most importantly, the failure of the attempt to establish scientific instrument-making is related to a more general change in how the sciences were regarded in Sweden around 1760.In appendix one, a comparison is made between a reflecting telescope by Ekström and a telescope by James Short. In appendix two, a list is given over Swedish instrument-makers and preserved Swedish scientific instruments. In appendix three, the workshops in Stockholm are displayed on a map.