Mundomotorium.

Various types of precious wood (mahogany, cherry, pear) and metal (brass, cast and wrought iron), printed and painted paper (minor signs of use).

Mod. custom mahogany chest (35 x 95 x 26 cm) with brass handles. Excellent condition.

In May 1854 Willem Gleuns Jr. (1808-1881), a mathematics and physics teacher from Groningen, and Hendrik Deutgen (1816-1887), a laboratory assistant at Groningen University, applied for a recommendation from the Dutch Minister of the Interior for their "Mundomotorium". Combining several astronomical instruments in one, the Mundomotorium includes the functions of a tellurion (movement of the earth), lunarium (moon), planetarium (planets and stars), and cometarium (comets). This didactic appliance was designed to be used in astronomy lessons at secondary schools. Despite the ingenuity of this curious instrument, it was not generally recommended for the Dutch education system and thus never produced on a large scale. This is the only recorded surviving specimen and most likely unique. The instrument and accompanying manual (Willem Gleuns Jr., Het mundomotorium. Beschrijving en gebruik van een toestel, geschikt om de bewegingen der hemellichamen, en de daardoor ontstaande verschijnselen, aanschouwelijk voor te stellen. Groningen, J. Oomkens, 1854) were only discovered a few decades ago in the attic of a secondary school in Hengelo (Overijssel). A unique object and the most important instrument from the renowned Kamphuis collection. With several binders holding documentation. Information and photos of the different set-ups of the instrument are available on request.
Ref. Worldcat 64505225. - H. van den Broek & B. Kamphuis, "Het Mundomotorium van Willem Gleuns en Hendrik Deutgen", Studium 10 (2017) 2, pp. 93-105. - M. De Moor, "Natuurkundige instrumenten", Vind Magazine 55 (2024), pp. 194-201.
Prov. De Bataafse Kamp, secondary school in Hengelo (Overijssel). - Ben Kamphuis (b. 1946), Dutch collector of historic scientific instruments. - Arnhem, Derksen, 19.11.2024, Kamphuis collection, lot 500.
Videos: Report on the Mundomotorium, Atlas van Ooit, 2022 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7pZtvN4LSk). - Interview with Ben Kamphuis on his collection, RTV Oost, 2024 (www.oost.nl/nieuws/2522163/78-jarige-ben-kamphuis-neemt-afscheid-van-unieke-verzameling-het-was-een-moeilijk-besluit).