Klett-Summerson Photoelectric Colorimeter

• ca. 1960s
• Manufactured by Klett Manufacturing Company, Inc.
  Made in New York
• 8.5 in. H x 6.125 in. W x 17.75 in. D
  Metal, stainless steel, rubber, glass
• On display in Making Modernity
• Gift of Ocean Optics Inc.
• IG99:07.001

Description

This photoelectric colorimeter was designed by W. H. Summerson of Cornell University and introduced around 1939. The instrument includes an internal galvanometer and potentiometer; this specific model is designed for use in hospitals or clinical laboratories to measure hemoglobin content.

Colorimeters are used to match and measure colors. They rely on psychophysical characteristics like hue or tint, color saturation or purity, and brightness. Photoelectric colorimeters use photocells, color filters, and amplifiers in order to provide precise determinations of color.