One of the special displays in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio features the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci.
According to the display:
“Leonardo made practical use of the modern elements in his machines. For him, the machines were manifestations of the power of nature. Yet his designs were often ahead of his time, and few of them were ever built. The machines here are modern constructions. As much as possible, they incorporate materials and methods from Leonardo’s time.”
The machines in the exhibit are based on designs Leonardo recorded in his notebooks. About 6,000 pages—about a fifth of the total number he recorded—survive today. According to the display:
“For most of his life, Leonardo kept notebooks. He recorded ideas and observations about life, work, people, and events—and drawings of all kinds.”
According to the display:
“In Leonardo’s design, a crank rotates a spiral tube that funnels water from the bottom of the tube to the top. He had in mind a variety of uses, from lifting water out of wells to draining marshes and harbors.”
According to the display:
“For Leonardo, the earth was alive, constantly moving and changing. He saw it as the mirror of a human being, with soil as its flesh, rocks as its bones, and springs of water as its blood. For him, all the elements were at play in the earth—it was bathed in air, washing by the sea and rivers, and heated by fire.”
More museum exhibits
Museums 101: Robots (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Humanoid Robots (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Interactive Robots (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Hands-On Science (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Milwaukee Traveler and railroad construction (photo diary)
Museums 101: The Wright Cycle Co. (photo diary)
Museums 101: Ranch and Sawmill (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Miller Lumber Sawmill (Photo Diary)