urn:taro:utexas.cah.00200 A Guide to the Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer / Multiharmonograph Collection, 1939-1948 and undated Text converted and initial EAD tagging done by Kristy Sorensen on May 14, 2003 Finding aid written in English. Tue Jul 22 15:29:11 CDT 2003 urn:taro:utexas.cah.00200 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (20030505). Descriptive Summary Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer / Multiharmonograph Collection Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer / Multiharmonograph Collection 1939-1948 2 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin This collection of student notes, reports, and photographs documents the mechanical harmonic synthesizer, later known as the mechanical multiharmonograph, an early analog computer. English. Historical Note

The machine was invented and built by S. Leroy Brown, a professor of physics at the University of Texas at Austin, along with machinists L. H. Gruber and Robert Brandt in the late 1930s. It was used by the University through the 1950s, then put in storage and later disassembled for use in other projects.

Scope and Contents

This collection of student notes, reports, and photographs documents the mechanical harmonic synthesizer, later known as the mechanical multiharmonograph, an early analog computer.

These records were collected by the physics department, transferred to the Texas Memorial Museum when the machine was put in storage and later moved to the Archives of American Mathematics at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Forms part of the Archives of American Mathematics.

 Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

 Use Restrictions

The majority of this collection is stored remotely at CDL. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

 Preferred Citation

Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer / Multiharmonograph Collection, 1939-1948 and undated, Archives of American Mathematics, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

 Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Texas Memorial Museum in 1992.

 Index Terms Subjects Brown, S. Leroy, 1881-1966 Wheeler, Lisle L. University of Texas at Austin. Dept. of Physics Analog computers Computers -- History Mathematical instruments Detailed Description of the Collection Student notebooks of L. L. Wheeler, University of Texas at Austin: AAM-MNR/2 Introduction to Higher Algebra, Maxime Bôcher, [contains notes from this book], 1940-1941 AAM-MNR/2 Multiharmonograph, volume two, [contains formulae], 1939-1940 Typed reports: AAM-MNR/2 "Graphical evaluation of Jacobi Polynomials with a Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer," unknown author, undated AAM-MNR/2 "Solution of Non-Linear Simultaneous Equations," Naval Research Laboratory in Physics, University of Texas, undated AAM-MNR/2 "Solution of Two-Dimensional Non-Linear Simultaneous Equations in Polar Coordinates with the aid of a Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer," Naval Research Laboratory in Physics, University of Texas, undated AAM-MNR/2 "The Use of a Mechanical Harmonic Synthesizer to Determine the Characteristics of Non-Dissipative Electric Wave Filters," Naval Research Laboratory in Physics, University of Texas, signed by James M. Sharp, April 1, 1948 AAM-MNR/2 "Simultaneous Equations and Varying Cosine and Sine Arms of Same Harmonic in Regard to k and to akrk," by Lisle L. Wheeler, June 13, 1939 Photographs: 4RM11 Nine black and white prints of the mechanical harmonic synthesizer, undated