Robert P. Multhauf

Robert P. Multhauf
Robert P. Multhauf was an American historian of science and technology, known for his contributions to the history of chemistry and engineering. He served as the curator of engineering and industries at the Smithsonian Institution and later became its director of the National Museum of History and Technology. His notable works include "Neptune’s Gift: A History of Common Salt" and "The Origins of Chemistry." Multhauf's research focused on the intersection of science, industry, and society, exploring how scientific advancements influenced technological progress.

Author's Books:


The development of self-registering meteorological instruments began very shortly after that of scientific meteorological observation itself. Yet it was not until the 1860's, two centuries after the beginning of scientific observation, that the self-registering instrument became a factor in meteorology. This time delay is attributable less to deficiencies in the techniques of instrument-making... more...

Coins are a source of information much used by historians. Elaborately detailed mining landscapes on 16th-century German coins in the National Museum, discovered by the curator of numismatics and brought to the author’s attention, led to this study of early mine-pumping devices. The Author: Robert P. Multhauf is curator of Science and Technology, Museum of History and Technology, in the Smithsonian... more...