Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Canadian Dental Collection
Category
Diagnostic & Treatment Artifacts
Classification
Dental
Accession Number
010020055
Description
Foot-operated bellows on three metal legs consists of hollow brown leather triangular wedge with rounded outer edge and flat brown wooden supports at top and bottom; leather sides are secured to wooden supports with strips of brown leather and metal nails; black-enamelled metal foot pedal curving d…
Foot-operated bellows on three metal legs consists of hollow brown leather triangular wedge with rounded outer edge and flat brown wooden supports at top and bottom; leather sides are secured to wooden supports with strips of brown leather and metal nails; black-enamelled metal foot pedal curving down from top wooden support then straightening to become parallel to the ground; bottom support has circular wooden strip, with red rubber disk attached by coiled black wire; brown metal pipe attached to wooden strip to allow air to be let out when bellows is pumped; bellows sits on two black-enamelled metal legs at the curved end, one metal leg at straight end that branches into two legs attached to each corner
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund; previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
Embossed on top: "No. 10 B"; embossed on bottom: "B.D.M.Co. // BUFFALO, N.Y."; carved in wood on top: "BUFFALO DENTAL MFG. CO. // BUFFALO N.Y. // No. 10 B // 4 // 588 // 5 // 09"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0007
0007-T1-3
Dimension Notes
Length 61.0 cm x Width 55.0 cm x Depth 35.9 cm
Condition Remarks
Rubber is hardened, cracking; one part of front metal leg is broken in half, making it unsteady; wood is worn on top; leather is worn but intact; enamel chipping and metal corroding on legs, foot pedal; bellows would usually have mesh covering over rubber disc
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
JPG
Reference Comments
"George Burwell Snow Obituary", Dominion Dental Journal, Vol. 35, No. 4, 1923, p. 156-157; "H.D. Justi's Illustrated Price List of Dental Materials, &c", H.D. Justi, 1888, p. 168 (similar to No. 10 Foot Blower); "Claudius Ash & Sons Co. Ltd Dental Catalogue", Claudius Ash & Sons Co. Ltd, 1923, p. 70 (similar to fig. 3019)
CD #9
Research Facts
Dr Ralph and Mrs Olga Crawford donated their extensive Canadian dental collection to the DCF to create the museum in 1997; further donations were received while Dr Crawford was Curator Emeritus at the Dental Canada Museum until its closure in 2008; bellows were used to power flames used in soldering metals for crown and bridgework into the 20th century; the Buffalo Dental Mfg. Co. was founded in part by Dr. George Burwell Snow, inventor of the Face-Bow and New Century articulator; he was president of the company off and on between 1869 and 1901, when he formed the Snow Dental Co.; a No. 10 B model of this bellows is found in H.D. Justi's 1888 Illustrated Price List, though bellows with similar designs are still found in later years, including in a 1923-24 Claudius Ash & Sons catalogue; manufacturer's stated that by reversing the position of the bellows, this design did away with the risk of mechanical injury to the disc and would keep the valve from picking up dirt from the floor, keeping the bellows cleaner and in better working order