Bern Dibner
Encyclopedia
Bern Dibner was an electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian of science and technology.
Dibner was born near Kiev
, Ukraine
in 1897. He moved to the United States
with his family at the age of 7. In 1921, he graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Soon after graduating, he designed and patented the first solderless electrical connectors and founded the Burndy Engineering Company
in 1924. The company later became the Burndy Corporation and was bought by the French corporation Framatome Connectors International (FCI) in 1988. In 2009, Burndy was acquired and became a subsidiary of Hubbell Incorporated. Dibner died at his home in Wilton, Connecticut
on January 6, 1988.
In addition to electrical engineering, Dibner studied the history of technology. He was an avid collector of original scientific works and of books on the history of science, as well as thousands of portraits of various scientists.
Bern Dibner also wrote a great number of books on the history of science, such as The Atlantic Cable in 1955. In 1976 he was awarded the Sarton Medal
by the History of Science Society
.
Dibner, who was fascinated by both art and technology, found great pleasure in studying Leonardo da Vinci
. This interest led him to obtain a small library of works about da Vinci which grew over the years as Dibner's interests expanded into the history of electricity
, the history of Renaissance
technology, and finally the history of science and technology
in general. His collection continued to grow, and in 1941 he formally set up the Burndy Library
as a separate institution "to advance scholarship in the history of science." By 1964, the Burndy Library collection totaled over 40,000 volumes and Dibner opened a new building in Norwalk, Connecticut
, to house the Library.
In 1974, Bern Dibner donated one-quarter of the Burndy Library's then holdings to the Smithsonian Institution
to form the nucleus of a research library in the history of science and technology, to be located in the decade-old National Museum of History and Technology (now called The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center
). In 1976, the Smithsonian's Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology was established, providing the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
with its first rare book collection, containing many of the major works dating from the fifteenth to the early nineteenth centuries in the history of science and technology including engineering, transportation, chemistry, mathematics, physics, electricity and astronomy. The Dibner Library, now numbering 35,000 volumes, was reopened after construction in spring 2010, and is located in the National Museum of American History
on the National Mall
in Washington DC. The Smithsonian Institution Libraries have cataloged the books and manuscripts of the Dibner Library and entered the records into the international database OCLC
and the Smithsonian's own online catalog, SIRIS.
After Bern Dibner's death in 1988, the Burndy Library moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts
in 1992, where it became the research library for the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. In November 2006, the complete Burndy Library collection, by then consisting of 67,000 rare volumes and a collection of scientific instruments, was donated to and became part of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California
, where it is available to scholars. The Huntington Library now offers a Dibner History of Science Program to fund fellowships, a lecture series and annual conference.
The "Burndy" appellation, used for both his company and library, was invented by Dibner himself and represents a portmanteau or blend of his first and last names.
Dibner was born near Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in 1897. He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his family at the age of 7. In 1921, he graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
Polytechnic University of New York
The Polytechnic Institute of New York University, often referred to as Polytechnic Institute of NYU, NYU Polytechnic, or NYU-Poly, is the engineering and applied sciences affiliate of New York University...
with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Soon after graduating, he designed and patented the first solderless electrical connectors and founded the Burndy Engineering Company
BURNDY
Burndy LLC is a manufacturer of connectors, fittings and tools for electrical utilities, commercial, industrial, and maintenance companies. The company, headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, has approximately 1,200 employees and operates three manufacturing facilities in the Northeastern...
in 1924. The company later became the Burndy Corporation and was bought by the French corporation Framatome Connectors International (FCI) in 1988. In 2009, Burndy was acquired and became a subsidiary of Hubbell Incorporated. Dibner died at his home in Wilton, Connecticut
Wilton, Connecticut
Wilton is a town nestled in the Norwalk River Valley in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It is located in Fairfield County. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 18,062. In 2007, it was voted as one of CNN Money's "Best Places to Live" in the United States.Located along...
on January 6, 1988.
In addition to electrical engineering, Dibner studied the history of technology. He was an avid collector of original scientific works and of books on the history of science, as well as thousands of portraits of various scientists.
Bern Dibner also wrote a great number of books on the history of science, such as The Atlantic Cable in 1955. In 1976 he was awarded the Sarton Medal
George Sarton Medal
The George Sarton Medal is the most prestigious award given by the History of Science Society. It has been awarded annually since 1955. It is awarded to an historian of science from the international community who became distinguished for "a lifetime of scholarly achievement" in the field...
by the History of Science Society
History of Science Society
The History of Science Society is the primary professional society for the academic study of the history of science.It was founded in 1924 by George Sarton and Lawrence Joseph Henderson, primarily to support the publication of Isis, a journal of the history of science Sarton had started in 1912....
.
Dibner, who was fascinated by both art and technology, found great pleasure in studying Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. This interest led him to obtain a small library of works about da Vinci which grew over the years as Dibner's interests expanded into the history of electricity
History of electricity
The history of electromagnetism dates back over several thousand years. In the history of electromagnetic theory, the ancients would have been acquainted with the effects of atmospheric electricity, in particular lightning as thunderstorms in most southern latitudes are common, and they also knew...
, the history of Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
technology, and finally the history of science and technology
History of science and technology
The history of science and technology is a field of history which examines how humanity's understanding of the natural world and ability to manipulate it have changed over the centuries...
in general. His collection continued to grow, and in 1941 he formally set up the Burndy Library
Burndy Library
The Burndy Library, founded in 1941 by electrical engineer, industrialist, and historian Bern Dibner, is one of the world's largest libraries of books on the history of science and technology. The holdings include important scientific literature from antiquity to the 20th century...
as a separate institution "to advance scholarship in the history of science." By 1964, the Burndy Library collection totaled over 40,000 volumes and Dibner opened a new building in Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, to house the Library.
In 1974, Bern Dibner donated one-quarter of the Burndy Library's then holdings to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
to form the nucleus of a research library in the history of science and technology, to be located in the decade-old National Museum of History and Technology (now called The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
). In 1976, the Smithsonian's Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology was established, providing the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Smithsonian Institution Libraries
The Smithsonian Institution Libraries system comprises 20 libraries serving the various Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers. SIL's holdings include 1.5 million volumes as well as a wide array of digital resources. The collections focus primarily on science, art, history and...
with its first rare book collection, containing many of the major works dating from the fifteenth to the early nineteenth centuries in the history of science and technology including engineering, transportation, chemistry, mathematics, physics, electricity and astronomy. The Dibner Library, now numbering 35,000 volumes, was reopened after construction in spring 2010, and is located in the National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington DC. The Smithsonian Institution Libraries have cataloged the books and manuscripts of the Dibner Library and entered the records into the international database OCLC
OCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
and the Smithsonian's own online catalog, SIRIS.
After Bern Dibner's death in 1988, the Burndy Library moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
in 1992, where it became the research library for the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology
The Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology was a research institute established at MIT, and housed in a renovated building on campus at 38 Memorial Drive, overlooking the Charles River....
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. In November 2006, the complete Burndy Library collection, by then consisting of 67,000 rare volumes and a collection of scientific instruments, was donated to and became part of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California
San Marino, California
San Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...
, where it is available to scholars. The Huntington Library now offers a Dibner History of Science Program to fund fellowships, a lecture series and annual conference.
The "Burndy" appellation, used for both his company and library, was invented by Dibner himself and represents a portmanteau or blend of his first and last names.
Works
- The Atlantic Cable (1955)
- Oersted and the discovery of electromagnetism, New York, Blaisdell (1962).
- The Victoria and the Triton (1962)
External links
- Biography of Bern Dibner at MIT
- Biography of Bern Dibner at American Scientist
- The Dibner Library Portrait Collection online at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...