For sale, a very early example of a Wimshurst Machine in accordance with Wimshurst’s original design.This large example has a mahogany base with scrolled feet and two contra rotating seventeen-inch glass discs. The discs are rotated by means of two turned mahogany wheels with leather bands attached to a spindle on which the discs are attached. By turning the brass and turned mahogany handle, electrostatic charge is collected from the discs via the collecting pins sited at either side and then released between the two brass nodes which are positioned above the machine and are pivoted on two insulated ebonite arms to allow for lengthening or shortening of the spark whilst in demonstration.What differentiates this magnificent machine from later examples is the absence of a set of integral Leyden jars which are ordinarily placed behind the discs to store a build-up of charge prior to the spark release. In similarity to James Winshurst’s original design, the machine was built to wor...