Cary Spectrophotometers, circa 1964

In 1964, the Cary 14 UV/Vis/NIR was the best spectrophotometer available then and many will argue best even today. Several thousand Cary 14s and years later the optically equivalent Cary 17 were sold. Among the very earliest requests from OLIS clients was the computerization of these superb instruments. Forty years later, you will find we continue to utilize these prism-grating monochromators in modern absorbance, fluorescence, CD, and CPL spectrophotometers.

All products in the OLIS product line with a numeral 14, 17, or 172 employ the monochromator and chassis base of a Cary 14 or 17.

Adjusted for inflation, $16,800.00 in 1964 is equal to $139,714 in 2020.  Quality is expensive. And long-lived. No Cary 14/17 needs to be discarded. All should be upcycled.

The Cary 14 was not Howard Cary’s first product. The original dual beam UV/Vis/NIR model was the Cary 11, dating to 1948. The US Smithsonian owns serial number 2. We own serial number 1, gifted to us by Oak Ridge National Laboratories many years ago. Come visit us in Athens, Georgia, and you’ll find this piece of history in our office foyer.