The Sanity-Shattering Glass Armonica.

They say this instrument will drive listeners insane.

Insane with beauty, say I. It creates the most haunting tones ever heard.

Invented by Ben Franklin, scientific genius and master aesthete. Used by Franz Mesmer to stimulate trances and unusual mental states.

Don’t miss the opportunity to browse some of the other videos on YouTube.

Read more at the Bakken Library or at Damn Interesting, watch how the things get made and get a feel for the instrument with the Franklin Institute’s virtual armonica you can play with a mouse.

Then you’ll be ready to buy a Finkenbeiner of your own!