"Sir Francis Bacon was hugely enthusiast about instruments and the fact that they allowed the man to design new experiments. Bacon considered instruments to be both a method and a tool.
"Neither the naked hand nor the understanding left to itself can effect much. It is by instruments and helps that the work is done, which are as much wanted for the understanding as for the hand. As the instruments of the hand either give motion or guide it, so the instruments of the mind supply either suggestions for the understanding or cautions." (Sir Francis Bacon)"
Experiments are a way to investigate Nature's behaviour.
"An experiment is a question science poses to Nature and a measurement is the recording of Nature's answer" (Max Planck)
This website will help you to understand how each instrument works and what type of questions "it asks to Nature". You can also find news about the history of the instrument and the oldest samples preserved in the world. Finally, you can find curiosity about the instrument in the popular mass culture.