Protractors - War
Military operations frequently require surveying and navigational activities. In addition to the tasks described on those pages of this exhibit, early modern military architects used protractors to create designs for fortifications. In the 20th century, protractors were utilized to position artillery pieces. The collections are especially rich in examples from the Felsenthal Instruments Company, a Chicago manufacturer of scientific instruments that was influential from the 1940s to the 1970s.
"Protractors - War" showing 5 items.
Felsenthal A-10 Protractor and Map Coordinator
- Description
- This clear plastic semicircular protractor is divided by ten mils and marked by hundreds from 100 to 3,100 in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. It is also divided by single degrees and marked by tens from 0° to 180° in both directions. Diagonal lines extend some of the measurement markings out to the edges of the rectangle surrounding the protractor. Pinholes are at the origin point and in the upper left and right corners. The interior of the protractor has cutout stencils for a circle, triangle, square, and two oblong shapes. The middle also contains scales placed at right angles to each other. They are divided and marked by hundreds from 1,000 to 2[00]. The scales are labeled: 1:21120.
- The left edge of the rectangular plastic piece is divided by tenths of an inch and marked by ones from 1 to 3. Inside the 3-inch ruler is a scale for mils divided by hundreds and marked by thousands from 5,000 to 1,000. The scale continues on the top of the rectangle, again divided by hundreds and marked by thousands from 5,000 to 1,000. The scale is labeled: 1:62500. On the right side of the top is a scale labeled: 1:20,000. It is divided and marked by hundreds from 1,000 to 2[00]. This scale also repeats on the right side of the rectangle. On the right edge of the rectangle, there is a scale divided by millimeters and marked by ones from 1 to 7. It is labeled: METRIC.
- The bottom of the protractor bears a scale divided by hundreds and marked by thousands from 1,000 to 8,000. It is labeled: 1:62500. The bottom edge has a second scale, divided by hundreds and marked by five hundreds from 500 to 3,000. It is labeled: 1:21120. The name of the instrument is printed on the very bottom edge: MAP COORDINATOR AND PROTRACTOR - A-10. Donor Ben Rau dated the object to 1942.
- See also 1977.1141.01, 1977.1141.02, 1977.1141.03, 1977.1141.05, 1977.1141.08, 1977.1141.09, 1977.1141.10, 1977.1141.11, 1977.1141.12, 1977.1141.18, 1977.1141.19, 1977.1141.20, 1977.1141.22, 1977.1141.23, 1977.1141.24, 1977.1141.30, and 1977.1141.39.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date attributed by donor
- 1942
- maker
- Felsenthal
- ID Number
- 1977.1141.21
- accession number
- 1977.1141
- catalog number
- 336405
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Felsenthal FAE-18 Artillery Protractor
- Description
- This clear plastic semicircular protractor is divided to ten mils and marked by hundreds from 100 to 3,100 and from 3,300 to 6,300. The bottom edge is divided by quarter-yards and marked by ones from 0 to 26. There is a vernier to the left of the divisions, and the scale is given as 1:10,000. Inside the divisions is a second ruler, divided by two yards and marked by twos from -2 to 52. The scale is given as 1:20,000.
- A rectangular slot inside these rulers is divided by half-inches and marked by ones from 0 to 7. A vernier is to the left of this ruler. The upper interior of the protractor contains two scales forming a right-angled point. There are ten divisions between each unit on the scales. The outer markings are by ones from 0 to 10 and are labeled: YARDS 1:20,000. The inner markings are by twos from 2 to 20; they are labeled: YARDS 1:40,000.
- The interior of the protractor also bears several marks: U.S. (/) W = (R X M)/1000; M = (W X 1000)/R. The maker's mark is toward the right side: FSN 6675-641-5711 (/) G. FELSENTHAL & SONS, INC. (/) CHICAGO 18, ILL. (/) FAE-18.
- Donor Ben Rau identified the object as a machine gun protractor and dated it to 1945. It was manufactured for the U.S. Army.
- See also 1977.1141.01, 1977.1141.02, 1977.1141.03, 1977.1141.05, 1977.1141.08, 1977.1141.09, 1977.1141.10, 1977.1141.11, 1977.1141.12, 1977.1141.18, 1977.1141.19, 1977.1141.20, 1977.1141.21, 1977.1141.22, 1977.1141.23, 1977.1141.30, and 1977.1141.39.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date attributed by donor
- 1945
- date made
- ca 1945
- maker
- G. Felsenthal & Sons, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1977.1141.24
- accession number
- 1977.1141
- catalog number
- 336408
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Felsenthal Artillery Protractor
- Description
- This clear plastic semicircular protractor is divided by tens and marked by hundreds from 100 to 3,100 mils and from 3,300 to 6,300 mils. Mils are units used in artillery and other military applications; 1,000 mils is equivalent to 56.25°. A pinhole is at the origin point. The bottom edge of the protractor is divided by hundreds and marked by five hundreds from 0 to 8,000 yards. A small vernier appears to the left of the scale, and the scale is labeled: 1/20,000.
- The interior of the protractor has a semicircular opening with a groove parallel to the origin point. Below the opening is a maker's mark: 16 INCH (/) G. FELSENTHAL & SONS, INC. (/) -CHICAGO-. The letters U.S. are printed above the origin point. Donor Ben Rau, who worked for Felsenthal, dated the object to 1942. The form of the maker's name indicates it was probably manufactured for the U.S. Army in the 1950s.
- This protractor is very similar to 1977.1141.11, although the scale for plotting the distance of fired artillery is in yards rather than in meters.
- See also 1977.1141.01, 1977.1141.02, 1977.1141.03, 1977.1141.05, 1977.1141.08, 1977.1141.09, 1977.1141.10, 1977.1141.12, 1977.1141.19, 1977.1141.20, 1977.1141.21, 1977.1141.22, 1977.1141.23, 1977.1141.24, 1977.1141.30, and 1977.1141.39.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date attributed by donor
- 1942
- date made
- 1950s
- maker
- G. Felsenthal & Sons, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1977.1141.18
- accession number
- 1977.1141
- catalog number
- 336402
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Felsenthal FAE-8 Artillery Protractor
- Description
- This clear plastic semicircular protractor is divided by tens and marked by hundreds from 100 to 3,100 mils and from 3,300 to 6,300 mils. Mils are units used in artillery and other military applications; 1,000 mils is equivalent to 56.25°. A pinhole is at the origin point. The bottom edge of the protractor is divided by hundreds and marked by thousands from 7,000 to 0. A vernier appears to the right of the scale. The scale is labeled: 1/25,000. Superimposed on the scale is a second scale, divided by two hundreds and marked (in red) by two thousands from 0 to 14,000. A vernier appears to the left of that scale, which is labeled (in red): 1/50,000 YARDS.
- The interior of the protractor has a semicircular opening with a groove parallel to the origin point. Below the opening is a maker's mark: 16 INCH (/) G. FELSENTHAL & SONS, INC. (/) -CHICAGO- (/) FAE-8. The letters U.S. are printed above the origin point. Donor Ben Rau dated the object to 1945, but the form of the signature indicates the protractor may not have been manufactured for the U.S. Army until the 1950s.
- This protractor is very similar to 1977.1141.12, although the scale for plotting the distance of fired artillery is in yards rather than in meters. The red ink on this instrument is particularly vibrant. See also 1977.1141.01, 1977.1141.02, 1977.1141.03, 1977.1141.05, 1977.1141.08, 1977.1141.09, 1977.1141.10, 1977.1141.11, 1977.1141.18, 1977.1141.20, 1977.1141.21, 1977.1141.22, 1977.1141.23, 1977.1141.24, 1977.1141.30, and 1977.1141.39.
- Reference: Deborah J. Warner, “Browse by Maker: Felsenthal,” National Museum of American History Physical Sciences Collection: Navigation, http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/navigation/maker.cfm?makerid=173.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date attributed by donor
- 1945
- date made
- 1950s
- maker
- G. Felsenthal & Sons, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1977.1141.19
- accession number
- 1977.1141
- catalog number
- 336403
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Felsenthal FAE-21Artillery Protractor
- Description
- This clear plastic semicircular protractor is divided by tens and marked by hundreds from 100 to 3,100 mils and from 3,300 to 6,300 mils. Mils are units used in artillery and other military applications; 1,000 mils is equivalent to 56.25°. A pinhole is at the origin point. The bottom edge of the protractor is divided by hundreds and marked by five hundreds from 0 to 7,000. A small vernier appears to the left of the scale, and the scale is labeled: 1/25,000 METERS.
- The interior of the protractor has a semicircular opening with a groove parallel to the origin point. Below the opening is a maker's mark: 12 INCH (/) G. FELSENTHAL & SONS, INC. (/) FAE-21. Donor Ben Rau dated the object to 1945, but the form of the signature indicates the protractor was probably manufactured for the U.S. Army in the 1950s.
- This protractor is very similar to 1977.1141.11. See also 1977.1141.01, 1977.1141.02, 1977.1141.03, 1977.1141.05, 1977.1141.08, 1977.1141.09, 1977.1141.10, 1977.1141.12, 1977.1141.19, 1977.1141.20, 1977.1141.21, 1977.1141.22, 1977.1141.23, 1977.1141.24, 1977.1141.30, and 1977.1141.39.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date attributed by donor
- 1945
- date made
- 1960s
- maker
- G. Felsenthal & Sons, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1977.1141.22
- accession number
- 1977.1141
- catalog number
- 336406
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center