Science & Mathematics

The Museum's collections hold thousands of objects related to chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. Instruments range from early American telescopes to lasers. Rare glassware and other artifacts from the laboratory of Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, are among the scientific treasures here. A Gilbert chemistry set of about 1937 and other objects testify to the pleasures of amateur science. Artifacts also help illuminate the social and political history of biology and the roles of women and minorities in science.

The mathematics collection holds artifacts from slide rules and flash cards to code-breaking equipment. More than 1,000 models demonstrate some of the problems and principles of mathematics, and 80 abstract paintings by illustrator and cartoonist Crockett Johnson show his visual interpretations of mathematical theorems.

This folding case has a wooden base with two cardboard flaps. It is covered with black imitation leather and lined with purple velvet. The case fastens with two snaps marked with the trademark for the Eugene Dietzgen Company. The insides of the snaps are marked: P R Y M (/) 4H.
Description
This folding case has a wooden base with two cardboard flaps. It is covered with black imitation leather and lined with purple velvet. The case fastens with two snaps marked with the trademark for the Eugene Dietzgen Company. The insides of the snaps are marked: P R Y M (/) 4H. The front flap is marked: 1252 PJL. The back of the case is marked: GERMANY (/) U.S. ZONE. Inside the top flap is marked: DIETZGEN (/) POLITEK. The set of instruments appears to be original and complete and includes:
1) 6-3/4" fixed-leg needle-point dividers, marked: DIETZGEN GERMANY.
2) 6-3/8" bow pencil with pen point attachment. One leg is marked: DIETZGEN GERMANY.
3) 5" bow pencil with pen point attachment. One leg is marked: DIETZGEN GERMANY. A 6-1/2" extension bar permits this instrument to function as a beam compass.
4) 5-1/2" black plastic and steel drawing pen marked: DIETZGEN GERMANY. The adjusting screw is numbered by twos from 0 to 8.
5) 3-1/16" black plastic and steel pen handle.
6) 2-1/2" blue screwdriver with German silver handle.
7) 1-1/16" black metal joint tightener.
8) 5/16" German silver thumbtack.
Except as noted, the instruments may be made of a chromium-plated hard alloy. The reference to the American occupation zone after World War II dates this set to between 1945 and 1955. Neither the Politek brand nor model number were mentioned in Dietzgen's 1949 catalog. The Extens-o-Leg compass attachment was advertised in a 1953–1954 catalog for schools, further suggesting that the set was not manufactured until after 1950.
References: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 16th ed. (Chicago, 1949); Dietzgen School Catalog (Chicago, 1953–1954), 12.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950-1955
distributor
Eugene Dietzgen Company
ID Number
1989.0305.03
catalog number
1989.0305.03
accession number
1989.0305
This wooden bar-lock case is covered with black leather and lined with dark blue velvet. The top is marked: Präcision (/) D. P. (/) E. O. Richter & Co. Between the letters D and P is the Richter trademark of a backwards E, O, and R, superimposed on each other.
Description
This wooden bar-lock case is covered with black leather and lined with dark blue velvet. The top is marked: Präcision (/) D. P. (/) E. O. Richter & Co. Between the letters D and P is the Richter trademark of a backwards E, O, and R, superimposed on each other. The lower left corner of the top is also marked: [Fre]derik Preisler (/) Kjøbenhavn. Carved in the back of the case is the mark: H. T. FRIIS. The set includes:
1) 6" aluminum, German silver, and steel drawing pen marked: CORN.KNUDSEN. Trademarks of two superimposed dividers are on either side of the mark. The object is cataloged separately as 1985.0909.02.
2) 3-3/16" and 2-11/16" German silver handles. The smaller handle holds four needle points.
3) Two 1-1/2" steel pen points that do not appear to fit any of the compasses in the set.
4) 6" German silver and steel fixed-point dividers. The center hinge is marked: Richter. The Richter trademark is to the right of the mark.
5) 4-1/2" German silver compass with pencil point. The center hinge is marked: Richter. The Richter trademark is to the right of the mark.
6) 2-3/4" and 2-1/2" German silver and steel screwdrivers. The first screwdriver is marked: FRANCE 6. It is cataloged separately as 1985.0909.03. The second screwdriver matches the handles and appears to be original to the set.
7) 6-1/4" German silver drawing compass with removable pencil and pen points and extension bar. The center hinge is marked: Richter. The Richter trademark is to the right of the mark.
8) 4-3/4" German silver drop spring bow pencil marked: D. R. Pat. The Richter trademark is between the letter R and "Pat."
9) 4-1/2" German silver bow dividers. The side of one leg is marked: D. R. P. The Richter trademark is below the mark.
10) Two 5-1/8" and one 4" leads, all marked: SSWS MADE U.S.A. U.S. PAT. 1,832,654 (/) 3H EAGLE TURQUOISE ® ELECTRONIC 3H. (The shortest lead is marked 2H instead of 3H.) These items are cataloged separately as 1985.0909.04.
E. O. Richter & Co. of Chemnitz, Germany, sold mathematical instruments from 1885 but became notable from 1892 when it began making fine drawing instruments. See also 317925.04, 325684, 335301, and 2007.0039.01. In 1926, Richter sold this set as model number 2330 for 61.00 DM. Several of the original instruments in this particular set are missing, while others from various makers have been added to the case.
Frederik Preisler made and distributed scientific instruments in Copenhagen, Denmark, around 1900. The Copenhagen firm founded in 1838 by Cornelius Knudsen made optical, navigational, and surveying instruments, planimeters, and equipment for telegraphy into the 1930s.
German immigrant Heinrich Berolzheimer opened Eagle Pencil Company as a pencil shop in New York City in 1856, with a factory in Yonkers. By 1880 the firm made mechanical pencils as well as pens and erasers. In 1969 the company changed its name to Berol Corporation, and the Empire Pencil Corporation purchased it in 1986. Its Turquoise line of drawing leads was widely sold in the early 20th century.
Harald Trap Friis (1893–1976) owned these instruments. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in 1916. In 1919 he moved to the United States to study at Columbia University. He worked for Bell Labs from 1920 to 1958 and was notable for discoveries in the mathematics of radio transmissions, the development of radio astronomy, and improvements in microwave radar and communication equipment. Friis likely purchased his original set from the Preisler firm before he left Denmark. His widow donated his papers and this set of instruments to the Library of Congress in 1977, which transferred the set to the Smithsonian in 1982.
References: Catalogue of E. O. Richter & Co., 5th ed. (Chemnitz, Germany, [1926]), 78; Hemming Andersen, Historic Scientific Instruments in Denmark (Copenhagen: Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 1995), 8–10, 37, 47, 55, 68, 79–82, 276; "Eagle Divider and Compass," School Journal 56 (1898): 389.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920
maker
E. O. Richter & Co.
ID Number
1985.0909.01
accession number
1985.0909
catalog number
1985.0909.01
This elliptic curve was constructed for school use. The wooden ellipse has a handle that allows it to be held against a blackboard and traced. An oval shape, the ellipse is one of the four conic sections, the others being the circle, the parabola, and the hyperbola.
Description
This elliptic curve was constructed for school use. The wooden ellipse has a handle that allows it to be held against a blackboard and traced. An oval shape, the ellipse is one of the four conic sections, the others being the circle, the parabola, and the hyperbola. Ellipses are important curves used in the mathematical sciences. For example, the planets follow elliptical orbits around the sun. Ellipses are required in engineering, architectural, and machine drawings, as well as in surveying and mapping. The study of the conic sections has been a part of secondary mathematics education for the better part of the last two centuries.
Various companies in the late 1800s and early 1900s sold geometric solids and surfaces for educational aides. For example, the Illustrated Catalogue of Kindergarten Material, Primary Aids, Maps, Globes and Charts, School Furniture and Blackboards (Boston: J. L. Hammett, 1895-6) offers thirty-six solids and surfaces for sale. These include several prisms, cylinders and cones, polygons, semi-circles, an ellipse and an ellipse that is cut in two perpendicular to the major axis. Since the ellipse in the collection was designed for tracing, it does not indicate the location of the center or foci. The major axis measures 10 in (25.5 cm) while the minor axis measures 7 7/8 in (20.1 cm). This elliptic curve was given to the Museum by Brown University in 1964.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1982.0795.38
accession number
1982.0795
catalog number
1982.0795.38
This black leather wallet case is lined with green velvet and closes with two metal snaps. The front lower left corner is marked: 437. A white celluloid plate inside the case is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW YORK, (/) ST. LOUIS, CHICAGO (/) SAN FRANCISCO.
Description
This black leather wallet case is lined with green velvet and closes with two metal snaps. The front lower left corner is marked: 437. A white celluloid plate inside the case is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW YORK, (/) ST. LOUIS, CHICAGO (/) SAN FRANCISCO. The case contains:
1) 5" and 4-3/8" metal drawing pens marked on their handles: PARAGON (/) 437. The points are marked: K&E Co.
2) 2" cylindrical metal case with three needle points wrapped in tissue paper.
3) 6-3/4" German silver drawing compass with bendable legs and removable pencil point, lengthening bar, and pen point. The pieces are all marked: 437. The compass is also marked inside one leg: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co. N.Y. (/) PARAGON. Inside the other leg is marked: PAT. MARCH 14 & 28 93 (/) GERMANY.
4) 3-7/8" German silver and steel bow pen and bow pencil.
5) 5-1/2" German silver, steel, and ebony railroad pen marked: 437 GERMANY. One blade is marked: K&ECO.
6) 4-3/4" German silver, steel, and ebony curve pen marked: 437 GERMANY. The point is marked: K&E Co.
7) 6-1/4" steel semicircular protractor, divided to single degrees and numbered by tens in both directions from 10 to 170.
The set appears to be missing a pair of bow dividers, a drawing pen, and a joint tightener. From at least 1890 to 1921, Keuffel & Esser sold a pair of proportional dividers as model number 437. No sets of drawing instruments had this model number, nor is a set exactly like this one shown in K&E catalogs. The number 437 on this set may therefore be a serial number, and the set may have been special-ordered for the institution that distributed it. K&E introduced the Paragon line of drawing instruments in 1901.
According to the donor, Alfred John Betcher (1887–1971) used this set of drawing instruments while he was a student at the University of Minnesota in 1906. He transferred to West Point in 1907 and graduated in 1911. He served in the Philippines, Texas, New York, France, Vermont, and Kentucky. He retired in 1939 at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1940 he was elected mayor of Canajoharie, N.Y.
References: George W. Cullum, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, supp. vol. VI-B, ed. Wirt Robinson (Saginaw, Mich., 1920), 1532; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901-1906
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1982.0386.01
accession number
1982.0386
catalog number
1982.0386.01
By 1902, dealers like Eugene Dietzgen of Chicago offered sets of several dozen “Copenhagen ship curves” in wood and hard rubber. In their 1904-1905 catalog, Dietzgen added curves of transparent amber. By 1926, transparent celluloid had replaced these materials.
Description
By 1902, dealers like Eugene Dietzgen of Chicago offered sets of several dozen “Copenhagen ship curves” in wood and hard rubber. In their 1904-1905 catalog, Dietzgen added curves of transparent amber. By 1926, transparent celluloid had replaced these materials. The number of curves rose from 45 in 1902 to 121 in 1926 and 1931. This selection of curves in this set matches the description of the 1938 Dietzgen catalog, which lists a set of fifty-six celluloid (not acrylic) curves. Dietzgen offered them through at least 1949. Dietzgen first used the term Clearcite in commerce in 1946, filed for a trademark February 29, 1952, and received the trademark June 23, 1953. Hence the curves are from after that date.
The curves are stored in a wooden case with metal hooks. A mark on a tag on the front of the case reads: DIETZGEN (/) MADE IN U.S.A.
By the 1970s, flexible drawing curves were replacing fixed ones like these.
The objects were given to the Smithsonian in 1986.
The donor, Philip Krupen (1915–2001), was a physicist who graduated B.S. from Brooklyn College in 1935, worked on the development of the proximity fuse during and after World War II, earned a master's degree in physics from George Washington University, and spent a total of thirty-eight years working for the U.S. government before he retired in 1973.
References:
Benjamin Pike, Jr., Pike’s Illustrated Descriptive Catalog, vol. 1, New York, 1856, pp. 40-43. This catalog includes ship curves, but not with the standard numbers used by Keuffel & Esser from at least 1890.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1890, pp. 138-139.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1902.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1905, p. 218.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1910, p. 274. The numbering of ship curves in the 1890, 1902, 1905, and 1910 Dietzgen catalogs is not the same as that adopted by 1926.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1926, pp. 226-227. The numbering of ship curves in this and later Dietzgen catalogs follow a scheme used by Keuffel & Esser at least as early as 1890. This is the same numbering system used on these curves.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1931, pp. 245-246.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1938, pp. 310-311.
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, Chicago, 1949, pp. 310-311.
TESS, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Registration 0576302.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1955
maker
Eugene Dietzgen Company
ID Number
1986.0790.07
accession number
1986.0790
catalog number
1986.0790.07
This folding cardboard and wood case is covered with black leather and lined with green velvet. It closes with two metal snaps and is marked in the upper right corner: 2300. The back of the case is marked: Made in Germany.
Description
This folding cardboard and wood case is covered with black leather and lined with green velvet. It closes with two metal snaps and is marked in the upper right corner: 2300. The back of the case is marked: Made in Germany. The set includes:
1) 5-7/8" German silver and steel drawing pen with folding point.
2) 5-1/2" and 4-5/8" black plastic and steel drawing pens. The backs of the points are marked: COMPASS (/) GERMANY.
3) 2-3/4" German silver and steel screwdriver.
4) 6-1/4" German silver and steel dividers with removable point and extension bar. The side of one leg is marked: COMPASS (/) GERMANY.
5) 6-1/4" German silver compass with pencil point and bendable legs. The side of one leg is marked: COMPASS (/) GERMANY.
6) 3-3/4" steel bow pencil, bow dividers, and bow pen. Each instrument is marked on the side: COMPASS (/) GERMANY.
7) 1-3/4" and 1-5/16" cylindrical metal cases. The larger case holds two needle points and two tightening screws. The smaller case holds a needle point and pencil lead.
The set appears to be original and complete. Compass Precision Instruments operated in Germany around the middle of the 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 20th century
maker
Compass Precision Drawing Instruments
ID Number
1989.0305.04
catalog number
1989.0305.04
accession number
1989.0305
This steel instrument is plated with chromium and stored in a leatherette pocketbook case lined with purple velvet. The inside of the flap is marked: DIETZGEN. The back of the case is marked: GERMANY.
Description
This steel instrument is plated with chromium and stored in a leatherette pocketbook case lined with purple velvet. The inside of the flap is marked: DIETZGEN. The back of the case is marked: GERMANY. The beam compass consists of a solid tubular beam, 13" long and 3/16" in diameter; a second solid tubular beam, 6" long and 3/16" in diameter; a coupling for joining the beams with a thumbscrew; a needle point with a micrometer adjustment; a second needle point; a pencil point; a pen point; and a cylindrical case holding one extra lead and two additional needles. The handles on the points are cylindrical with a honeycomb pattern. The thumbscrew on the needle point with micrometer is marked: DIETZGEN GERMANY.
The Eugene Dietzgen Co., a Chicago manufacturer and retailer of mathematical instruments, advertised the model 967A "Champion" brand beam compass and case in the late 1930s for $8.50. Dietzgen may have purchased instruments in the Champion line from Bayerische Reisszeugfabrik, a company in Nuremberg, Germany, that was owned by Joseph Dietzgen and made ECOBRA brand slide rules. See 1984.1071.04.
References: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 15th ed. (Chicago, 1938), 141; Dietzgen Essential Drawing Instruments and Materials, cat. no. 38A (Chicago, [1939]), 11.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1938
maker
Ecobra
ID Number
1984.1071.02
accession number
1984.1071
catalog number
1984.1071.02
This 7-7/8" 45°-45°-90° xylonite triangle had a small triangular cutout in its interior. The edges of the opening had bevels to make it easier to pick up the object while making engineering drawing. The triangle was marked: 8.
Description
This 7-7/8" 45°-45°-90° xylonite triangle had a small triangular cutout in its interior. The edges of the opening had bevels to make it easier to pick up the object while making engineering drawing. The triangle was marked: 8. Keuffel & Esser and Dietzgen sold similar triangles for 75¢ in the first decade of the 20th century. Compare to MA.304722.08.
According to the donor, Alfred John Betcher (1887–1971) used this triangle while he was a student at the University of Minnesota in 1906. He transferred to West Point in 1907 and graduated in 1911. He served in the Philippines, Texas, New York, France, Vermont, and Kentucky. He retired in 1939 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1940 he was elected mayor of Canajoharie, N.Y.
Early plastics were chemically unstable. Although this object was received in 1982 in good condition, over time the xylonite became crazed and, while it was in storage, the triangle spontaneously broke into several pieces. It could not be repaired and so was destroyed in 2000. Hence it is unavailable for study or loan.
References: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 196; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 208; George W. Cullum, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, supp. vol. VI-B, ed. Wirt Robinson (Saginaw, Mich., 1920), 1532; accession file.
date made
ca 1906
ID Number
1982.0386.06
catalog number
1982.0386.06
accession number
1982.0386
This 4-5/16" black plastic pen has a metal pocket clip and is marked in script: Pelikan Graphos GERMANY. The end is unscrewed from one side, revealing a metal holder for a pen nib, and screwed to the other side. The tip of the holder is marked: 3.
Description
This 4-5/16" black plastic pen has a metal pocket clip and is marked in script: Pelikan Graphos GERMANY. The end is unscrewed from one side, revealing a metal holder for a pen nib, and screwed to the other side. The tip of the holder is marked: 3. Nineteen different nibs may be attached to the pen. They each are marked: MADE IN GERMANY. They are also marked: Pelikan (/) GRAPHOS (/) GÜNT . . . NER. They are also marked: IMPORTE D'ALLEMAGNE. Each nib is marked with its size; brass inlays indicate the width for seven of the nibs (those for drawing fine lines).
The set is in a wooden bar-lock case covered in black leather and lined with dark blue velvet. The top of the case is marked: Pelikan (/) Graphos. The bottom of the case is marked: MADE IN GERMANY (/) IMPORTE D'ALLEMAGNE.
Carl Hornemann opened a color and ink factory in Hanover, Germany, in 1838. The company began using a pelican as its trademark in 1863 and first offered a fountain pen in 1929. The Graphos was manufactured in the form illustrated by this object between 1934 and 1957. This set was probably made in the early part of this time frame. The nibs were designed for technical drawing and lettering. Rotring took over the Graphos brand in 1978, but Pelikan remains in operation as of 2013.
References: Pelikan, "History," http://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US.Pelikan.timelineInitView.136400./history; Annina and Andreas Schenk, "Pelikan Graphos," http://www.kalligraphie.com/909-0-Pelikan-Graphos.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1934-1957
maker
Pelikan
ID Number
1989.0305.02
accession number
1989.0305
catalog number
1989.0305.02
This small, flat unpainted wooden pear wood curve has a hyperbolic top edge and a straight bottom. There are two holes along the axis. A mark on one side reads: 2182.
Description
This small, flat unpainted wooden pear wood curve has a hyperbolic top edge and a straight bottom. There are two holes along the axis. A mark on one side reads: 2182. Another mark on the same side reads; KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y.
Keuffel & Esser’s model 2182 was a set of pear wood curves of hyperbolas in eight sizes, ranging from 2 to 5 1/2 inches in depth. This is the 3 ½ inch size. Keuffel and Esser sold ellipses, hyperbolas and parabolas made from pear wood from at least 1892 until at least 1913. By 1921, such curves were available from K & E only in xylonite.
References:
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1892, p. 151.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1909, p. 226.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1913, p. 203.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, New York, 1921, p. 147.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1985.0112.229
catalog number
1985.0112.229
accession number
198540112
This flat wooden blackboard curve has a handle held horizontally by screws. The top edge is a parabola, the base is straight. Both the turning point at the top of the parabola and the midpoint of the base are marked.
Description
This flat wooden blackboard curve has a handle held horizontally by screws. The top edge is a parabola, the base is straight. Both the turning point at the top of the parabola and the midpoint of the base are marked. A hole at the center toward the top allows one to suspend the instrument.
Compare 1982.0795.37, which has a similar handle and general construction.
The instrument came to the Smithsonian from the Mathematics Department of the University of Michigan in 1964.
Reference:
Accession File.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1982.0795.36
accession number
1982.0795
catalog number
1982.0795.36
This steel-spring instrument has an ivory handle, a point attached to one leg, and a penholder with adjusting screw on the other leg. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a pin and thumbscrew.
Description
This steel-spring instrument has an ivory handle, a point attached to one leg, and a penholder with adjusting screw on the other leg. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a pin and thumbscrew. The instrument resembles a Swiss bow pen sold around the turn of the 20th century by W. & L. E. Gurley (for $2.00) and by Keuffel & Esser (for $2.50). The manufacturer was probably not Kern & Co. of Aarau, Switzerland, as the Kern instruments advertised in the 1897 Sears Roebuck catalog have a different shape of ivory handle.
References: 1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalogue (reprint; New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2007), 369; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 23rd ed. (New York, 1892), 31; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 63; A Manual of the Principal Instruments . . . Manufactured by W. & L. E. Gurley, 37th ed. (Troy, N.Y., 1903), 289; A Manual of the Principal Instruments . . . Manufactured by W. & L. E. Gurley, 39th ed. (Troy, N.Y., 1906), 289. This instrument does not appear in the 1921 K&E and 1912 Gurley catalogs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335337
accession number
305958
catalog number
335337
This pocket-sized wooden case is covered with black shagreen, leather made from the skin of a shark or rayfish. On the paper lining the inside of the lid, a previous owner has written: N. O'CONNOR 2/12/1806.
Description
This pocket-sized wooden case is covered with black shagreen, leather made from the skin of a shark or rayfish. On the paper lining the inside of the lid, a previous owner has written: N. O'CONNOR 2/12/1806. Ten drawing instruments were received with the case:
1) A 4-1/2" boxwood plotting scale with diagonal scales at each end. Above the plotting scale are scales divided to 0.12" and to 1/10". The other side has a scale of chords and architect's scales dividing the inch into 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 parts.
2) A 6" ebony parallel ruler with scalloped brass hinges.
3) A pair of 3-3/4" brass and steel fixed-point dividers.
4) A pair of 6-1/4" brass and steel dividers with a removable point.
5) A brass and steel pen point that fits the 6-1/4" dividers.
6) A pair of 5-14" brass and steel fixed-point dividers.
7) A 3" brass and steel drawing pen with a swiveling handle.
8) A lead pencil.
9) A metal joint tightener and file.
10) A brass gauge, unevenly graduated from 100 to 1,000 and marked "16 FT" on one side and unevenly graduated from 1,000 to 150 and marked "C 8 FT 6 IN" on the other. The first side is also marked: NEWTON & Co 3 FLEET ST NEAR TEMPLE BAR LONDON.
William and Frederick Newton were the partners of Newton & Company, which sold scientific instruments and lantern slides from 3 Fleet Street in London from 1851 until the 1930s, when the firm moved to Wigmore Street. In the 1950s, the company was renamed Newton Photographic Services Ltd. The gauge, joint tightener, and pencil likely date to the mid-19th century. The other instruments are consistent with the 1806 date written on the case.
The donor, civil engineer C. B. Beyer of Albuquerque, New Mexico, gave the instruments to the Smithsonian in 1953.
References: Science Museum Group, "Collections Online – People," http://collectionsonline.nmsi.ac.uk/detail.php?type=related&kv=43411&t=people; Gloria Clifton, Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 (London: National Maritime Museum, 1995), 200.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1806
maker
Newton & Co.
ID Number
MA.314286
catalog number
314286
accession number
199264
This German silver instrument has a handle and ridged ring at its top. Both legs have screws partway down and thumbscrews at the ends for adjusting the angles of the points. A piece of lead is in the receptacle at the end of one leg. The end of the other leg has a steel point.
Description
This German silver instrument has a handle and ridged ring at its top. Both legs have screws partway down and thumbscrews at the ends for adjusting the angles of the points. A piece of lead is in the receptacle at the end of one leg. The end of the other leg has a steel point. The instrument has no markings. Similar but shorter compasses from Germany are advertised for $2.15 in Keuffel & Esser's 1892 and 1909 catalogs. The instrument is not shown in the 1921 catalog.
References: Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 23rd ed. (New York, 1892), 61; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 108.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335340
accession number
305958
catalog number
335340
A rectangular paulownia wood case has a red and white sticker on the right end marked: No. 45 (/) M. Inside the case are four bamboo rulers, three that are just over 12" (about 31 cm) long and one that is 2-1/4" (15.5 cm).
Description
A rectangular paulownia wood case has a red and white sticker on the right end marked: No. 45 (/) M. Inside the case are four bamboo rulers, three that are just over 12" (about 31 cm) long and one that is 2-1/4" (15.5 cm). A fifth rule is made of a darker wood, perhaps cherry.
The first rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 3000. The scales along both edges are identical, 30 cm long, divided to twentieths of a unit, and numbered by hundreds from 0 to 2,400. The back of the rule is stamped in red: METRE. It is also marked: 1 (/) 3000.
The second rule is made from a dark wood and is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. The scales are identical and labeled: 1/16. They are divided to half-units and numbered by fives from 5 to 190. Each increment of five units is 5/16" (8 mm) long.
The third rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 1800. The scales along both edges are identical, 30 cm long, divided to single units, and numbered by tens from 0 to 540. The back of the rule is stamped in red: METRE. It is also marked: 1 (/) 1800. It is also marked: 5.
The fourth rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 1600. The scales along both edges are identical, 30 cm long, divided to single units, and numbered by tens from 0 to 480. The back of the rule is stamped in red: METRE. It is also marked: 1 (/) 1600. It is also marked: 6.
The scales on the fifth and shortest rule are 2" (5 cm) long, divided to single units, and numbered by tens from 0 to 40. The rule is marked on the back: 1/800. It is also stamped in red: 3.
These rules were likely used in engineering and architectural drawing. Compare to MA.261283, MA.261284, MA.261286, and MA.261287. The rules were exhibited by the Japanese Empire Department of Education at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. They then were displayed by the Museum of the U.S. Bureau of Education until 1906 and transferred to the Smithsonian National Museum in 1910. For more information, see MA.261298 and MA.261313.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1876
maker
Fujishima
ID Number
MA.261285
catalog number
261285
accession number
51116
An octagonal brass tube with a round handle has a slide that extends its length to 8-5/8". The handle unscrews and can be removed to function as 4-3/8" brass and steel dividers.
Description
An octagonal brass tube with a round handle has a slide that extends its length to 8-5/8". The handle unscrews and can be removed to function as 4-3/8" brass and steel dividers. The other end has an unnumbered one-inch scale divided to twelfths.
The other two tubes are made of steel and have rings or sleeves that slide up and down to move the crayon and allow the user to grasp the crayon. The 6-1/4" crayon holder is not marked. The 5-1/16" crayon holder has a four-inch scale divided to 1/4" and numbered by ones from 1 to 4. Its top is engraved with a drawing of a bearded man.
The dates of objects purchased with these writing instruments suggest they were made in the 18th century. Holders for wax crayons, chalk, or charcoal sticks were known in Europe by the 17th century and widespread by the 18th century. They were employed by artists and draftsmen.
References: Maya Hambly, Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980 (London: Sotheby's Publications, 1988), 65–66; Jacob Simon, "The Artist's Porte-Crayon," National Portrait Gallery, London, http://www.npg.org.uk/research/programmes/artists-their-materials-and-suppliers/the-artists-porte-crayon.php.
Reference:
Sotheby & Company, Catalogue of a Collection of Scientific Instruments, the Property of the Late Henry Russel Wray, London, 1959 (a copy of the catalogue is in the accession file).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
MA.316937
accession number
228694
catalog number
316937
This black hard rubber curve has one opening and numerous scallops on the edges. A mark near the bottom reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y. This curve is similar to number 19 in catalog entry 1820 in the K & E Catalogue.
Description
This black hard rubber curve has one opening and numerous scallops on the edges. A mark near the bottom reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y. This curve is similar to number 19 in catalog entry 1820 in the K & E Catalogue. However, it has an additional notch on the upper left side.
The curve came to the Smithsonian from the Department of Mathematics of Brown University.
Reference:
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue, 1890, p. 140, 1909, p. 206-207. Hard rubber irregular curves are not listed in the 1921 or 1936 catalogs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca
ca 1900
Associated Name
Keuffel & Esser Co.
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.304722.11
accession number
1973304722
catalog number
304722.11
This undivided black hard-rubber rule is beveled along both long edges. It is marked: I. R. C. CO. (/) GOODYEAR. Scratched on the back of the rule is: Brereton. IRC, or Inoue Rubber Company, was established in Japan in 1926 to make bicycle tires and tubes.
Description
This undivided black hard-rubber rule is beveled along both long edges. It is marked: I. R. C. CO. (/) GOODYEAR. Scratched on the back of the rule is: Brereton. IRC, or Inoue Rubber Company, was established in Japan in 1926 to make bicycle tires and tubes. The reference to Goodyear is likely to the manufacturing process pioneered by Charles Goodyear and not to the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Brereton was presumably the original owner of the instrument, which was acquired by the Museum in 1961. Compare to MA.327306.
Reference: IRC Tire, "About Us," http://www.irc-tire.com/en/bc/company/
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1926–1961
ID Number
MA.319738
accession number
239019
catalog number
319738
This wooden case has an inlay for a label on its top, but the inlay is not marked. The lock is broken. The case is lined with blue paper and velvet.
Description
This wooden case has an inlay for a label on its top, but the inlay is not marked. The lock is broken. The case is lined with blue paper and velvet. A compartment inside the lid has space for a transparent plastic protractor, divided to single degrees and numbered by tens from 0 to 180. (Due to the deterioration of the plastic, the protractor is stored separately.) The bottom of the case, underneath a tray of drawing instruments, contains: a 5-1/8" German silver and steel drawing pen with ivory handle; a 5-1/2" ebony triangle with corners marked 45, 45, and 90; and a 6-1/2" wooden rule.
One side of the rule has four scales, divided to roughly: 1/4", numbered by ones from 1 to 19; 3/4", numbered by ones from 6 to 1; 1/2", numbered by ones from 1 to 9; and 1", numbered by ones from 4 to 1. The ends of the scales have unusual diagonal scales for 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1". The other side has a scale of chords and scales dividing the inch into 60, 50, 45, 40, 35, and 30 parts.
The tray contains: 6-1/2" brass and steel drawing pen with ebony handle; 6-1/2" brass compass with pencil point and removable leg; extension bar, divider point, and pen point for the compass; 2-3/8" steel pencil, pen, and divider points for a small compass not included in the set; 2-1/8" brass and steel drawing pen; and 3" brass and steel bow pen. None of the instruments are signed.
A pen wipe cloth, cake of ink, cylindrical wooden case holding seven pencil leads, and rubber were also received with the set. The rubber is marked: NEWMAN'S (/) PURPLE LAKE (/) SOHO SQUARE. The cloth is signed by Charles M. Higgins, an inventor and manufacturer of inks and pens from Brooklyn, N.Y.
The set was owned by the donor's grandfather, Frederick Dawson Thorns (1830–1911). He worked in an ironmonger's shop in England before moving in 1855 to Brooklyn, N.Y., where he held various jobs before operating a restaurant, opening an auction house, and selling real estate. He moved to Asheboro, N.C., to live with one of his daughters in the late 19th century.
Reference: 1910 U.S. Census records; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MA.334622
accession number
308964
catalog number
334622
This folding cardboard and wood case is covered with black morocco leather and lined with green velvet. The snap for the case is marked: CHICAGO (/) NEW YORK.
Description
This folding cardboard and wood case is covered with black morocco leather and lined with green velvet. The snap for the case is marked: CHICAGO (/) NEW YORK. Between the words is the trademark for the Eugene Dietzgen Company, superimposed letters E and D surrounded by the letters Co. Inside the top flap is marked: EUGENE DIETZGEN CO. (/) CHICAGO—NEW YORK (/) SAN FRANCISCO. NEW ORLEANS. The set includes:
1) 6-1/2" German silver proportional dividers. One leg is marked for lines, and the other is marked for circles. Characters such as a double-barred T are engraved inside both legs.
2) 6-1/4" German silver and steel dividers with removable needle, pencil, and pen points and extension bar.
3) 1-1/2" cylindrical metal case for leads, with three leads and two needle points.
4) 2-3/8" German silver and steel screwdriver. Its storage compartment is empty.
5) 2-3/4" German silver handle.
6) 5-1/2" aluminum and steel drawing pen.
The joint tightener may be missing, but the set appears to otherwise be intact and original. No sets containing proportional dividers were found in Dietzgen catalogs issued between 1902 and 1954, so it is likely that this set was special ordered by an individual or school. This style of case was sold between 1902 and 1931, which is consistent with the dates of other objects received from this donor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
maker
Eugene Dietzgen Company
ID Number
MA.325683
accession number
257193
catalog number
325683
This flat wooden drawing instrument has curves on the outside and within an inner opening. There are numerous scratch marks and stains.
Description
This flat wooden drawing instrument has curves on the outside and within an inner opening. There are numerous scratch marks and stains. A faint pencil mark reads: #30E (/) 40 ¢.
The shape of the curve is similar to an instrument shown in a Reeves & Sons catalog from 1904.
Reference:
Maya Hambly, Drawing Instruments, London: RIBA Drawings Collection, 1982, p. 32.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
MA.328399
accession number
272517
catalog number
328399
This wooden case has a mahogany veneer and is lined with blue paper and velvet. A brass plate on the lid is not marked.
Description
This wooden case has a mahogany veneer and is lined with blue paper and velvet. A brass plate on the lid is not marked. A compartment inside the lid has a holder for a protractor (not present) and a white label marked: MÉDAILLE D'ARGENT (/) Marque de Fabrique (/) EXPOSITION DE PARIS 1867. A blue and white label on the inside bottom of the case is marked: No. 14 (/) 7–2.
The bottom also holds: a piece of white tissue paper; two pencil leads; 4-3/8" brass and steel dividers with removable leg, pencil point, and extension bar; pen point that fits the 6" dividers in the tray; a 5-3/4" wooden French curve marked with a sphinx; and a 5-1/2" wooden triangle marked in the corners: 90, 67 [1/]2, 22 [1/]2.
A tray inside the case contains: 6" brass and steel dividers with a removable leg, pencil point attachment, and extension bar; 4-1/2" brass and steel fixed-leg dividers; 3-3/8" brass and steel compass with removable leg, pricker point, and pen and pencil attachments; a pen point that nearly fits the 4-3/8" dividers; two metal joint tighteners; and a 5-1/4" steel, German silver, and ivory drawing pen.
It is unclear which European firm won a silver medal at the 1867 Paris Exposition for the entire set or an instrument within it. This example was likely first sold soon after the fair and before the next major competition for makers of scientific instruments, such as Havre in 1869 or Vienna in 1873. The Smithsonian received the object in 1963.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1870
ID Number
MA.323412
accession number
251004
catalog number
323412
This leg for a drawing compass has a brass top, which is jointed, and steel pen points with a brass screw for adjusting the width of the pen line to be drawn.
Description
This leg for a drawing compass has a brass top, which is jointed, and steel pen points with a brass screw for adjusting the width of the pen line to be drawn. At the turn of the 20th century, compasses frequently came with interchangeable legs, one for drawing with pencil lead and one for drawing with ink. This part does not resemble any of the compasses advertised in Keuffel & Esser, Dietzgen, or Gurley catalogs from this time period.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335339
accession number
305958
catalog number
335339
This steel-spring instrument has a metal and ivory handle, with a ridged ring around the bottom and the top shaped like a pawn chess piece. A holder with a metal adjusting screw on one leg is missing its needle point.
Description
This steel-spring instrument has a metal and ivory handle, with a ridged ring around the bottom and the top shaped like a pawn chess piece. A holder with a metal adjusting screw on one leg is missing its needle point. This leg is marked with the number 8 inside a circle and an arrow pointing left (toward the 8). The holder on the other leg has a pencil lead and is adjusted with a brass screw. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a metal screw and brass nut. This object does not resemble the ivory-handled bow-pencils sold around the turn of the 20th century by Keuffel & Esser, Dietzgen, Gurley, Kern, or Schoenner.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335342
accession number
305958
catalog number
335342

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