Science & Mathematics

Chemical Balance

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.

Resource Type: Calculators

Keuffel & Esser N4053-3 Polyphase Mannheim Simplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch one-sided mahogany slide rule is coated with white celluloid. The top is beveled and bears a scale of nine inches whose ends may have broken off. The base has A, D, and K scales.
Description
This ten-inch one-sided mahogany slide rule is coated with white celluloid. The top is beveled and bears a scale of nine inches whose ends may have broken off. The base has A, D, and K scales. The slide has B, CI, and C scales on one side and S, L, and T scales on the other side. The indicator is glass with plastic edges held together with metal screws. The top plastic edge is broken. The front edge of the rule has a scale of 25 centimeters. A paper table of equivalents and slide rule settings, based on U. S. Bureau of Standards Circular No. 47, is pasted to the back of the rule. Compare the table to 1999.0254.01.
The top of the base is marked in red: PAT. JUNE 5, 1900; KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y.; MADE IN U.S.A. The right end of the slide is marked in red: < N4053-3 >. The left end of the other side of the slide and the scale of centimeters have the serial number: 350305. The top of the base and under the slide are scratched with the initials: PML. The bottom plastic edge of the indicator is marked: PATENT 2,086,502, with K&E CO. N.Y., on the back of the edge.
Keuffel & Esser of New York sold this slide rule as model N4053-3 from 1925 through 1953. Illustrations in K&E catalogs include the patent date of June 5, 1900, from 1925 through 1934. The serial number suggests the rule was made closer to 1934. However, the patent on the indicator was issued in 1937, suggesting that this part was replaced after the rule was purchased. Compare to 1981.0922.08.
William J. Ellenberger (1908–2008) donated this object. He studied electrical and mechanical engineering at The George Washington University between 1925 and 1934. He then worked for the Potomac Electric Power Company and the National Bureau of Standards. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He was a civilian construction management engineer for the army from 1954 to 1968, when he became a private consultant.
References: Adolf W. Keuffel, "Runner for Slide Rules" (U.S. Patent 2,086,502 issued July 6, 1937); Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4053 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4053family.htm; Ed Chamberlain, "Estimating K&E Slide Rule Dates," http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke/320-k+e_date2.jpg; Wayne E. Feely, "K & E Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 49, no. 5 (June 1996): 50–52; "The GW Engineering Hall of Fame 2006 Inductees," http://www.weas.gwu.edu/ifaf/hall_of_fame_inductees_2006.php.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925-1934
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1981.0933.05
catalog number
1981.0933.05
accession number
1981.0933

Pickett N3-T Duplex Slide Rule

This aluminum duplex slide rule is coated with "traditional" white plastic. The indicator is flat and made from nylon (hence the "N" in the model number). The front of the rule has two square root scales; K, A, B, ST, S, T, CI, C, D, and DI scales; and three cube root scales.
Description
This aluminum duplex slide rule is coated with "traditional" white plastic. The indicator is flat and made from nylon (hence the "N" in the model number). The front of the rule has two square root scales; K, A, B, ST, S, T, CI, C, D, and DI scales; and three cube root scales. The back of the rule has LL0, LL1, DF, CF, CIF, Ln, CI, C, D, LL2, and LL3 scales. Markings on the rule are described for the nearly identical 2009.0019.01. The rule fits in a burgundy leather case printed with the Pickett logo in gold. A strap and hook on the back attach the case to a belt.
Pickett was making a Model 3 slide rule as early as 1954, but the scales were arranged differently and the front of the slide had the tables found on Model 2. (See 1979.0601.02.) The logo on this instrument was used between 1964 and 1975. The shape of the indicator and the shape of the metal end pieces are consistent with this date range.
For related documentation, see 1980.0097.05 and 1980.0097.06.
References: Dieter von Jezierski, Slide Rules: A Journey Through Three Centuries, trans. Rodger Shepherd (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 2000), 75–76; Pickett All-Metal Slide Rules, catalog 164-A (Chicago: Pickett & Eckel, Inc., 1954), 11.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964-1975
maker
Pickett Industries
ID Number
1980.0097.01
catalog number
1980.0097.01
accession number
1980.0097

Otis King's Pocket Calculator Model L Cylindrical Slide Rule

This six-inch cylindrical slide rule consists of a chromium-plated holder, a metal cylinder that slides into the holder, and a black metal tube that fits around and slides up and down on the cylinder.
Description
This six-inch cylindrical slide rule consists of a chromium-plated holder, a metal cylinder that slides into the holder, and a black metal tube that fits around and slides up and down on the cylinder. The telescoping rule is ten inches long when extended and equivalent to a rectangular slide rule 66 feet in length. Two short white lines on the tube and a black mark on the chrome cap at the end of the cylinder serve as the indicator. A paper spiral logarithmic scale is attached to the top half of the holder. A second, linear and logarithmic, paper scale is attached to the cylinder. The logarithmic scales are used to multiply and divide, and the linear scale is used to find logarithms.
At the top of the cylinder is printed: PATENT No 183723. At the bottom of the cylinder is printed: OTIS KING'S POCKET CALCULATOR; SCALE No 430. The top of the scale on the holder is printed: SCALE No 429; COPYRIGHT. The bottom is printed: OTIS KING'S PATENT No 183723. The end of the holder is engraved: MADE IN (/) Y9481 (/) ENGLAND.
Otis Carter Formby King invented this form of slide rule in 1921, and Carbic Limited of London, England, manufactured it until 1972. The serial number, Y9481, suggests a date about 1965–1969 for this example. A collector of computing devices donated it to the Smithsonian.
See also 1987.0788.01 and 1989.3049.02. For documentation, see 1981.0922.10 and 1981.0922.11.
References: Peter M. Hopp, Slide Rules: Their History, Models, and Makers (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 1999), 274, 281; Otis Carter Formby King, "Calculating Apparatus," (U.S. Patent 1,645,009 issued October 11, 1927); Richard F. Lyon, "Dating of the Otis King: An Alternative Theory Developed Through Use of the Internet," Journal of the Oughtred Society 7, no. 1 (1998): 33–38; Dick Lyon, "Otis King's Patent Calculator," http://www.svpal.org/~dickel/OK/OtisKing.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1965-1968
maker
Carbic Limited
ID Number
1981.0922.09
catalog number
1981.0922.09
accession number
1981.0922

Ray Taulbot's Pace Calculator Linear Slide Rule

This rectangular white plastic slide rule has scales for sprint times from 5 to 7 furlongs; two columns for use with the average pace method for handicapping horse races; three columns for use with the highlight pace time method of handicapping; and scales for route times from 1
Description
This rectangular white plastic slide rule has scales for sprint times from 5 to 7 furlongs; two columns for use with the average pace method for handicapping horse races; three columns for use with the highlight pace time method of handicapping; and scales for route times from 1 to 1-1/4 miles. This outer folder is marked: Ray Taulbot's Pace Calculator (/) WITH AMER-VAR; Published by (/) AMERICAN (/) TURF MONTHLY (/) 505 EIGHTH AVENUE (/) New York, N.Y. 10018; PRINTED IN U.S.A. COPYRIGHT — 1979 Amerpub Company.
The slide, which fits inside the folder, bears scales for speed rating, half-mile sprint highlight pace time, and six furlong route highlight pace time. It is marked: BASTIAN BROS. CO., ROCHESTER N. Y. A sliding plastic indicator has a broken end. An instruction booklet (copyrighted in 1979) was received with the rule; both fit into a black plastic case marked: RAY TAULBOT'S (/) PACE CALCULATOR (/) AMERPUB COMPANY (/) 505 8TH Avenue (/) New York, N. Y. 10018.
Ray Taulbot (1895–1969) was the longtime managing editor of American Turf Monthly, a magazine for horse racing enthusiasts published by the Amerpub Company. He is credited with several innovations in handicapping races, particularly by rating a horse in comparison to the overall pace of a race. He believed horses must be judged by their own speed and by how close they were to the winner. A chart on the back of the calculator allowed bettors to combine the results of the Pace Calculator with the Amer-Var rating, which took into account the horse's age, the length of the race, the amount of the purse, the time of year, and the type of race. Taulbot's methods dated at least to the 1960s, but this device was made in 1979. American Turf Monthly continues to reprint Taulbot's articles.
For other devices made by Bastian Brothers, see 1987.0183.01 and 1988.0323.03.
References: Ray Taulbot, Thoroughbred Horse Racing: Playing for Profit (Philadelphia: A. Walker Co., 1949); Howard G. Sartin, "Winning Today with Ray Taulbot's Pace Calculator," American Turf Monthly, January 2000, http://www.americanturf.com/pace/sartinarticle.cfm; F. Finstuen, "Handicapping Derby Thoroughbreds: Edward's Minit, Race-O-Matic, and Kel-Co II Slide Rules," Journal of the Oughtred Society 10, no. 2 (2001): 19–24.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1979
maker
Amerpub Company
ID Number
1998.3050.02
nonaccession number
1998.3050
catalog number
1998.3050.02

Kegelman Stadia Reduction Computer Circular Slide Rule

This white plastic circular rule has a clear plastic indicator attached with a metal grommet in the center. The rule has scales of H (horizontal factor), theta (vertical angle), and V (vertical factor). A diagram on the instrument gives the formulas for these factors.
Description
This white plastic circular rule has a clear plastic indicator attached with a metal grommet in the center. The rule has scales of H (horizontal factor), theta (vertical angle), and V (vertical factor). A diagram on the instrument gives the formulas for these factors. The instrument is marked: KB (/) STADIA REDUCTION COMPUTER (/) KEGELMAN BROS. (/) HUNTINGDON VALLEY PA. (/) COPYRIGHT, 1956 (/) BY WILLIAM KEGELMAN P.E. It is in a cream-colored paper envelope stamped: WILLIAM KEGELMAN (/) 393 COUNTY LINE ROAD (/) HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA.
George Kegelman (1900–1985) began his career with Heller & Brightly of Philadelphia. He established his own shop around 1943 and began to work with his brother, William (1907–1985). In 1951, the pair formed Kegelman Brothers, which became best known for its Model 101 engineers transit. William Kegelman received a copyright (A245443) for this device, which was intended to process readings taken with the transit, on July 9, 1956.
For other slide rules for reducing data from observations made with stadia rods, see MA.333636, 1977.1141.41, 1983.0472.01, 1987.0221.01, and 1987.0221.02.
References: Robert C. Miller, "George Kegelman and Kegelman Brothers: Mathematical and Optical Instrument Makers," Rittenhouse 5 (1991): 56–58; Charles E. Smart, The Makers of Surveying Instruments in America Since 1700 (Troy, N.Y.: Regal Art Press, 1962–1967); Catalog of Copyright Entries: Books and Pamphlets, 3rd ser. 10 (1956): 324, 1161; Kegelman Bros., Instruction Manual for Engineers Transit (Hunting[d]on Valley, Pa., 1957) 9–10 (see 2001.0282.02).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1956
maker
Kegelman Bros.
ID Number
2001.0282.01
accession number
2001.0282
catalog number
2001.0282.01

MHR1 Höhenrechenschieber Cylindrical Slide Rule

This cylindrical calculating rule was designed to solve problems in spherical trigonometry encountered in navigation.
Description
This cylindrical calculating rule was designed to solve problems in spherical trigonometry encountered in navigation. For example, it could be used to compute the altitude and azimuth of a celestial body, knowing the latitude of the observer and the hour angle and declination of the body. Such a slide rule was patented by the Englishman Leonard C. Bygrave in 1921. This example, serial number 90143, was manufactured in Germany by Dennert and Pape at about the time of World War II.
The instrument consists of three concentric cylinders. The innermost cylinder can be extended, and the outermost cylinder then slides up and down on part of the extended tube. Tightening a knob at the top fixes the relative position of the two inner cylinders. The innermost cylinder has a helical scale divided from 0 to 90 degrees (also from 180 down to 90). The middle cylinder has a helical scale marked from 0 to 90 and also from 145 to 90. At the bottom, the middle cylinder has instructions for using the instrument. The outermost cylinder has two marks for reading results, declination tables, formulas, and a window that allows for reading the second scale. The instrument fits in a cylindrical metal case painted black and lined with cloth near the top.
This object was found in the Naval History collections of the National Museum of American History some time before August 1984.
References: U.S. Hydrographic Office, American Practical Navigator (Washington, D.C., 1958), 559; L. C. Bygrave, "Improvements in Calculating Apparatus," (U.K. Patent 162,895 issued May 12, 1921); Serge Savoysky, "Calcul de navigation: État courant de l'étude de l'hélice logarithmique MHR1 de Dennert et Pape," http://serge.savoysky.pagesperso-orange.fr/Calcul%20de%20navigation,%20v2%20(WEB).pdf.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1940
maker
Dennert and Pape
ID Number
2005.0271.03
accession number
2005.0271
catalog number
2005.0271.03

Keuffel & Esser 4051 Simplex Slide Rule

This 20-inch one-sided slide rule is made of wood with white celluloid scales and a frameless glass indicator with plastic supports. The base has A and D scales, and there are B and C scales on one side of the slide with S, L, and T scales on the other side.
Description
This 20-inch one-sided slide rule is made of wood with white celluloid scales and a frameless glass indicator with plastic supports. The base has A and D scales, and there are B and C scales on one side of the slide with S, L, and T scales on the other side. The A and B scales are divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 twice, the C and D scales from 1 to 10 once. The S scale gives angles in degrees and minutes, running from 0 to 90 degrees. The sine of an angle on the S scale is read off the A scale. The T scale gives angles running from 0 to 45 degrees. The tangent of these angles is read off the D scale, assuming that the endpoints of the scales are aligned. The L scale runs from 0 to 1, in such a way that if a number is read off the D scale, the mantissa of the logarithm to the base 10 of that number is indicated on the L scale, assuming that the endpoints of the scales are aligned.
A scale of 50 centimeters divided to millimeters is on the front edge, and a scale of 20 inches divided to 1/16-inch is on the other, beveled edge. A table of equivalents and slide rule settings is glued to the back of the rule. The table is marked: EQUIVALENTS AND ABBREVIATIONS FROM U. S. BUREAU OF STANDARDS CIRCULAR NO. 47; KEUFFEL & ESSER CO., NEW YORK. On the back of the rule is written in marker: E. + M. LAB (1). The back is also marked: A.C.P.L. 1132 (/) 23-4-B.
The top of the base is marked in red: PAT. JUNE 5, 1900; KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y.; MADE IN U.S.A. The slide is marked: AMHERST COLLEGE ACPL 1132. The right end of the slide is marked in red: < 4051 >. The back of the slide and the left end of the centimeter scale are marked with a serial number: 127849. The supports for the indicator are marked: PATENT 2,086,502 and KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y.
Keuffel & Esser first advertised the model 4051 Mannheim slide rule in 1900 and stopped selling it between 1936 and 1939. The serial number suggests a date around 1925, but the patent date on the indicator suggests that part was made in 1938. The indicator may thus be a replacement part. The rule was used in the electricity & magnetism laboratory of the Amherst College physics department.
References: Adolf W. Keuffel, "Runner for Slide Rules" (U.S. Patent 2,086,502 issued July 6, 1937); Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 30th ed. (New York, 1900–1901), 294; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 311; Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4041 Family," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4041family.htm; Ed Chamberlain, "Estimating K&E Slide Rule Dates," 27 December 2000, http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke/320-k+e_date2.jpg.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925-1938
maker
Keuffel & Esser Company
ID Number
1999.0254.01
catalog number
1999.0254.01
maker number
127849
accession number
1999.0254

Dietzgen 1760 Mannheim Simplex Slide Rule

This one-sided, ten-inch wooden rule is faced with white plastic. The front of the base has A and D scales, with B and C scales on one side of the slide and S, L (which is unlettered), and T scales on the other side of the slide. The slide is slightly longer than the base.
Description
This one-sided, ten-inch wooden rule is faced with white plastic. The front of the base has A and D scales, with B and C scales on one side of the slide and S, L (which is unlettered), and T scales on the other side of the slide. The slide is slightly longer than the base. The very thin glass indicator has a brass frame. The rule boasts Dietzgen's "Improved Automatic Adjustment," three flat springs in slots under the A scale that are adjusted with four screws on the back of the instrument. This mechanism was designed to prevent warping or shrinking of the rule from interfering with uniform movement of the slide.
The top edge of the instrument is beveled and has a scale of inches, divided to 1/32-inch. The bottom edge is flat and has a scale of centimeters, divided to millimeters. The back of the base is notched on the right end. A table of equivalents is pasted to the back of the instrument. The center of the table is marked: EUGENE DIETZGEN CO. (/) CHICAGO NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO (/) NEW ORLEANS PITTSBURGH (/) PHILADELPHIA WASHINGTON (/) MILWAUKEE LOS ANGELES. On the front, the bottom of the base is marked (in red): DIETZGEN. The base is marked under the slide: WIELER. The right edge of the slide is marked (in white): 1760. A brown leather case is marked in gold on the flap: DIETZGEN. Inside the flap is written in ink: WIELER (/) R. W. ORY.
Catalogs for Dietzgen of Chicago indicate that the company introduced the improved adjustment in 1910. It was initially used on model 1769, which was 16" long and had letters on both ends of the scales until 1919, when model 1769 became a 10" rule with letters only on the right of the scales that sold in a morocco leather case for $6.50. It remained available on Dietzgen price lists through at least 1928, when the instrument was renumbered in catalogs to model 1760L. Model 1760 sold with a leather case (the L in the model number) for $6.35 until 1941. According to the donor, this instrument was used by her husband, the electrical engineer Robert H. Wieler (1923–1993).
References: Catalogue & Price List of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 9th ed. (Chicago, 1910), 214, 217; Catalogue & Price List of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 10th ed. (Chicago, 1919), 78; Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 12th ed. (Chicago, 1926), 172, 174; Peter M. Hopp, Slide Rules: Their History, Models, and Makers (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 1999), 159.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1928-1941
maker
Eugene Dietzgen Company
ID Number
1998.0032.02
catalog number
1998.0032.02
accession number
1998.0032

Graphic Calculator Pumping Percentage Circular Slide Chart for Calgon

This circular slide chart consists of two plastic discs of equal size held together at the center by a metal rivet. The bottom disc is white, with a green logarithmic scale around the edge that runs from 8 to 20.
Description
This circular slide chart consists of two plastic discs of equal size held together at the center by a metal rivet. The bottom disc is white, with a green logarithmic scale around the edge that runs from 8 to 20. The top disc is clear around the edge (making it possible to see the lower scale) and gray in the center. Around the gray region is a circular logarithmic scale that also runs from 8 to 20. According to the instructions on the object, one rotates the upper disc to set the pumped weight on the inner scale opposite the green weight on the outer scale. The “Percent Pump” can then be read through a window in the upper disc. It ranges from 0 to 20.
The green weight of a processed food is the weight before processing, while the pumped weight is weight after processing. This device allows one to find the percentage by which the weight of a product has increased as a result of processing. USDA regulations require that, if the pumped weight of a meat product exceeds the green weight, the substances added be indicated.
The top disc is marked: PUMPING (/) PERCENTAGE (/) CALCULATOR. It is also marked: CURAFOS. It is also marked : CALGON CO. (/) PITTSBURGH 30, PENNSYLVANIA. On the bottom disc is marked: Copyright 1959 Hagan Chemicals & Controls, Inc. It is also marked: MANUFACTURED BY (/) GRAPHIC CALCULATOR CO., CHICAGO 5, ILL.
Graphic Calculator Company was a slide rule manufacturing and design company founded in Chicago in 1940 by Capron R. Gulbransen and apparently still in business at the time of his death in 1969. Curafos was the trademark for a chemical compound used in the treatment of meat and meat products to improve their color and moisture retention. The chemical was introduced by CALGON Co. in 1953, with the trademark granted in 1955. CALGON was a subsidiary of Hagan Corporation until 1956, when Hagan Corporation was renamed Hagan Chemicals and Controls. In 1963, Hagan Chemicals and Controls sold its Controls Division to Westinghouse, and the remaining firm became Calgon Corporation. These changes in corporate name are consistent with the copyright date of 1959 on the instrument.
References: Processing Inspectors’ Calculations Handbook, United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service, rev. ed. (Washington, DC, 1995), 83, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7620-3.pdf; Obituaries, Chicago Tribune, August 11, 1969, p. A6.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1959-1963
maker
Graphic Calculator Co.
ID Number
2000.3029.13
nonaccession number
2000.3029
catalog number
2000.3029.13

Fuller's Spiral Cylindrical Slide Rule

This rule consists of an outer wooden cylinder that slides up and down and rotates. Two brass rings lined with felt are inside this cylinder.
Description
This rule consists of an outer wooden cylinder that slides up and down and rotates. Two brass rings lined with felt are inside this cylinder. The cylinder is covered with paper marked with a single spiral logarithmic scale graduated into 7250 parts and having a length, according to the maker, of 500 inches (nearly 42 feet). Inside the outer cylinder is a longer wooden cylinder, covered with paper marked with decimal, conversion, and sine tables. A solid mahogany handle is at one end. A third cylinder of brass is inside the instrument. A brass index is screwed to the top of the handle. A second, longer brass index is screwed to the mahogany base and marked with a scale of equal parts used in finding logarithms.
The tables on the middle cylinder include: decimal equivalents of feet and inches in feet; decimal equivalents of quarter weights and pounds in hundredweights; decimal equivalents of ounces and pounds in fractions of a pound; decimal equivalents of pounds, shillings, and pence in fractions of a pound; decimal equivalents of pence in shillings; days of the year as a fraction of the year; decimal equivalents of subunits of an acre; properties of various metals and woods; decimal equivalents of minutes of a degree in degrees; the Birmingham wire gauge; various conversion factors (mostly for weights and measures); and natural sines.
The outer, sliding cylinder is marked near the top: FULLERS SPIRAL SLIDE RULE. Near the bottom is marked: ENTD. STATS. HALL; STANLEY, Maker, LONDON. The bottom is stamped: 1099. The top of the long brass index is engraved: 1099 (/) 98. According to Wayne Feely, these numbers indicate the instrument has serial number 1099 and was made in 1898.
The rule is in a rectangular mahogany case marked in script on the top: Calculator. A blue sticker attached to the inside lid of the case reads: DRAWING MATERIAL (/) FRED. A. SCHMIDT. WASHINGTON D.C. (/) 516 (/) 9TH ST. (/) BRANCH (/) 1722 (/) PA. AVE. (/) TRADE MARK (beneath a drawing of intertwined dividers, right-angled ruler, and French curve). The inside of the lid is also stamped: MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. A yellow rectangular label is printed: To H.M. Government Science & Art Depnt. Council of India, Admiralty, &c. (/) MADE BY (/) W. F. STANLEY, (/) Optical, Philosophical & Mathematical (/) INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURER, (/) ENGINE DIVIDER, &c. (/) MATHEMATICAL DEPARTMENT, GREAT TURNSTILE, HOLBORN, W.C.
George Fuller, professor of civil engineering at Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland, patented this instrument in 1878. The Stanley firm made about 14,000 Fuller's spiral slide rules over nearly one hundred years. According to Boyd's Directory of the District of Columbia, Fred A. Schmidt, vendor of draftsmen's supplies, moved from 504 9th Street N.W. to 516 9th Street, with a branch at 1722 Pennsylvania Avenue, between 1895 and 1900.
According to the donor, this example came from the family of her first husband, Fred Robert Troll (1920–1971), a sanitary engineer who attended Columbia University. The original purchaser may have been his father, Frank Troll, or his uncle, who was an artist who traveled frequently.
See also MA.311958, MA.316575, and MA.313751.
References: William Ford Stanley, Mathematical Drawing and Measuring Instruments, 6th ed. (London: E. & F. N. Spon, 1888), 248–249; W. F. Stanley, Surveying and Leveling Instruments, 3rd ed. (London, 1901), 542–543; Wayne E. Feely, "The Fuller Spiral Scale Slide Rule," Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 50, no. 3 (1997): 93–98.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1898
maker
Stanley, William Ford
ID Number
1998.0046.01
catalog number
1998.0046.01
maker number
1008/98
accession number
1998.0046

Pickett N600-ES Log Log Duplex Slide Rule

This five-inch "eye saver" yellow aluminum linear slide rule has a nylon indicator and is held together with stamped aluminum contoured posts. The front of the base has LL1, A, D, DI, and K scales, with B, ST, T, S, and C scales on the slide.
Description
This five-inch "eye saver" yellow aluminum linear slide rule has a nylon indicator and is held together with stamped aluminum contoured posts. The front of the base has LL1, A, D, DI, and K scales, with B, ST, T, S, and C scales on the slide. The left end of the slide is marked: MODEL (/) N600-ES (/) LOG LOG (/) SPEED RULE. The right end of the slide bears the form of the Pickett logo that was used between 1958 and 1962. The number 81 is printed above the logo, and MADE IN U.S.A. is printed below it.
The back of the base has LL2, DF, D, and LL3 scales, with CF, Ln, L, CI, and C scales on the front of the slide. The left end of the slide is marked: PICKETT (/) ALL METAL (/) SLIDE RULES. The right end of the slide is marked: PICKETT & ECKEL, (/) INC. (/) CHICAGO, ILL. (/) ©1962. The instrument fits in a red-orange leather case with a clip to slide over a pocket or belt. A leather strip above the clip is stamped in gold with the Pickett triangular logo and PAT. PEND. Raising the strip pulls the rule out of the case.
On January 26, 1959, John W. Pickett applied for a design patent for a slide rule case that resembles the case for this object. The patent was granted on April 5, 1960. It seems likely that the date of this rule is relatively close to the copyright date of 1962. Pickett was the son of company founder Ross C. Pickett and served as president of the firm from 1957 to 1967. For early company history, see 1979.0601.02. The company began manufacturing aluminum slide rules in Alhambra, Calif., in the early 1950s, while retaining offices in Chicago, and changed from glass to nylon indicators in 1958. In 1964, the firm moved to Santa Barbara, Calif., and changed its name from Pickett & Eckel, Inc., to Pickett Industries. In the mid-1970s, Pickett moved to Nogales, Mexico, ceased making slide rules, and was gradually subsumed into Chartpak, Inc., a maker of art supplies and office products now located in Leeds, Mass.
Its compact size and large number of scales made this model popular with engineers who had excellent vision. The Pickett 600-ES was carried on the first five Apollo flights. See the National Air and Space Museum's inventory number A19840160000.
References: John W. Pickett, "Slide Rule Case" (U.S. Patent D187,632 issued April 5, 1960); International Slide Rule Museum, "Pickett All-Metal Slide Rules," http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Dates.htm#Pickett; Michael Freudiger, et al., "Mathematics on the Moon: The 'Apollo' Pickett," Journal of the Oughtred Society 10, no. 2 (2001): 15–18; Eric Marcotte, "Pickett Slide Rules," http://www.sliderule.ca/pickett.htm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1962
maker
Pickett & Eckel, Incorporated
ID Number
1998.0119.02
catalog number
1998.0119.02
accession number
1998.0119

Keuffel & Esser 4013 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule

This desktop slide rule has a cylindrical brass drum covered with paper printed with 40 A scales. A wooden knob is fastened to each end of the drum. The drum fits in an open rotating brass frame; 20 brass slats span the frame.
Description
This desktop slide rule has a cylindrical brass drum covered with paper printed with 40 A scales. A wooden knob is fastened to each end of the drum. The drum fits in an open rotating brass frame; 20 brass slats span the frame. The right side of the paper on the drum is printed in italics: Patented by Edwin Thatcher [sic], C.E. Nov. 1st 1881. Made by Keuffel & Esser Co. N.Y.
The slats are lined with cloth and covered with paper. Each slat is printed with two B and two C scales. The first A scale runs from 100 to 112; the fortieth runs from 946 to 100 to 105. The first B scale runs from 100 to 112; the fortieth runs from 946 to 100 to 105. The first C scale runs from 100 to 334; the fortieth runs from 308 to 305.
The front of the frame is spanned by a brass pyramidal bar. A brass and metal mount with three thumbscrews is attached to the bar. The mount may be adjusted by height, and it slides along the bar. A magnifying glass was to be positioned on the mount, but it is missing in this example.
The frame is screwed to a mahogany base. A paper with instructions is glued to the top front of the base. The top back of the base is engraved: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co (encircling N.Y.); 4013 (/) 3518; TRADE MARK (below the K&E lion logo). A sticker on the back of the base is marked: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (/) 6076 – AMS. This rule was found in the Smithsonian collections, but it was presumably associated with the Agricultural Marketing Service, an agency established within the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1939. The rule may have been purchased earlier but not inventoried, since AMS was preceded by several government bureaus, including the Office of Markets, which was founded in 1913.
Keuffel & Esser Company of New York sold versions of the Thacher cylindrical slide rule from about 1883 until about 1950. There were two models, one with a magnifying glass (K&E model 1741 before 1900, K&E model 4013 after) and one without (K&E model 1740 before 1900, K&E model 4012 after). This is a model 4013; the serial number suggests it was manufactured around 1915 and after MA.321789. The marking on the core also no longer references W. F. Stanley, the English firm that originally manufactured the instrument for sale by K&E. Stanley continued to provide the engine-divided scales after K&E began making the rest of the instrument in 1887. K&E took over printing the scales in the 1910s. Model 4013 sold for $45.00 in 1913.
Compare markings on the core to MA.315663. See also MA.327886.
References: Wayne E. Feely, "Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 50 (1997): 125–127; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co. (New York, 1913), 294; National Archives, "Records of the Agricultural Marketing Service [AMS]," Guide to Federal Records, Record Group 136, http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/136.html; "Agricultural Marketing Service," Allgov: Everything Our Government Really Does, http://www.allgov.com/Agency/Agricultural_Marketing_Service__.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1915
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1996.3079.01
catalog number
1996.3079.01
nonaccession number
1996.3079
maker number
3518

Pickett N500-ES Log Log Duplex Slide Rule

This duplex aluminum linear slide rule is coated in yellow ("eye saver") plastic and is held together with stamped aluminum contoured posts. The nylon cursor has a convex lens.
Description
This duplex aluminum linear slide rule is coated in yellow ("eye saver") plastic and is held together with stamped aluminum contoured posts. The nylon cursor has a convex lens. The front of the base has +LL1, -LL1, A, D, DI, and K scales, with B, T, ST, S, and C scales on the front of the slide. The left end of the slide is marked: MODEL (/) N-500-ES (/) HI LOG/LOG. The right end of the slide has the Pickett logo used between 1964 and 1975 ("PickETT" with a triangle dotting the i) and MADE IN U.S.A.
The back of the base has +LL2, -LL2, DF, D, +LL3, and -LL3 scales, with CF, CIF, L, CI, and C scales on the back of the slide. Both ends of the slide are marked with the Pickett logo, with ALL METAL (/) SLIDE RULES on the left end and ©1962 on the right end.
There is a black leather case lined with black plastic and marked below the slot for the flap with the Pickett logo in gold. The case has no belt loop. The case fits into a white, green, and black cardboard box. Compare to the box collected with 1995.0126.02. The bottom of this box has a flap marked: PickETT (/) WORLD'S MOST ACCURATE (/) SLIDE RULES. A blue and white sticker on the flap describes the slide rule's features: N500 (/) HI-LOG SPEED RULE (/) THE SUPERIOR TRIG/LOG LOG RULE FOR ESSEN- (/) TIAL ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL NEEDS (/) All Metal construction for highest accuracy and lifetime (/) performance (/) 22 Key Scales with a comprehensive 60-inch log range (/) With Carrying Case and complete instruction manual (/) Lifetime Guarantee.
The guarantee, with a registration card, is in the bottom of the box, along with the plastic bag that originally contained the slide rule inside the case. The registration card indicates that this example's serial number is A103202 and that the company's headquarters were in Santa Barbara, Calif. The company moved to Santa Barbara in 1964. Along with the logo, this suggests the slide rule was made in the mid-to-late 1960s. Students typically purchased this model in college and continued to use it in their careers.
Reference: International Slide Rule Museum, "Pickett," http://sliderulemuseum.com/Pickett.htm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1964
maker
Pickett Industries
ID Number
1999.0096.01
catalog number
1999.0096.01
accession number
1999.0096

Datalizer Energy Operating Cost Calculator for TVA

This rectangular white cardboard rule has four slides and is held together with ten metal rivets. The top two slides are used to calculate the annual operating cost of a natural gas furnace, while the bottom two slides perform the same calculation for an electric heat pump.
Description
This rectangular white cardboard rule has four slides and is held together with ten metal rivets. The top two slides are used to calculate the annual operating cost of a natural gas furnace, while the bottom two slides perform the same calculation for an electric heat pump. Tables on the back of the instrument give values for building heat loss, typical heating system efficiencies, and heating load hours for the states covered by the Tennessee Valley Authority: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. A sample calculation is also provided on the back.
The front and back are both marked: Electricity (/) THE POWER (/) OF CHOICE. Both sides are also marked: TVA. The rule thus advertised TVA's ability to supply inexpensive public electric power and promote energy conservation. The back bottom left corner is marked: © 1990 Datalizer Slide Charts, Inc., Addison, IL 60101. A former employee of the Perrygraf (or Perry Graf) Corporation (see 1979.3074.03) established Datalizer around 1960, and the company remained in business as of 2012.
References: "From the New Deal to a New Century," Tennessee Valley Authority, http://www.tva.com/abouttva/history.htm; "Slide Chart Specialists," Datalizer Slide Charts, http://www.datalizer.com/about-us/.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1990
maker
Datalizer Slide Charts, Incorporated
ID Number
1996.3078.02
nonaccession number
1996.3078
catalog number
1996.3078.02

Slide Rule

Even after engine dividing became widely available in the 20th century, roughly made logarithmic scales could be found on mathematical instruments. This device consists of a wooden box with a sloping lid.
Description
Even after engine dividing became widely available in the 20th century, roughly made logarithmic scales could be found on mathematical instruments. This device consists of a wooden box with a sloping lid. The box contains nine paper scales covered with tape.
The first scale is on the back edge of the box, equally divided from 0 to 80, and labeled ONES. The second scale is on a sliding wooden slat in front of the first scale, equally divided from 0 to 80 but with divisions twice as large as those on the first scale, and labeled TWOS. The third scale also slides, is equally divided from 0 to 70 (with divisions three times as large as the first scale), and is labeled THREES. The fourth scale is also on a sliding slat, is equally divided from 0 to 60 (with divisions four times as large as the first scale), and is labeled FOURS. The fifth scale is on a sliding slat and is equally divided from 0 to 40, with divisions six times as large as the first scale. It is not labeled.
In front of the four sliding slats is a fixed slat that spans the entire width of the instrument. It has two scales. The upper one is a scale of equal parts with divisions the same size as the top scale, but running from 0 to 240. It is labeled TOTAL (/) POINTS. The top five scales can be used to add units of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, with the total indicated on this scale.
The lower scale on the fixed piece is also numbered from 0 to 240, but it is divided logarithmically. A sliding scale in front of it is divided logarithmically from 5.6 to 1.5; it indicates points per hour. The scale on the front edge of the box is divided logarithmically. It runs from 10 to 80, and is labeled HOURS. The fixed slat is marked on its right end: Mfg. by (/) W. J. & W. L. (/) (All rights reserved). The instrument was found in South Junior High School in Bloomfield, N.J., a magnet school for the visual and performing arts that operated from 1939 to 1987.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939-1987
ID Number
1999.0068.01
accession number
1999.0068
catalog number
1999.0068.01

Ross Precision Computer Circular Slide Rule

This circular slide rule consists of a silver-colored metal dial, 8-1/2" wide, mounted on a silver-colored metal disc. Three oblong holes on the base disc permit the reading of trigonometric scales on a white celluloid and cardboard disc that is between the metal discs.
Description
This circular slide rule consists of a silver-colored metal dial, 8-1/2" wide, mounted on a silver-colored metal disc. Three oblong holes on the base disc permit the reading of trigonometric scales on a white celluloid and cardboard disc that is between the metal discs. The celluloid disc is marked: COPYRIGHTED (/) L. ROSS, SAN FRANCISCO (/) PATENTS PENDING.
On the front of the instrument, the top dial is divided along the outer edge into 400 equal parts. In each quadrant of the dial, the scale is marked from 100 to 1,000, with every tenth division marked. Inside of this scale, there is a spiral scale with 25 coils divided logarithmically from 0 to 1,000, making the rule equivalent to a linear slide rule about 50 feet long. These scales are marked in purple and are worn away in several places, including around much of the edge and underneath where the indicators rest.
Affixed to the center of the disc is a brown metal linear rule, 1-1/8" wide, marked with N, M (Sum), D (Difference), and Root scales. This rule is made of three pieces, but the center no longer slides. Also affixed to the center is a yellow celluloid hairline indicator, 3/4" wide, and a second yellow celluloid indicator, 1-1/2" wide. This indicator is marked on the left side by fours from 0 to 100, labeled Quadrants, and on the right side at varying intervals from 100 to 1,000, labeled Nos. It is attached to a metal handle lined with yellow-white celluloid. The handle is also attached to a pivot at the center back of the instrument. The handle is marked: THE ROSS (/) PRECISION COMPUTER (/) Computer Mfg. Co. (/) San Francisco. The handle has reminders for setting the device for multiplication, division, and proportion, and there is a thumbscrew for making adjustments.
The instrument also came with a loose, wedge-shaped piece of yellow celluloid with a hole at one end for attaching to the center of the computer. It is marked with the names of various trigonometric functions and various angles. The round part of the instrument fits into a black leather case with two snaps, stamped both inside and outside: x THE ROSS ÷ (/) PRECISION COMPUTER (/) COMPUTER MFG. CO. (/) SAN FRANCISCO U.S.A. (/) PAT. PEND. COPYRIGHTED. An instruction manual (1996.3077.02) and a letter and advertising literature (1966.3077.03) sent to the purchaser, Roy Kegerreis of New York, were received with this instrument. The letter is dated July 31, 1918, and the manual was copyrighted in 1919.
Louis Ross of San Francisco designed three circular slide rules in the 1910s: the Precision Computer, the Meridi-o-graph, and the Rapid Computer. Advertisements and reports of surviving instruments indicate that the Precision Computer varied in appearance and size.
The Computer Manufacturing Company sold the Precision Computer for $20.00. A clamp for mounting the rule above a desk sold separately for $2.50. The company claimed its customers included the Panama Canal Commission, DuPont Powder Works, and General Electric. The company's offices were originally located on 25 California Street in San Francisco; in 1921, the factory moved from 268 Market to 340 Sansome. The Sansome address is handwritten inside the instruction manual, suggesting Kegerreis learned about the computer in 1918 but did not purchase one until 1921.
Dr. Roy Kegerreis (1886–1968) obtained his BS in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1907, his MS in Mathematics from Harvard, and his PhD in Physics from the University of Michigan in 1917. At the time he purchased this slide rule, he apparently was living in New York City. Kegerreis went on to get an MD in 1934, and he worked for many years as a radiologist. This slide rule was given to the Smithsonian by his daughter, in his memory.
References: Accession file; Edwin J. Chamberlain, "Long-Scale Slide Rules," Journal of the Oughtred Society 8, no. 1 (1999): 24–34, "Long-Scale Slide Rules Revisited," 13, no. 1 (2004): 23–43, and "Circular Slide Rules with Very Long Scales," 17, no. 1 (2008): 52; "A Five-Place Calculating Device," Electrical World 66, no. 11 (1915): 604; "San Francisco Companies Move to New Quarters," San Francisco Business 3, no. 19 (November 11, 1921): 22; "Ross Precision Computer," NIST Museum Digital Archives, http://nistdigitalarchives.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15421coll3/id/266.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1921
maker
Computer Manufacturing Company
ID Number
1996.3077.01
nonaccession number
1996.3077
catalog number
1996.3077.01

Carpenter's Slide Rule by S. A. Jones

One of the first types of slide rules sold and made in the United States was the carpenter's rule, used for calculations relating to timber, which was one of the country's major early exports. This rule is marked on the lower arm: S. A. JONES & CO. (/) HARTFORD–CON.
Description
One of the first types of slide rules sold and made in the United States was the carpenter's rule, used for calculations relating to timber, which was one of the country's major early exports. This rule is marked on the lower arm: S. A. JONES & CO. (/) HARTFORD–CON. (/) WARRANTED BOX WOOD. Solomon A. Jones made carpentry tools in Hartford, Conn., from 1838 to 1841. Compare to 1987.0771.01, a British carpenter's rule of the same period. The collections include an image of someone holding the rule (see 2003.0215.02).
This boxwood carpenter’s rule has a brass joint, metal caps at the ends of the arms, and a brass slide. The front of the slide has two identical logarithmic scales labeled B and C. Above is an identical logarithmic scale on the arm; this scale is labeled A. All three of these scales have a double cycle of logarithms, like the A and B scales on a Mannheim rule. Below the C scale on the arm is a scale labeled D and also GIRT LINE, which is divided logarithmically and runs from 4 to 40 (in other words, this is not the D or principal scale of Mannheim slide rules). The girt line can be used with other scales to estimate the volume of timber available from a log.
Underneath the slide is imprinted the number 33. The back of the slide is also stamped with the number 33 and is somewhat crudely marked with a twelve-inch ruler, divided to eighths of an inch. The lower arm contains scales for making scale drawings that are 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 inch to the foot. The units on the 1/4-inch chain scale appear to be numbered erroneously after 18 (e.g., the next numbered division after 18 is 10 rather than 20). Along the edge is another twelve-inch scale, divided to eighths of an inch.
The other side of the rule has a scale of 24 inches along one edge, divided to sixteenths of an inch. One arm has a scale labeled by twos from 34 to zero and is marked M. A number for 31 is between 32 and 30, and the number for 6 is omitted.
The other arm has a scale marked E and labeled by twos from 24 to zero. The number 24 appears twice, and 6 is omitted. The M and E scales were used in cutting polygonal sections of wood. The outside edge has two scales, each dividing one foot into 100 parts.
References: Kenneth D. Roberts, Introduction to Rule Collecting (Hartford, Conn.: The Bond Press, Inc., 1982); "Solomon A. Jones & Co.," The Davistown Museum, http://www.davistownmuseum.org/bioSAJones.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1838-1841
maker
S. A. Jones & Co.
ID Number
2003.0216.01
accession number
2003.0216
catalog number
2003.0216.01

Pickett N4-ES Vector-Type Log Log Duplex Slide Rule

This aluminum ten-inch linear duplex slide rule is coated in Pickett's "Eye Saver" yellow plastic. The flat nylon indicator is screwed within a white plastic frame.
Description
This aluminum ten-inch linear duplex slide rule is coated in Pickett's "Eye Saver" yellow plastic. The flat nylon indicator is screwed within a white plastic frame. The front top of the base has three extended cube root scales (one for numbers with 1, 4, 7, 10, or more digits before the decimal point; one for numbers with 2, 5, 8, 11, or more digits; and one for numbers with 3, 6, 9, 12, or more digits) and a DF scale. The front bottom of the base has D, DI, and square root scales. The top square root scale gives roots of numbers on the D scale with an odd number of digits before the decimal point; the lower square root scale gives roots of numbers with an even number of digits. The front of the slide has CF, CIF, double T, ST, S, CI, and C scales.
The left end of the slide is marked: MODEL N4-ES (/) Vector-Type LOG LOG (/) DUAL-BASE SPEED RULE. The right end has "Pickett" in script on a triangle with a dot at one point. MADE IN U.S.A. appears beneath the logo. This form of logo was in use from 1958 to 1962. The style of the grooved stamped aluminum posts is also consisted with this timeframe.
The top back of the base has LL1, LL2, and DF/M scales. D, LL3, and LL4 scales are on the bottom of the base. The back of the slide has CF/M, TH, SH, Ln, L, CI, and C scales. The back of the slide is marked at the left end: COPYRIGHT 1959© (/) PATENT APPLIED FOR. The right end is marked: PICKETT (/) ALL METAL (/) SLIDE RULES (/) PICKETT & ECKEL INC. (/) CHICAGO ILL. U.S.A. The mention on the instrument of a patent application may refer to a patent for a case issued to John W. Pickett in 1960. Pickett was the son of company founder Ross C. Pickett and served as president of the firm from 1957 to 1967.
The slide rule is in a red-brown leather case lined in white plastic. The triangular Pickett logo is stamped in gold on the front of the case, and a metal ring on the back is for a leather strap (no longer with the instrument) that can be hung around a belt loop. See 1980.0097.04 for instructions.
The donor, engineer Edgar F. Peebles, obtained this slide rule free of charge as a replacement when the numbers came off the slide rule he had used in college. He first used it from 1959 to 1965 in the satellite control facility of the Air Force at Sunnyvale, Calif. He then used it as a down range representative for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company from 1965 to 1968 in tests of the Polaris missile. Finally, from 1968 to 1969 he used the slide rule in the checkout area of the test Polaris missile manufacturing plant in Sunnydale.
References: Rodger Shepherd, "Pickett's 'Eye Saver Yellow,'" Journal of the Oughtred Society 1, no. 1 (1992): 18; International Slide Rule Museum, "Pickett All-Metal Slide Rules," http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Dates.htm#Pickett; Maurice L. Hartung, How to Use . . . Pickett Dual Base Log Log Slide Rules (Chicago: Pickett & Eckel, Inc., 1953), http://sliderulemuseum.com/Manuals/M103_Pickett_HowToUseDualBase_1953.pdf; John W. Pickett, "Slide Rule Case" (U.S. Patent D187,632 issued April 5, 1960); accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1959
maker
Pickett & Eckel, Incorporated
ID Number
2000.0203.01
accession number
2000.0203
catalog number
2000.0203.01

General Foods Profit Calculator Slide Rule

This 9-1/2 inch paper linear slide rule was used to calculate the retail price that should be charged for an item (such as a box of General Foods cereal), given the wholesale cost of a case of packages of the item, the number of packages in the case, and the percentage of profit
Description
This 9-1/2 inch paper linear slide rule was used to calculate the retail price that should be charged for an item (such as a box of General Foods cereal), given the wholesale cost of a case of packages of the item, the number of packages in the case, and the percentage of profit desired on the selling price. The top of the base has a scale for wholesale costs per unit, ranging from 50 cents to $7.50. The slide has scales for the number of retail packages in a unit, ranging from 10 to 150, and for the percentage of profit from 0% to 60%. The slide also has a table for the mark-up margin as a percentage of cost and as a percentage of selling price. The table is only visible by removing the slide from the base. The bottom of the base has a scale for retail selling prices, ranging from 3 to 45.
The base is marked: GENERAL FOODS PROFIT CALCULATOR (/) Copyrighted 1932. The slide is marked: Calculator (/) Scale (/) Copyrighted (/) 1932 (/) Walter T. (/) Scott (/) Phila., Pa. Instructions appear on the back of the slide. The back of the base has an advertisement depicting six boxes of C. W. Post cereals. It is marked: It Pays to Push POST CEREALS. It is also marked 3630 — Printed in U.S.A.
Formed in 1895 in Battle Creek, Mich., as the Postum Cereal Company and offering products such as Grape Nuts, the manufacturer had acquired at least eleven other food companies by 1929. Most importantly, Postum purchased General Foods Company from Clarence Birdseye and renamed the entire operation General Foods Corporation. From 1932, General Foods distributed this rule to grocers as an encouragement to more prominently display its cereals. Scott, who designed the rule, made improvements in 1940. By the 1940s, the advertisement on the back of the rule was replaced with advice on "How to Stay on the Profit Side." General Foods was purchased by Philip Morris in 1985 and subsequently merged with Kraft Foods.
Reference: Library of Congress Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Part 1, Books, Group 2, Pamphlets, Etc., n.s. 29 (1933): 111 and n. s. 43 (1946): 762.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1932
maker
General Foods Corporation
designer
Scott, Walter T.
ID Number
2004.0082.01
accession number
2004.0082
catalog number
2004.0082.01

Perrygraf Clipper Cargo Dimensional Weight Computer Circular Slide Chart

This instrument consists of concentric turquoise and white paper discs and a paper indicator held together with a metal rivet. Around the edge of the turquoise disc is a logarithmic scale of weight in pounds that ranges from 2 to 1,000.
Description
This instrument consists of concentric turquoise and white paper discs and a paper indicator held together with a metal rivet. Around the edge of the turquoise disc is a logarithmic scale of weight in pounds that ranges from 2 to 1,000. Inside this is a scale of lengths from 10" to 50". The white disc has a scale of heights from 5" to 50" and a scale of widths from 6" to 50". The indicator has a scale in densities in cubic inches per pound from 100 to 300 and instructions for setting the dimensions and density of a parcel in order to read off the parcel's weight.
The indicator is marked: PAN AMERICAN WORLD (/) AIRWAYS (/) 506 West Sixth Street (/) Los Angeles 14, California (/) Phone: Michigan 2121 (/) CLIPPER CARGO (/) Dimensional (/) WEIGHT COMPUTER. The white disc is marked: Clipper, Trade Mark, Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Printed in U.S.A. (/) Copyright 1951, Pan American World Airways, Inc. (/) Slide-Chart by PERRYGRAF, Maywood, Ill. The back of the instrument has a Pan Am compass rose logo at the center of advertising text: ANY WAY YOU MEASURE (/) MAKE CLIPPER CARGO YOUR RULE (/) For All Your Export Shipping (/) See Us For A Free Cost Analysis of (/) CLIPPER CARGO SERVICE (/) via PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS.
A slide chart is a slide rule that performs a specific calculation, usually commissioned by a company as a promotional item. In 1934, machinery inspector Lester E. Perry (1901–1991) came up with the idea of equipping salespeople with slide charts so that they could immediately answer customers' questions. Perrygraf Corporation, the company he established in the Chicago, Ill., suburbs, quickly became a dominant force in this market. Pan Am was the principal international air carrier in the United States for most of the 20th century. See also 1996.3029.02, whose copyright date suggests that the latest date this chart was made was 1957.
References: George Melloan, "Pocket Slide Charts Aid Engineers, Help Sell Steel, Lipstick," Wall Street Journal, September 4, 1953, 1; "People: Perrygraf," Waywiser, Harvard University Department of the History of Science website.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1951-1957
maker
Perry Graf Corporation
ID Number
1996.3029.01
nonaccession number
1996.3029
catalog number
1996.3029.01

Acu-Math 130 Duplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch duplex linear magnesium slide rule is coated with layers of white vinyl and has finger holes at both ends of both sides of the slide. On the front, the base has L, LL1, DF, D, LL3, and LL2 scales, with CF, CIF, CI, and C scales on the slide.
Description
This ten-inch duplex linear magnesium slide rule is coated with layers of white vinyl and has finger holes at both ends of both sides of the slide. On the front, the base has L, LL1, DF, D, LL3, and LL2 scales, with CF, CIF, CI, and C scales on the slide. The top of the base is marked LOG LOG DECIMAL TRIG ACU-MATH No 130 MADE IN U S A. On the back, the base has LLO, LLOO, A, D, S, ST, and T scales, with B, K, CI, and C scales on the slide. The indicator is plastic with white plastic edges. A maroon leather case with belt loop has a window marked: F. G. VIANZON.
The Acu-Rule Manufacturing Company was founded in 1938 in Festus, Mo., as the Festus Manufacturing Company. Renamed Acu-Rule Manufacturing Company in 1940, it soon was moved to St. Louis. In 1950 the company adopted the brand name Acu-Math (or ACUMATH). The firm moved to Mt. Olive, Ill., in 1954 and was sold to Sterling Plastics of Mountainside, N.J., in 1968. This model was not among the first rules sold by the firm, nor is it listed in a 1960 company catalog. Hence, it appears to date between 1950 and 1959. The donor's father, Felipe G. Vianzon, used this instrument.
Reference: George E. Keane, "A History of the Festus Manufacturing Company and Its Successor, the Acu-Rule Manufacturing Company, Makers of the Acu-Rule and ACUMATH Slide Rule," Journal of the Oughtred Society 14, no. 1 (2005): 51–54.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950-1959
maker
Acu-Rule Manufacturing Company
ID Number
2002.0158.01
accession number
2002.0158
catalog number
2002.0158.01

Gilson Midget Circular Slide Rule

This two-sided circular slide rule is a white plastic disc with two transparent, pivoting green plastic arms on one side and a third arm on the back.
Description
This two-sided circular slide rule is a white plastic disc with two transparent, pivoting green plastic arms on one side and a third arm on the back. On the front, from the edge to the center, there is a C scale, CI scale, a scale of logarithms, a scale of squares, a "binary" scale, a log-log scale, a scale for the decimal equivalent of fractions, a scale of drill sizes, and a scale of thread sizes. The rule is marked: MADE IN U.S.A. (/) Copyrighted 1936 (/) Patented.
Three concentric circles forming a scale of degrees, sines, and tangents are on the back. Inside this scale is a scale of decimal equivalents for fractions. The back of the instrument is marked: COPYRIGHTED (/) 1931.
The rule has a green synthetic leather case. On the inside of the flap, it is marked in ink: Donald Mela, and stamped in red: Gordon's (/) DRAFTING MATERIALS (/) 162 W. Madison St. Chicago. The instrument was received with a small paper manual, 1998.0119.03. See also 1989.0032.01.
Claire A. Gilson founded the Gilson Slide Rule Company in Niles, Mich., in 1915. The firm moved to Stuart, Fla., in 1927 and remained in business until about 1975. This example of the firm's Midget model was probably manufactured around 1940.
References: Henry Aldinger and Ed Chamberlain, "Gilson Slide Rules," Journal of the Oughtred Society 9, no. 1 (2000): 48–60 and 9, no. 2 (2000): 47–58; Bobby Feazel, "[Letters of] Richard A. Gilson," Journal of the Oughtred Society 2, no. 2 (1993): 8–12; Ross Grable, "Analysis of a Gilson Circular Rule," Journal of the Oughtred Society 7, no. 1 (1998): 53–55; International Slide Rule Museum, "Time Line for Gilson Slide Rule Company," http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Dates.htm#Gilson.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1940
maker
Gilson Slide Rule Company
ID Number
1998.0119.01
catalog number
1998.0119.01
accession number
1998.0119

Hemmi Simplex Pocket Slide Rule Retailed by Post (1441)

This small (five-inch) one-sided slide rule is bamboo covered with white celluloid, with a clear celluloid and metal backing. A magnifying glass indicator has a metal frame. There are A and D scales on the base.
Description
This small (five-inch) one-sided slide rule is bamboo covered with white celluloid, with a clear celluloid and metal backing. A magnifying glass indicator has a metal frame. There are A and D scales on the base. The slide has B, CI, and C scales on one side and S, L, and T scales on the other side. The upper edge of the base has a four-inch ruler divided to thirty-seconds of an inch.
The back of the base is marked: THE FREDERICK POST CO. NO. 1441 (/) SUN (between two drawings of the sun) HEMMI JAPAN CF. A brown leather case is stamped on the flap: POST. Inside the case is stamped: MADE IN JAPAN and handwritten: R. FREEZE.
The instrument was made by the Hemmi Slide Rule Company of Tokyo, Japan, and sold by the Frederick Post Company of Chicago, Ill. In the 1930s and 1940s, Post sold this model for $2.70. The code CF on the slide rule indicates that this example was manufactured by Hemmi in June 1952. The donor, Richard Freeze, purchased it in Philadelphia around 1956–57, when he was a student at Drexel Institute of Technology (later Drexel University). He used it during classes in physics, mathematics, and industrial engineering. Later, he used it while working at a specialty chemical firm doing industrial engineering projects.
Compare to 1995.0087.01.
References: Accession file; Peter M. Hopp, Slide Rules: Their History, Models, and Makers (Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 1999), 183–187, 211; Posts Dependable Drawing Materials, 18th ed. (Chicago: The Frederick Post Company, 1936), 173. Price lists for this catalog, dated August 1937 and May 1940, show model 1441 on pages 11–12 and 27–28, respectively.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950-1956
maker
Frederick Post Co.
SUN HEMMI JAPAN CF
ID Number
2003.0012.02
accession number
2003.0012
catalog number
2003.0012.02

Remington Rand Univac Minimum Latency Calculator Slide Rule

This circular device was an aid to programming the UNIVAC solid state computer. It consists of a paper disc, with equal divisions running from 1 to 200 near the edge, and a clear plastic rotating disc. These are pivoted together at the center.
Description
This circular device was an aid to programming the UNIVAC solid state computer. It consists of a paper disc, with equal divisions running from 1 to 200 near the edge, and a clear plastic rotating disc. These are pivoted together at the center. The upper disc is marked in red with two perpendicular diameters. The lower disc is marked: MINIMUM LATENCY CALCULATOR FOR THE UNIVAC SOLID-STATE COMPUTER. The UNIVAC had a magnetic storage drum on which locations were specified numerically. The latency calculator allowed programmers to write code for the machine to make the most efficient possible use of the drum memory.
The back of the instrument gives a list of instruction codes and corresponding execution times for words. It is marked: Remington Rand Univac. It is also marked: U1767 Rev. 1 PRINTED (/) IN (/) U.S.A. The rule was received in a paper bag.
Reference: Sperry Rand Corporation, Simple Transition to Electronic Processing, UNIVAC Solid-State 80, (1960), 18–26.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1950
maker
Remington Rand Univac
ID Number
2005.0271.01
accession number
2005.0271
catalog number
2005.0271.01

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