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.

Topic: Drawing Instruments

Blackboard Drawing Instrument, Curve, Hyperbola and Ellipse

This flat wooden blackboard curve has a handle held vertically by screws. A mark on the top edge reads: ELLIPSE. Three marks along that edge indicate endpoints of axes of the ellipse. A mark on the bottom edge reads: HYPERBOLA.
Description
This flat wooden blackboard curve has a handle held vertically by screws. A mark on the top edge reads: ELLIPSE. Three marks along that edge indicate endpoints of axes of the ellipse. A mark on the bottom edge reads: HYPERBOLA. A mark at the center of the bottom edge indicates the turning point of the hyperbola. A hole on the right side allows one to suspend the instrument.
Compare 1982.0795.36, 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
1982.0795.37
accession number
1982.0795
catalog number
1982.0795.37

Tacro Proportional Dividers

The pointers on this German silver drawing instrument are held in place with screws, meaning that they can be adjusted and replaced. The points are 1-1/8" and 1/2" long.
Description
The pointers on this German silver drawing instrument are held in place with screws, meaning that they can be adjusted and replaced. The points are 1-1/8" and 1/2" long. The front slide has scales for lines, running by ones from 1 to 10, and for circles, irregularly numbered from 6 to 36. Thumbscrews on both sides adjust the instrument along a gear and tooth mechanism (or "rack movement") on the back slide. The front slide is marked: TACRO INC. (/) GERMANY. The case is covered with black leather and lined with blue velvet. It is unlocked by pulling out a button on the right side of the case. The case is marked on the top: TACRO. It is also marked: 4130. The case is marked on the bottom: Made in Germany.
Tacro is a manufacturer of drawing instruments apparently established in the 20th century. According to online auction records, it marked its products as made in West Germany from about 1950 to 1991. Thus, this object probably dates to the 1930s or 1940s. As of 2012, Tacro continues to make these proportional dividers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1940
maker
Tacro
ID Number
1986.0316.02
accession number
1986.0316
catalog number
1986.0316.02

Rule and Straight Edge Signed Eberhard Faber

This wooden rule is divided along the top edge to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 1 to 14. A brass straight edge is fastened behind the scale. Both long edges are beveled. A hole for hanging the ruler is drilled through the left end of the ruler. The center front is marked: E.
Description
This wooden rule is divided along the top edge to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 1 to 14. A brass straight edge is fastened behind the scale. Both long edges are beveled. A hole for hanging the ruler is drilled through the left end of the ruler. The center front is marked: E. FABER. (/) U. S. A. The back is engraved in script: Wm. R. Maxon. Compare to 1987.0634.03.
Eberhard Faber's company made pencils and other office supplies in New York City from 1861 until 1956, when manufacturing moved to Wilkes-Barre, Penn. A. W. Faber-Castell acquired the company in 1987.
According to the accession file, William R. Maxon was the curator of plants at the National Museum of Natural History from 1899 to 1946. He used this rule in his botanical research.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
maker
Faber, Eberhard
ID Number
1987.0634.02
accession number
1987.0634
catalog number
1987.0634.02

Curve for Drawing an Ellipse, Keuffel & Esser Model 1825

This flat black rubber ellipse has two holes along the major axis. The major axis is drawn in pencil.
Description
This flat black rubber ellipse has two holes along the major axis. The major axis is drawn in pencil. A mark on the curve reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co (/) NEW YORK (/) AND (/) CHICAGO.
According to the K&E Catalog, these models were sold in sets of ten, with major axes ranging in size from 1 1/2" to 6". This would be the 6" size.
Reference:
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalog, 1906, p. 215. In the 1909 catalog, models of this number are listed as made from xylonite instead of hard rubber.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1906
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1985.0112.228
catalog number
1985.0112.228
accession number
1985.0112

Rule and Paper Cutter Signed Eberhard Faber

This wooden rule is divided along the bottom edge to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 14 to 1. A brass straight edge, sharp enough to cut paper, is fastened behind the scale. Both long edges are beveled. The center front is marked: EBERHARD FABER.
Description
This wooden rule is divided along the bottom edge to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 14 to 1. A brass straight edge, sharp enough to cut paper, is fastened behind the scale. Both long edges are beveled. The center front is marked: EBERHARD FABER. (/) NEW–YORK (/) RULER & PAPER CUTTER. The front is also marked: Wm. R. Maxon. It is also marked: CLP. It is also marked: Morton. The back is marked: W.R.M. Compare to 1987.0634.03.
Eberhard Faber's company made pencils and other office supplies in New York City from 1861 until 1956, when manufacturing moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. A. W. Faber-Castell acquired the company in 1987.
According to the accession file, at the National Museum of Natural History Charles Louis Pollard was an assistant curator of ferns from 1895 to 1903, William R. Maxon was the curator of plants from 1899 to 1946, and Conrad V. Morton was a curator of ferns from 1926 to 1972. All three men presumably used this ruler in their research.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1895–1903
maker
Eberhard Faber
ID Number
1987.0634.03
accession number
1987.0634
catalog number
1987.0634.03

Ship Curve, Possibly by Blue and White Company

This plastic drawing curve is rounded at the bottom and forked at the top. A mark stamped near the bottom reads: EXACT (/) CELLULOID. The EXACT is in quotation marks, with the first quotation mark a subscript, as is common in German.
Description
This plastic drawing curve is rounded at the bottom and forked at the top. A mark stamped near the bottom reads: EXACT (/) CELLULOID. The EXACT is in quotation marks, with the first quotation mark a subscript, as is common in German. A mark stamped at the center shows a triangle, a T-square and a drawing template. Text on the template reads in part: BLUE.
The donor, Sebastian J. Tralongo (1928–2007), served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and then worked for the Vitro Corporation in Rockville, Md., for 35 years. He patented a device for signaling from deeply submerged submarines. The object was received at the Smithsonian in 1980. Another object received from Tralango was a Standardgraph template, and sold by the Blue and White Company. The German firm of Standardgraph Filler and Fiebig in the Bavarian town of Geretsried applied for trademark for the term Standardgraph for curved rules in 1971 and received it in 1974. Blue and White are the colors of Bavaria.
References:
Accession file
“Standardgraph,” TESS, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, accessed August 1, 2016.
"Tralongo, Sebastian James 'Subby'," Hartford Courant, May 26, 2007.
Sebastian J. Tralongo, "Submarine Signal Device" (U.S. Patent 2,989,024 issued June 20, 1961).
"Vitro Corp. – Company Profile," http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/25/VitroCorp.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950-1975
ID Number
1984.1071.06
accession number
1984.1071
catalog number
1984.1071.06

Record Bow Compass

The pen and needle points (including its screw) are missing from this steel instrument. Because the pen point may be removed, this instrument is not like other bow pens in the collections. A disc for adjusting the width of the instrument is on a screw between the legs.
Description
The pen and needle points (including its screw) are missing from this steel instrument. Because the pen point may be removed, this instrument is not like other bow pens in the collections. A disc for adjusting the width of the instrument is on a screw between the legs. A cylindrical ridged handle is directly attached to a ring inserted into the legs. The leg that would have the pen attachment is marked: RECORD. The object was received with several other instruments in a wooden box, 1984.1071.13. Compare to 1984.1071.10.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 20th century
ID Number
1984.1071.11
accession number
1984.1071
catalog number
1984.1071.11

Cornelius Knudsen Drawing Pen

This 6" aluminum, German silver, and steel drawing pen is marked: CORN.KNUDSEN. Trademarks of two superimposed dividers are on either side of the mark.
Description
This 6" aluminum, German silver, and steel drawing pen is marked: CORN.KNUDSEN. Trademarks of two superimposed dividers are on either side of the mark. In 1838 Cornelius Knudsen founded a firm in Copenhagen, Denmark, that made optical, navigational, and surveying instruments, planimeters, and equipment for telegraphy into the 1930s. This object was received and is stored with a set of drawing instruments, 1985.0909.01. It was owned by Harald Trap Friis (1893–1976), a Danish emigrant who became a prominent radio engineer for Bell Labs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920-1958
maker
Knudsen, Cornelius
ID Number
1985.0909.02
accession number
1985.0909
catalog number
1985.0909.02

Set of Drawing Instruments Signed Weickert of Leipzig

By the 17th century, makers of scientific instruments collected together a range of tools useful for making drawings in surveying, navigation, architecture, and engineering and sold these collections as sets in cases.
Description
By the 17th century, makers of scientific instruments collected together a range of tools useful for making drawings in surveying, navigation, architecture, and engineering and sold these collections as sets in cases. Sets of drawing instruments allow modern observers to examine a variety of drawing instruments—such as dividers, compasses, pens, rulers, and protractors—at one time. They also provide a sense of what makers and practitioners thought someone starting to work in one of these fields needed in order to be successful.
Marks on the proportional dividers and calipers indicate that the workshop of J. D. Weickert of Leipzig, Germany, manufactured this set. This firm, later known for making felt for piano hammers, was established in 1783 and remains in business as of 2013 (as Filzfabrik Wurzen). The style and condition of the multilayered case suggest the set was made no later than the mid-19th century. The donor received this set of instruments from a distant relative, Gunther Mathies, who emigrated from Germany in the early 20th century and worked for the Thomaston Clock Company in Connecticut.
Two semicircular brass protractors are inside the lid of this plain wooden case lined with pink felt. The handle is missing from the case, and one hinge is broken. The first protractor is hand-divided to single degrees and numbered in both directions by tens from 10 to 180. Underneath the left side of the arc is marked: R. 1/4 F. A plotting scale with a diagonal scale at the left is on the base of the instrument. The second protractor is divided to quarter-degrees and numbered in both directions by tens from 10 to 180. A movable arm with an adjustable blade is attached around the origin point. Two plotting scales are on the base of the instrument. One is marked: Paris.Zoll. The other is marked: Rheinb.Zoll.
Both layers of the case have empty spaces for instruments and instruments that do not fit properly into their spaces, suggesting that parts of the set have been lost or replaced. All of the instruments are brass and steel. The first layer has an L-shaped set square; two screws and a hinge that were originally attached to the case lid; three joint tighteners; and a drawing pen. A pair of dividers has rotating legs with pen and pencil points at the other ends. There are two more pairs of dividers, one with one point removed and stored separately in the case. Two pen points, one pencil point, and a leg extension do not appear to fit the instruments in the case. Bow dividers and three-legged dividers are also on this layer.
The second layer has a narrow (2-1/2" wide) beam compass with a handle; an elliptical trammel; calipers attached to a 6-5/8" rule; and proportional dividers. The rule has scales for German and French inches on one side. This side is also marked: J. D. Weickert in Leipzig. The other side has scales for English inches and for units of 5/16". The second scale is marked: Circum. Verniers are on both edges of the rule, next to the calipers. The proportional dividers are heavily tarnished. One side has scales for polygons and straight lines. That side is also marked: Weickert in Leipzig.
References: Maya Hambly, "Cases of Drawing Instruments," in Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980 (London: Sotheby's, 1988), 150–193; "History of the Felt Factory," http://www.filzfabrik-wurzen.de/de/51/company/history/.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1783-ca 1850
maker
Weickert, J. D.
ID Number
1984.1070.01
catalog number
1984.1070.01
accession number
1984.1070

Hearlihy 340C Set of Drawing Instruments

This set is in a light blue cardboard box marked on all sides: Reißzeug • Drawing instrument set • Boîte de compass • Estuche de compases. On one end, the box is also marked: 340 C. On the other end, the box is marked: Made in West Germany.
Description
This set is in a light blue cardboard box marked on all sides: Reißzeug • Drawing instrument set • Boîte de compass • Estuche de compases. On one end, the box is also marked: 340 C. On the other end, the box is marked: Made in West Germany. The case is cream and brown plastic, marked on the top: H (/) Hearlihy & Co. The inside is lined with blue foam and velvet and holds:
1) 6" stainless steel fixed-leg needle-point dividers with a black plastic handle covering the hinge. The front is marked: H. The back is marked: GERMANY.
2) 1-5/8" steel screwdriver with black plastic butterfly handle marked: GERMANY.
3) 6-1/4" stainless steel and black plastic bow pencil with pen and extension bar attachments. The front of the compass is marked: H. The back is marked: GERMANY.
4) 1-1/4" black and white plastic cylindrical case holding two leads.
5) 1-1/2" black plastic rectangular case holding two leads, a needle point, and a replacement adjusting screw and nut. The lid is marked: GERMANY.
6) 4-3/4" stainless steel bow pencil with needle point and pen point attachments. One leg is marked: H GERMANY.
7) 3" black plastic pen handle.
Hearlihy & Co., a Springfield, Ohio, supplier of drafting instruments and developer of technology education curriculum modules founded by the donor's parents in 1969, distributed this set of drawing instruments. According to a note in the accession file, the set is original and complete even though there are at least three empty slots in the tray. The same case was used to sell different sets of instruments. The set was received new.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1987
ID Number
1987.0589.04
accession number
1987.0589
catalog number
1987.0589.04

Intertech Bow Compass Sold by Hearlihy & Co.

This green zinc alloy instrument has a black plastic handle. Silver metal adjusting bolts set the width of the instrument and the length of the needle and pencil points. The front of the handle is marked with the letter H. The back of the handle is marked: GERMANY.
Description
This green zinc alloy instrument has a black plastic handle. Silver metal adjusting bolts set the width of the instrument and the length of the needle and pencil points. The front of the handle is marked with the letter H. The back of the handle is marked: GERMANY. A gray and clear plastic envelope has a black and white plastic tube with two replacement pencil leads. The front of the case is marked in gold: H (/) Hearlihy & Co (/) Springfield, Ohio (/) 404. The flap for the case fastens on the back and is marked: Western Germany.
For information on the manufacturer and distributor, see 1987.0589.01. On this example, the adjusting bolts for the points are on the front and back of the instrument, instead of on the outside of each leg.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1987
maker
Intertech Drawing Instruments
ID Number
1987.0589.02
accession number
1987.0589
catalog number
1987.0589.02

Schoenner Wallet Case of Drawing Instruments

This folding cardboard case is covered with black leather and lined with green velvet. The front flap is marked: 2089. The Schoenner logo (overlaid S, G, and two intersecting double-headed arrows) is imprinted in silver inside the lid flap.
Description
This folding cardboard case is covered with black leather and lined with green velvet. The front flap is marked: 2089. The Schoenner logo (overlaid S, G, and two intersecting double-headed arrows) is imprinted in silver inside the lid flap. The lid flap also has a red and white sticker marked: Walter (/) Robinson (/) 127 Hawaii (/) Ave. N.E. The set includes:
1) 6-1/4" German silver and steel compass with folding legs and removable pencil point, pen point, and extension bar. Inside one leg is marked: C 32. Inside the other leg is marked: SCHOENNER, GERMANY II. The insertion tips of the pencil point, pen point, and extension bar are marked: 32 C. This compass is not marked with patent information that appears on other Schoenner compasses in the collection; compare to 1977.0279.01, 1989.0305.05, and 1977.1101.0097.
2) 6" German silver and steel dividers with adjustment screw on one leg.
3) 3-3/8" German silver and steel bow pen, bow pencil, and bow dividers.
4) 4-1/2"and 5-1/4" ebony, German silver, and steel drawing pencils.
5) 1-3/8" cylindrical metal case with three pencil leads.
The joint tightener is missing. For Schoenner company history, see 1989.0305.05. The set probably dates to the second quarter of the 20th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
20th century
maker
Schoenner, Georg
ID Number
1990.0350.01
catalog number
1990.0350.01
accession number
1990.0350

Railroad Curves Associated with George Shattuck Morrison

This set of thirty-one well-finished cardboard curves fits in a wooden case with metal hinges and clasps. One curve appears to be handmade. The inner and outer edges of a given curve are identical arcs of circles. The number marked on a curve is the radius of that circle.
Description
This set of thirty-one well-finished cardboard curves fits in a wooden case with metal hinges and clasps. One curve appears to be handmade. The inner and outer edges of a given curve are identical arcs of circles. The number marked on a curve is the radius of that circle. Radii range from 1 1/2" to 60." The curves are marked: 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, 4, 4 1/2, 5, 5 1/2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 60. The handmade curve is marked: 10 1/12000. There is no maker's mark.
Railroad curves were used to draw the circular arcs representing track curves on railroad maps. The firm of Keuffel & Esser sold a set of thirty cardboard railroad curves like this from at least 1890 until at least 1921. In 1890, it also offered the curves in wood and hard rubber. By 1909, it sold them in plastic (Xylonite) as well. By 1936, K & E offered railroad curves only in plastic. Eugene Dietzgen Company of Chicago offered a similar set of thirty cardboard railroad curves from at least 1904 through at least 1931.
These instruments are associated with the American railroad bridge engineer George Shattuck Morison (1842-1903).
References:
Eugene Dietzgen Company, Catalog, 1904, p. 219, 1908, p. 243, 1926, p. 228, 1931, p. 247.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue, 1890, p. 152, 1909 p. 228, 1921, p. 156, 1936, pp. 236-237.
Rolland A. Wallis, Industrial Education: Notes on Mechanical Drawing, Ames, Iowa: Engineering Extension Department Iowa State College, 1922, p. 24.
Accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890
ID Number
1993.0111.01
accession number
1993.0111
catalog number
1993.0111.01

Set of Drawing Instruments

This wooden bar-lock case is covered with black leather and lined with purple velvet. The top is marked: OTTO FRUTH. A metal holder inside the lid secures a 4-1/8" wooden triangle and 6-1/2" beveled wooden straight edge.
Description
This wooden bar-lock case is covered with black leather and lined with purple velvet. The top is marked: OTTO FRUTH. A metal holder inside the lid secures a 4-1/8" wooden triangle and 6-1/2" beveled wooden straight edge. The bottom of the case contains: 5-1/8" German silver and steel dividers with removable point, pen point, and pencil point; 3/4" metal joint tightener; 1-7/8" brass cylindrical case with four graphite lead pieces; and 5-3/8" ivory, German silver, and steel drawing pen. The inside of one leg of the dividers and the insertion tip on the pencil point are both marked: 66. The pen point is marked: D.R.P. 40967.
An empty slot in the case suggests a lengthening bar is missing. The pen point may have come from another drawing compass, and the drawing pen may not be original to this set. German patent record 40967 was not located.
Otto J. Fruth (1874–1965) was the father of the donor. Born and raised in St. Louis, Mo., he studied at the manual training school that became Washington University, earning a dental degree in 1897 and a medical degree in 1898. He was elected corresponding secretary of the Missouri State Dental Association in 1902, and in 1908, he built a house for his practice. Until 1918 he operated Barnes Medical College with two other dentists, George H. Owen and D. E. Morrow. For a set of drawing instruments owned by his father, Andreas Fruth, see 1990.0115.01.
References: Fruth Family, Papers, 1862–1920s, Missouri History Museum, http://collections.mohistory.org/archive/ARC:A0537; "Missouri State Dental Association," The Dental Cosmos 44, no. 7 (July 1902): 761; "American, Barnes, and National College Collection, 1881–1915," Bernard Becker Library Archives, http://beckerarchives.wustl.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=8693; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1990.0115.02
catalog number
1990.0115.02
accession number
1990.0115

Flexible Ruler Invented by Frank G. Hunt

Frank G. Hunt of Buffalo, N.Y., designed this flexible steel rule for drawing straight lines on curved surfaces, such as those of ledger books. The rule has no scales, but it has a small round metal handle in the middle of the front.
Description
Frank G. Hunt of Buffalo, N.Y., designed this flexible steel rule for drawing straight lines on curved surfaces, such as those of ledger books. The rule has no scales, but it has a small round metal handle in the middle of the front. Nine rectangular clips on the back hold several layers of paper covered by a metal rectangle. The middle clip is marked: EXP. ACC'T. F. G. HUNT (/) PAT'D. FEB.25.02 (/) BUFFALO, N.Y. Hunt distributed the rule via the Hunt Ruler Company in Buffalo at least as late as 1920. By 1922, he had passed away but the firm was expanding.
References: Frank G. Hunt, "Flexible Ruler" (U.S. Patent 694,061 issued February 25, 1902); "Buyers' Reference Bureau: Rulers: Metal or Steel," The American Stationer and Office Outfitter 86, no. 18 (May 8, 1920): 102; "Hunt Ruler Company Expanding," Office Appliances 36 (July 1922): 49; Buffalo Historical Society, "Buffalonians More or Less Noted, Who Died in 1922," in Reports of the President and Secretary (Buffalo, 1923), 46.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902–ca 1922
inventor; patentee
Hunt, Frank G.
ID Number
1991.0694.02
accession number
1991.0694
catalog number
1991.0694.02

Splining Set by Keuffel & Esser Company

A splining set was used to draw curves by adjusting the weights or "ducks" holding flexible splines. This case contains four painted lead weights, six wooden splines, and three plastic splines. The splines are narrow, flat rods, with a groove along one edge.
Description
A splining set was used to draw curves by adjusting the weights or "ducks" holding flexible splines. This case contains four painted lead weights, six wooden splines, and three plastic splines. The splines are narrow, flat rods, with a groove along one edge. The wooden ones are 12", 24", 30", 36" (two), and 48" long. These are marked:
12" - KEUFFEL&ESSER N.Y. 12
24" - KEUFFEL&ESSER N.Y. 24
30" - KEUFFEL&ESSER N.Y. 30
36" - KEUFFEL&ESSER N.Y. 36 (one of the 36” curves is in two pieces)
48" - KEUFFEL&ESSER N.Y. 48
There is a space for an 18" wooden spline, but no spline.
The black plastic splines are marked as follows:
27 1/2" no mark
21 1/4" KEUFFEL & ESSER N.Y. 30
12 5/8" KEUFFEL
These plastic splines are notched along the grooved edge. They are stored in 18", 24" and 30" slots. There are empty slots for 12" and 42" plastic splines. One duck is missing the finger that would fit into a groove of a spline.
Keuffel & Esser Company was selling splines and weights by 1890 and splining sets by 1906. Sets with plastic rather than hard rubber splines sold from 1909. By 1927, Keuffel & Esser did not offer a cased set of splines. Hence the rough date of 1915 assigned to this splining set.
George A. Beiser, the donor of this splining set, used splines while working at Bell Aircraft during World War II. He was designing aircraft canopies (the plastic hoods over pilot compartments). After the war, Beiser toured American universities, explain what he had done at Bell aircraft and seen on European travels. He bought this splining kit at an estate sale and used it in these demonstrations (he didn’t use it during World War II).
References:
Accession file.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, New York, 1890, p. 137, 151. This catalog included splines in pear wood and hard rubber as well as weights in iron and lead. It did not include plastic splines or a cased instrument. The discussion of splines and weights was the same in the 1892 catalog (even to the page numbers). Catalog numbers were 1835 (hard rubber splines), 2185 (pear wood splines), 2186 (lead weights) and 2187 (iron weights).
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, New York, 1906, p. 215, 223, 242. Splines in hard rubber, pear wood, and Xylonite. No splining sets.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, New York, 1909, p. 209, 226. Catalog offers black Xylonite splines in seven sizes (#1859B) and pear wood splines in seven sizes (#2185). Weights available in lead (#2186 and 2186-1) and iron (#2187). Set of splines and spline weights in wooden box includes four of the lighter lead weights, six Xylonite splines (12, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 42 inches), and six wooden splines (12, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 48 inches).
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, New York, 1921, p. 153. Splines offered in black Xylonite (#1859 B) and wood (#2185). Lead weights offered in two weights (#2186 and #2186-1). Set of splines and spline weights in wooden box includes four of the lighter lead weights, five Xylonite splines (24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 inches), and three wooden splines (30, 48, and 60 inches).
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, New York, 1927, p. 227. No splining sets, splines only in Xylonite.
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser, New York, 1936, p. 238. Splines offered only in Xylonite (#1934). Lead weights offered in two weights (#1936 and 1936-1, old #2186 and 2186-1). No splining sets.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1915
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1992.0346.01
accession number
1992.0346
catalog number
1992.0346.01

Bow Compass with Pencil Point Sold by Keuffel & Esser

This tarnished German silver bow pencil has a ring connecting the instrument to its ridged cylindrical handle. It is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) GERMANY. The disc adjusting the instrument's width is between the legs.
Description
This tarnished German silver bow pencil has a ring connecting the instrument to its ridged cylindrical handle. It is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) GERMANY. The disc adjusting the instrument's width is between the legs. Thumbscrews on the back of one leg and the front of the other permit adjustments to the height of the pencil and pricker points. The instrument has no pencil lead.
The instrument does not appear in K&E's 1892 or 1909 catalogs. K&E sold a similar bow compass from at least 1921 to at least 1936, but that instrument was made in the United States and had bolts in each leg at the ends of the bow screw. Therefore, this object may have been imported before 1892.
References: Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 36th ed. (New York, 1921), 92s; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 141.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1991.0793.02
accession number
1991.0793
catalog number
1991.0793.02

Schoenner Wallet Case of Drawing Instruments Sold by Technical Supply Company

This folding cardboard case is covered with black leather and lined with green velvet. It is fastened with a brass snap that is marked with a pi symbol and with a backward letter R and the letter G. Inside the lid is marked: TECHNICAL SUPPLY Co. (/) SCRANTON PA.
Description
This folding cardboard case is covered with black leather and lined with green velvet. It is fastened with a brass snap that is marked with a pi symbol and with a backward letter R and the letter G. Inside the lid is marked: TECHNICAL SUPPLY Co. (/) SCRANTON PA. The set includes:
1) 6" German silver drawing compass with removable pencil point, pen point, extension bar, and needle point. On one side, the hinge is marked: SCHOENNER. On the other side, the hinge has the Schoenner logo (overlapping S, G, and two two-headed arrows) and the letters: D. R. P.
2) 3-1/4" German silver pen handle.
3) 6" German silver and steel fixed-leg dividers. On one side, the hinge is marked: SCHOENNER. On the other side, the hinge has the Schoenner logo (overlapping S, G, and two two-headed arrows) and the letters: D. R. P.
4) 1-5/16" cylindrical metal case for leads. Three pencil leads are loose in the tray of the wallet case.
5) 5" steel drawing pen. The handle is painted black.
6) 4" steel bow pen and bow pencil.
7) 1" metal joint tightener.
Technical Supply Company sold drawing materials in Scranton, Pa., by 1903. This set does not resemble any of the sets in the firm's 1912 catalog. Compare to 1989.0305.05. For other sets with Schoenner instruments, see 1977.0279.01, 1977.1101.0097, 1979.0868.01, 1990.0350.01, 1990.0690.01, and MA.317925.04.
Dr. Robert P. Multhauf (1919–2004), who owned this set, graduated from Iowa State College in 1941, served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1947, and earned a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1953. He joined the Smithsonian in 1954 and directed the Museum of History and Technology (later the National Museum of American History) from 1966 to 1969. After serving in other positions, he retired from the Smithsonian in 1987. He likely purchased this set early in his career.
References: "Dr. Robert P. Multhauf," Marin Independent Journal, May 15, 2004; Bernard S. Finn, "Robert P. Multhauf, 1919–2004," Technology and Culture 46, no. 1 (2005): 265–273.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930-1940
maker
Schoenner, Georg
ID Number
1989.3072.01
catalog number
1989.3072.01
nonaccession number
1989.3072

Fairgate 155-T T-Square

This 27" aluminum and plastic T-square has scales of inches along both sides of the handle. One scale is divided to 1/8" and the other is divided to 1/16". Both scales are numbered by ones from 1 to 24. The end of the handle has a hole for hanging.
Description
This 27" aluminum and plastic T-square has scales of inches along both sides of the handle. One scale is divided to 1/8" and the other is divided to 1/16". Both scales are numbered by ones from 1 to 24. The end of the handle has a hole for hanging. The handle is marked: FAIRGATE 115–T. It is also marked: COLD SPRING, N.Y. 10516 MADE IN U.S.A.
The blue plastic crosspiece has holes in its interior. The lower edge of the crosspiece is marked with a scale of units slightly longer than one inch, divided to eighths and numbered by ones from 1 to 5 on both sides of the handle. The back of the crosspiece is marked: FAIRGATE (/) COLD SPRING NY (/) MADE IN U.S.A.
This instrument was found in the collections in 1984. The Fairgate Rule Company began manufacturing high-quality aluminum scale rules, T-squares, L-squares, templates, and curves in Cold Spring, N.Y., in 1946 and remains in business as of 2013. This particular T-square is now sold as model number 63-124 for $14.10.
Reference: Fairgate Rule Company, "Frequently Asked Questions," https://fairgate.com/Frequently-Asked-Questions_ep_42-1.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1946-1984
maker
Fairgate Rule Company Inc..
ID Number
1990.0316.06
accession number
1990.0316
catalog number
1990.0316.06

Rolling Parallel Rule and Combination Instrument

This 12" clear plastic rolling parallel rule is combined with a scale of inches that is divided to 1/16"; a centimeter scale divided to millimeters; and a protractor divided to 5° and numbered by 30s from 0 to 90 to 0.
Description
This 12" clear plastic rolling parallel rule is combined with a scale of inches that is divided to 1/16"; a centimeter scale divided to millimeters; and a protractor divided to 5° and numbered by 30s from 0 to 90 to 0. Holes in the scales at every 1/2-inch and centimeter help the user align the instrument on a drawing. The holes may also be used with a pencil to produce parallel lines. The instrument is marked with a small centimeter-inch conversion table and the words: MADE IN TAIWAN.
The white roller is also marked with various useful mathematical formulas, a small table of sines and cosines of various angles between 1° and 45°, and comparative centimeter and inch scales that function as a line spacing guide for measuring evenly spaced lines.
The rule appears to be model 1205 of Hua Ching Manufacturing Co., Ltd., which has been making plastic and wooden drafting supplies in Taichung, Taiwan, since 1978. Several firms currently distribute the rule in the United States for a price of about $10.25.
Reference: Hua Ching Manufacturing Co., Ltd., "About Us," http://www.taiwantrade.com.tw/huaching/home/en_US.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1978–2012
ID Number
2013.0016.01
catalog number
2013.0016.01
accession number
2013.0016

Mixed Set of Drawing Instruments

This small set of drawing instruments includes a bow compass and a bow pen, both in the style shown by Theodore Alteneder of Philadelphia in an 1889 publication. Each of these is 3 1/4" long. Also in the set are tweezers and a center gauge.
Description
This small set of drawing instruments includes a bow compass and a bow pen, both in the style shown by Theodore Alteneder of Philadelphia in an 1889 publication. Each of these is 3 1/4" long. Also in the set are tweezers and a center gauge. The gauge was made by the well-known firm of L.S. Starrett Company of Athol, Massachusetts. A mark on it reads: Starrett (/) Athol,Mass.U.S.A. Another mark reads: No.390 The tweezers are marked: HENCO.
The instruments were used in the Pacific Mills Yarn Department in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and were formerly in the collections of the American Textile History Museum.
Starrett, established in 1880,sold sets of drawing instruments for elementary use. However, no set matching this one was found in Starrett catalogs for the time period 1910-1974. Those that were offered did not have elaborate cases like that of this set, and also lacked the number 307, which is shown on the top of the lid.
Compare 1978.2110.01, a set of instruments that includes a bow pen, a bow pencil, and bow dividers. It seems likely that the case was designed to hold such a set.
Reference:
Theodore Alteneder, Points about Drawing Instruments, Philadelphia, 1889, pp. 14-16.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
manufacturer
L. S. Starrett Company
ID Number
2017.0234.04
catalog number
2017.0234.04
accession number
2017.0234

Globe Mathematical Instruments Case

This brightly painted tin box is meant to store drawing instruments. A protractor, two triangles, a rule, a set of dividers, an eraser, and a drawing compass are shown on the lid. The box itself is empty.Currently not on view
Description
This brightly painted tin box is meant to store drawing instruments. A protractor, two triangles, a rule, a set of dividers, an eraser, and a drawing compass are shown on the lid. The box itself is empty.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2014.3117.01
nonaccession number
2014.3117
catalog number
2014.3117.01

Set of Drawing Instruments, Keuffel & Esser N9520

This set of drawing instruments has six pieces contained in a folding case. The case is covered with black leatherette, lined with green velveteen, and closes with two metal snaps. It is marked “N9520” in the lower left corner of the case.
Description
This set of drawing instruments has six pieces contained in a folding case. The case is covered with black leatherette, lined with green velveteen, and closes with two metal snaps. It is marked “N9520” in the lower left corner of the case. Inside the case is a maker’s plate identifying the set as “FAVORITE” by Keuffel & Esser Co. of New York. Favorite was one of the company’s “School Quality” product lines.
The set includes:
1) Compass with adjustable leg, marked ECCO Co./GERMANY, 1.3cm x 15.5cm.
2) Flat steel screwdriver, 2.2cm x 1cm.
3) Extension bar for compass, .9cm x 8.4cm.
4) Ruling pen blade, .9cm x 8.3cm
5) Metal capsule containing one metal point and two pieces of pencil lead, .8cm x 3.5cm.
6) Ruling pen, marked GERMANY, 1.1cm x 12.2cm. (The thumbscrew is also marked with with a name, but the stamping is not complete, making the last two letters unreadable. The letters "SCHUENN" are clearly stamped).
A mark on the case reads: N9520.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1955
ca 1935-1955
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
2019.0259.02
accession number
2019.0259
catalog number
2019.0259.02

Drawing Instruments, Mathematical Instruments for Use with McDougall's High School Geometry

The instruments in the cardboard box appear to be a mix of products of Copp, Clark Company with other drawing instruments. They may come from more than one set.
Description
The instruments in the cardboard box appear to be a mix of products of Copp, Clark Company with other drawing instruments. They may come from more than one set. Instruments in the box include two identical wooden 30-60-90 triangles, marked with inches along the two shorter edges on one side and centimeters along these edges on the other side; as well as a wooden isoscles right triangle, again marked with inches and centimeters along the shorter sides. The two identical wooden proportional rules are marked: THE COPP CLARK COMPANY. In addition there are two identical semicircular protractors made of tin and divided to degrees. Two metal dividers and a drawing compass also would appear to be part of the set. Also in the box are a brass folding set square, a pen point, and a wooden and brass parallel rule with brass hinges.
Alexander Hiram McDougall (1849-1946) published the textbook The Ontario High School Geometry: Theoretical with Copp, Clark Company, Ltd, in Toronto in 1910. The drawing instruments may relate to that text.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1903
ca 1910
maker
Copp, Clark Company
ID Number
2014.0293.09
catalog number
2014.0293.09
accession number
2014.0293

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