Triangles

A few squares and triangles from the Mathematics collection in the Medicine and Science.

The triangles in the mathematics collections illustrate the products sold by leading American makers of drawing instruments, including Darling, Brown & Sharpe of Providence, R.I.; and Keuffel & Esser of New York City. An American inventor, LeRoy J. Leishman, devised the Arcascope triangle and combination instrument. The objects on this page also show a transition from triangles made from steel, wood, and rubber to triangles made from plastic. The change in materials in the early 20th century has created a problem for preserving these instruments, as celluloid-based plastics are chemically unstable. Several of these objects are deteriorating despite efforts to store them in a controlled environment.

Darling, Brown & Sharpe Drafting Triangle

In the early 19th century, draftsmen began to use triangles in combination with T-squares to draw vertical and diagonal lines. This steel 30°-60°-90° triangle is 14" tall. A hole near the 30° angle is for hanging. The instrument is marked: D. B. & S. Prov. R. I. (/) E. D.
Description
In the early 19th century, draftsmen began to use triangles in combination with T-squares to draw vertical and diagonal lines. This steel 30°-60°-90° triangle is 14" tall. A hole near the 30° angle is for hanging. The instrument is marked: D. B. & S. Prov. R. I. (/) E. D. LEAVITT. Compare to 1977.0460.09 and 1977.0460.10.
D. B. & S. is the mark for Darling, Brown & Sharpe of Providence, R.I. Samuel Darling, a machinist who invented numerous drafting instruments, partnered with Joseph R. Brown and Lucian Sharpe between 1866 and 1892. For more on the history of Darling, Brown & Sharpe, see 1977.0460.01, 1977.0460.05, and 1977.0460.06. This object was not advertised in company catalogs published in 1868 and 1887.
Erasmus Darwin Leavitt Jr. (1836–1916), the renowned American mechanical engineer and designer of steam engines, owned this triangle. It was donated to the Smithsonian by his granddaughter, Margaret Van Daell Rice (1904–1979).
References: Maya Hambly, Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980 (London: Sotheby's Publications, 1988), 105; Bureau of Naval Personnel, Basic Hand Tool Skills (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1954), 51; Kenneth L. Cope, intro., A Brown & Sharpe Catalogue Collection, 1868 to 1899 (Mendham, N.J.: The Astragal Press, 1997); Henry Dexter Sharpe, A Measure of Perfection: The History of Brown & Sharpe (North Kingston, R.I.: Brown & Sharpe, 1949), http://www.roseantiquetools.com/id44.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1866-1892
maker
Darling, Brown and Sharpe
ID Number
1977.0460.08
catalog number
336079
accession number
1977.0460

Darling, Brown & Sharpe Drafting Triangle

This steel 45°-45°-90° triangle is 10" tall. A hole near one vertex is for hanging. The instrument is marked: D. B. & S. Prov. R. I. (/) E. D. LEAVITT.
Description
This steel 45°-45°-90° triangle is 10" tall. A hole near one vertex is for hanging. The instrument is marked: D. B. & S. Prov. R. I. (/) E. D. LEAVITT. The pattern of tarnish marks on the instrument suggests that the user stacked other triangles, including 1977.0460.10, on top of this triangle for making engineering drawings and for storage.
D. B. & S. is the mark for Darling, Brown & Sharpe of Providence, R.I. Samuel Darling, a machinist who invented numerous drafting instruments, partnered with Joseph R. Brown and Lucian Sharpe between 1866 and 1892. For more on the history of Darling, Brown & Sharpe, see 1977.0460.01, 1977.0460.05, and 1977.0460.06. Company catalogs published in 1868 and 1887 depict only open triangles, not solid ones.
Erasmus Darwin Leavitt Jr. (1836–1916), the renowned American mechanical engineer and designer of steam engines, owned this triangle. It was donated to the Smithsonian by his granddaughter.
References: Kenneth L. Cope, intro., A Brown & Sharpe Catalogue Collection, 1868 to 1899 (Mendham, N.J.: The Astragal Press, 1997); Henry Dexter Sharpe, A Measure of Perfection: The History of Brown & Sharpe (North Kingston, R.I.: Brown & Sharpe, 1949), http://www.roseantiquetools.com/id44.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1866-1892
maker
Darling, Brown and Sharpe
ID Number
1977.0460.09
catalog number
336080
accession number
1977.0460

Darling, Brown & Sharpe Open Triangle

This steel 45°-45°-90° triangle is 8" tall and has an open interior. A hole near one vertex is for hanging. The instrument is marked: Darling, Brown & Sharpe (/) Providence, R.I. The firm operated under that name from 1866 to 1892.
Description
This steel 45°-45°-90° triangle is 8" tall and has an open interior. A hole near one vertex is for hanging. The instrument is marked: Darling, Brown & Sharpe (/) Providence, R.I. The firm operated under that name from 1866 to 1892. (Compare to 1977.0460.08 and 1977.0460.09.) It advertised this triangle in 1868 for $4.50 and for $4.00 in 1887 and 1899 (when the company was known as Brown & Sharpe). In 1884 the Physical Laboratory of the University of California in Berkeley purchased a triangle of this type from Darling, Brown & Sharpe for $4.25.
Erasmus Darwin Leavitt Jr. (1836–1916), the renowned American mechanical engineer and designer of steam engines, owned this triangle. It was donated to the Smithsonian by his granddaughter.
References: Kenneth L. Cope, intro., A Brown & Sharpe Catalogue Collection, 1868 to 1899 (Mendham, N.J.: The Astragal Press, 1997), 14, 118, 157; "Disbursements," in Annual Report of the Secretary to the Board of Regents of the University of California, for the Year Ending June 30, 1884 (Sacramento, 1884), 50.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1866-1892
maker
Darling, Brown & Sharpe
ID Number
1977.0460.10
catalog number
336081
accession number
1977.0460

Drafting Triangle

This 6-1/4" 30°-60°-90° wooden triangle has a 1-1/8" round hole at the center for positioning and holding the instrument. The hole is larger than those in 1979.0876.02 and MA.335331. Cursive initials "D.
Description
This 6-1/4" 30°-60°-90° wooden triangle has a 1-1/8" round hole at the center for positioning and holding the instrument. The hole is larger than those in 1979.0876.02 and MA.335331. Cursive initials "D. D." are engraved near the 60° angle.
The donors' family was prominent in the history of American science. John William Draper (1811–1882) was a chemist who also made innovations in photography. He had three sons: John C. Draper (1835–1885), who was a physician and chemist; Henry Draper (1837–1882), who was an astronomical photographer; and Daniel Draper (1841–1931), who established the New York Meteorological Observatory in Central Park in 1868 and directed it until 1911. The initials on the object suggest Daniel owned the triangle.
References: Maya Hambly, Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980 (London: Sotheby's Publications, 1988), 108–109; Robert S. Harding and Jeffrey L. Tate, "Draper Family Collection, ca. 1826–1936," Archives Center, National Museum of American History, http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/d8121.htm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MA.304826.137
catalog number
304826.137
accession number
304826

Drafting Triangle

This 7-1/2" 30°-60°-90° triangle has a beveled hypotenuse and a 9/16" round hole at the center for positioning and holding the instrument. Compare to 304826.137 and 335331. See also 1983.0238.01 and 1979.0876.01.
Description
This 7-1/2" 30°-60°-90° triangle has a beveled hypotenuse and a 9/16" round hole at the center for positioning and holding the instrument. Compare to 304826.137 and 335331. See also 1983.0238.01 and 1979.0876.01. The triangle was found in the Physical Sciences collections in 1979 with objects that suggest an association with Cleveland Abbe (1838–1916), an American engineer, astronomer, and meteorologist who worked for the U.S. Weather Service from 1871 until shortly before his death.
Reference: accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
1979.0876.02
catalog number
1979.0876.02
accession number
1979.0876

Set of Drawing Instruments

This wooden case has an inlay for a label on its top, but the inlay is not marked. The lock is broken. The case is lined with blue paper and velvet.
Description
This wooden case has an inlay for a label on its top, but the inlay is not marked. The lock is broken. The case is lined with blue paper and velvet. A compartment inside the lid has space for a transparent plastic protractor, divided to single degrees and numbered by tens from 0 to 180. (Due to the deterioration of the plastic, the protractor is stored separately.) The bottom of the case, underneath a tray of drawing instruments, contains: a 5-1/8" German silver and steel drawing pen with ivory handle; a 5-1/2" ebony triangle with corners marked 45, 45, and 90; and a 6-1/2" wooden rule.
One side of the rule has four scales, divided to roughly: 1/4", numbered by ones from 1 to 19; 3/4", numbered by ones from 6 to 1; 1/2", numbered by ones from 1 to 9; and 1", numbered by ones from 4 to 1. The ends of the scales have unusual diagonal scales for 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1". The other side has a scale of chords and scales dividing the inch into 60, 50, 45, 40, 35, and 30 parts.
The tray contains: 6-1/2" brass and steel drawing pen with ebony handle; 6-1/2" brass compass with pencil point and removable leg; extension bar, divider point, and pen point for the compass; 2-3/8" steel pencil, pen, and divider points for a small compass not included in the set; 2-1/8" brass and steel drawing pen; and 3" brass and steel bow pen. None of the instruments are signed.
A pen wipe cloth, cake of ink, cylindrical wooden case holding seven pencil leads, and rubber were also received with the set. The rubber is marked: NEWMAN'S (/) PURPLE LAKE (/) SOHO SQUARE. The cloth is signed by Charles M. Higgins, an inventor and manufacturer of inks and pens from Brooklyn, N.Y.
The set was owned by the donor's grandfather, Frederick Dawson Thorns (1830–1911). He worked in an ironmonger's shop in England before moving in 1855 to Brooklyn, N.Y., where he held various jobs before operating a restaurant, opening an auction house, and selling real estate. He moved to Asheboro, N.C., to live with one of his daughters in the late 19th century.
Reference: 1910 U.S. Census records; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 19th century
ID Number
MA.334622
accession number
308964
catalog number
334622

Set of Drawing Instruments

This wooden case has a mahogany veneer and is lined with blue paper and velvet. A brass plate on the lid is not marked.
Description
This wooden case has a mahogany veneer and is lined with blue paper and velvet. A brass plate on the lid is not marked. A compartment inside the lid has a holder for a protractor (not present) and a white label marked: MÉDAILLE D'ARGENT (/) Marque de Fabrique (/) EXPOSITION DE PARIS 1867. A blue and white label on the inside bottom of the case is marked: No. 14 (/) 7–2.
The bottom also holds: a piece of white tissue paper; two pencil leads; 4-3/8" brass and steel dividers with removable leg, pencil point, and extension bar; pen point that fits the 6" dividers in the tray; a 5-3/4" wooden French curve marked with a sphinx; and a 5-1/2" wooden triangle marked in the corners: 90, 67 [1/]2, 22 [1/]2.
A tray inside the case contains: 6" brass and steel dividers with a removable leg, pencil point attachment, and extension bar; 4-1/2" brass and steel fixed-leg dividers; 3-3/8" brass and steel compass with removable leg, pricker point, and pen and pencil attachments; a pen point that nearly fits the 4-3/8" dividers; two metal joint tighteners; and a 5-1/4" steel, German silver, and ivory drawing pen.
It is unclear which European firm won a silver medal at the 1867 Paris Exposition for the entire set or an instrument within it. This example was likely first sold soon after the fair and before the next major competition for makers of scientific instruments, such as Havre in 1869 or Vienna in 1873. The Smithsonian received the object in 1963.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1870
ID Number
MA.323412
accession number
251004
catalog number
323412

Keuffel & Esser Triangle for Roof Pitches

This 4" 45°-45°-90° triangle is made of hard black rubber. One edge is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y.; TRADE MARK (below the K&E eagle logo). The hypotenuse is marked: 1/2 PITCH.
Description
This 4" 45°-45°-90° triangle is made of hard black rubber. One edge is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y.; TRADE MARK (below the K&E eagle logo). The hypotenuse is marked: 1/2 PITCH. At least as early as 1880, K&E sold this object as part of a set of six hard rubber triangles with various angle sizes. The triangles were used for depicting roof pitches in architectural drawings. In 1890 and 1892 the set sold for $3.00 as model number 1805. By 1906 the set was made of transparent xylonite (plastic).
The triangle was found in the NMAH Physical Sciences collections in 1979 with objects that suggest an association with Cleveland Abbe (1838–1916), an American engineer, astronomer, and meteorologist who worked for the U.S. Weather Service from 1871 until shortly before his death.
References: Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 13th ed. (New York, 1880), 131; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 21st ed. (New York, 1890), 135; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 23rd ed. (New York, 1892), 135; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 32nd ed. (New York, 1906), 223; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1906
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1979.0876.03
catalog number
1979.0876.03
accession number
1979.0876

Keuffel & Esser 1802 12" Drafting Triangle

This 12" 30°-60°-90° hard rubber triangle has a small triangular opening in the interior. On one side, the short side is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW YORK (/) AND (/) CHICAGO; 12. K&E's eagle trademark is to the right of the number 12, above the word TRADEMARK.
Description
This 12" 30°-60°-90° hard rubber triangle has a small triangular opening in the interior. On one side, the short side is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW YORK (/) AND (/) CHICAGO; 12. K&E's eagle trademark is to the right of the number 12, above the word TRADEMARK. On the other side, the short side is marked: S. T. [in script] (/) A. R. O. That side also has three concentric circles near the hypotenuse of the opening.
By 1890 Keuffel & Esser was making the shape of the hole in its hard rubber triangles triangular instead of circular. The 12-inch size of model number 1802 sold for 90¢ from 1890 to 1909 and for 75¢ in 1913. By 1921 the firm no longer offered hard rubber triangles, perhaps due to shortages of the material during World War I as well as improvements in the manufacture of plastic. The mark suggests that the object's date can be narrowed to 1892–1894, since that was the period when Chicago was K&E's only branch office.
References: Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 21st ed. (New York, 1890), 135; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 202; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 34th ed. (New York, 1913), 200; Hoboken Historical Museum, "Triangle: pearwood framed drawing, [group of] 3," http://hoboken.pastperfect-online.com/32340cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=5D8ED8D1-A698-42D7-AA97-396737757553;type=101.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1890-1918
Maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.333826
catalog number
333826
accession number
304759

Salmoiraghi Case of Military Drafting Instruments

This wooden case of military drafting instruments has leather handles and metal hooks and is lined with black velvet. Wooden and metal pieces inside the case help hold the instruments in place.
Description
This wooden case of military drafting instruments has leather handles and metal hooks and is lined with black velvet. Wooden and metal pieces inside the case help hold the instruments in place. The set includes a 12" aluminum circular protractor, divided to 1000s of mils and numbered by ones from 1 to 64, with a vernier controlled by a spring. The vernier permits readings to 100 mils of accuracy and is marked: R = 170 m/m. A bar across the center of the protractor has three oval cutouts covered by plastic marked with a hairline that are used to position the instrument. The bar is marked: SALMOIRAGHI (/) MILANO. Black plastic is screwed to the bar on both sides. Both plastic pieces are marked: 3559. They are also marked: MISS-BAK.
An 18" aluminum scale rule with two positioning knobs is divided along one edge to ten mils and numbered by hundreds of mils from 100 to 11,200. The other edge is divided to half-millimeters and numbered by centimeters from 0 to 39. The rule is marked: SCALA 1:25000. A 5-1/4" aluminum and plastic sight is divided to 1000s of mils and numbered by ones from 1 to 64. An aluminum or German silver beam compass has two points, an additional clamp with two thumbscrews, and a 12-1/4" wooden beam with a notch at the middle.
The case also holds a black plastic and aluminum joint tightener; a 3-5/8" aluminum triangle divided to millimeters and numbered by tens from 60 to 10 along the x axis and from 10 to 80 along the y axis; 2-7/8" German silver and aluminum beam dividers; a 3-1/8" crayon holder; 6-1/8" aluminum dividers with pen and pencil attachments; a 2-3/4" German silver screwdriver; a 1-1/2" cylindrical aluminum case with seven pencil leads; and an additional pencil attachment for a compass that does not appear to fit either pair of dividers. The large dividers are marked: IAS. At least one piece of the original set is missing.
Ignasio Porro (1801–1875) established La Filotecnica in Milan in 1865 to train students to make optical and mathematical instruments. Between 1870 and 1877 one of his apprentices, Angelo Salmoiraghi (1848–1939), purchased the firm and put more emphasis on manufacturing. By 1906 the company was renamed Filotecnica Salmoiraghi.
References: Paolo Brenni, "Italian Scientific Instrument Makers of the Nineteenth Century and Their Instruments," in Nineteenth-Century Instruments and Their Makers, ed. P. R. de Clercq (Amsterdam: Rodopi B.V., 1985), 196–198; Bill Morris, "A Fine Sextant by Filotecnica Salmoiraghi of Milan," October 5, 2010, The Nautical Sextant, http://sextantbook.com/2010/10/05/a-fine-sextant-by-filotecnica-salmoirhagi-of-milan/.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Salmoiraghi
ID Number
1986.0316.08
catalog number
1986.0316.08
accession number
1986.0316

Compas Superieurs Case of Drawing Instruments Sold by William Minifie

The lid of this hardwood case has been marked with Chinese characters and stickers (?) of people. Engraving on the brass name plate is not legible. The key for the lock is missing.A compartment inside the lid is lined with purple silk.
Description
The lid of this hardwood case has been marked with Chinese characters and stickers (?) of people. Engraving on the brass name plate is not legible. The key for the lock is missing.
A compartment inside the lid is lined with purple silk. The front of the compartment is marked: COMPAS SUPERIEURS (/) MARQUE DÉPOSÉ (/) BREVETÉS S.G.D.G. A 3-7/8" brass semicircular protractor divided to degrees and a 4-1/4" clear plastic semicircular protractor divided to half-degrees are held inside the compartment with a ribbon. Both protractors are numbered by tens in both directions from 0 to 180. The base of the brass protractor appears to be engraved with an owner's name, but the name is not legible. A yellow label inside the compartment is marked: WM MINIFIE & SON (/) Booksellers (/) No. 114 Balto. St. (/) BALTIMORE. The bottom of the wooden part of the lid is marked in pencil: No 18. It is also marked: odl (/) 9.–.
The wooden bottom of the case holds a 5-3/4" wooden French curve and two wooden triangles (5-1/8" and 7-1/2"). All are ink-stained and presumably were heavily used. Both triangles are marked: WM MINIFIE (/) BALTIMORE. They are also marked: J. Schröder (/) in Darmstadt. The larger triangle is part number 20, and the smaller triangle is part number 11.
A wooden tray inside the case is lined with purple velvet and holds: 6-1/2" brass and steel proportional dividers numbered by ones from 2 to 10; a 1-1/2" brass cylindrical case holding two steel needle points; a 5" pointed wooden stick; 4-1/2" brass and steel fixed-leg dividers; a 4" brass and steel compass with a pencil point and a removable leg; pen and pencil points that fit the compass; a 4" brass and steel divider point, pen point, and extender bar that do not fit any instrument in the case; a 3-3/4" brass and steel bow pen with ivory handle; a metal joint tightener; and a 6-1/4" brass and steel drawing pen with ivory handle. The pencil point for the compass is marked: Bvt. S.G.D.G. Some instruments are apparently not original to the set.
Compas Supérieurs assembled cases of drawing instruments in France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "Brevetés sans Guarantie de Gouvernement" in its logo suggests the company had applied for French patents.
Jacob Peter Schröder (1809–1887) of Darmstadt, Germany, operated a teaching workshop that made wooden and cast-iron models of machines from 1837 into the 1880s. The firm exhibited sewing machines at the 1862 Great London Exposition. A few wooden Schröder geometric models are in the Smithsonian mathematics collections; see 1982.0795.39, 1982.0795.40, 1982.0795.41, 1982.0795.42, 1982.0795.43, and 1982.0795.44. Some of the firm's kinematic models may be viewed via Cornell's Kinetic Models for Design Digital Laboratory, http://kmoddl.library.cornell.edu/collection-toc.php.
William Minifie (1805–1880) apprenticed as a cabinet maker in England before moving to Baltimore in 1828. He became an architect and builder, professor of drawing at Central High School in Baltimore, and author of a successful textbook on geometrical drawing. In 1847 he purchased the bookstore that became Wm. Minifie (adding "& Son" in 1868), selling stationery and artist's materials.
References: Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education, Catalogue of Models of Machinery, Drawings, Tools, &c. in the South Kensington Museum (London, 1880), 16, 111, 157–169; C. Herbert Baxley, "Travel in the 1830s: The Diary of William Minifie," Maryland Historical Magazine 78 (1983): 287–296; Baltimore City Directories of 1863–64 (p. 192) and 1879 (p. 535).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
retailer
Minifie, William
maker
Compas Superieurs
ID Number
1983.0238.01
accession number
1983.0238
catalog number
1983.0238.01

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

Open Triangle

This unmarked 8" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood laid between two sections of lighter wood. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. Compare to MA.335330.
Description
This unmarked 8" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood laid between two sections of lighter wood. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. Compare to MA.335330. Neither Keuffel & Esser nor the Eugene Dietzgen Company advertised triangles like this one. James W. Queen of Philadelphia did offer walnut or mahogany triangles with a maple inlay, but the firm did not sell the instrument in the 8-inch size.
Reference: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), 51.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335329
catalog number
335329
accession number
305958

Open Triangle

This unmarked 6" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood set between two sections of lighter wood. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. Compare to MA.335329.
Description
This unmarked 6" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood set between two sections of lighter wood. The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. Compare to MA.335329. James W. Queen of Philadelphia sold a similar walnut or mahogany triangle with a maple inlay for 50¢ in 1883.
Reference: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), 51.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335330
catalog number
335330
accession number
305958

Open Triangle

This 12" 45°-45°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of three different woods, with two sections of lighter wood (0.5 cm wide) around two sections of darker wood (0.8 cm wide) around one section of reddish wood (1 cm wide).
Description
This 12" 45°-45°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of three different woods, with two sections of lighter wood (0.5 cm wide) around two sections of darker wood (0.8 cm wide) around one section of reddish wood (1 cm wide). Three horizontal splines made from the lighter wood reinforce each corner. The back of the object has a sticker marked: 364.
Neither Keuffel & Esser nor the Eugene Dietzgen Company advertised triangles like this one. James W. Queen of Philadelphia offered only two-toned triangles, of walnut or mahogany with a maple or ebony inlay. Additionally, the firm did not sell inlaid triangles in a 12-inch size. The previous owner of this instrument collected more than 1,200 hand tools and machine tools and displayed them at his family's building company in Baltimore, Md. This object was item number 364 in his collection.
Reference: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), 51.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1977.1101.0087
catalog number
1977.1101.0087
accession number
1977.1101

Open Triangle

This 7" 45°-45°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of reddish wood set between two sections of darker wood. A small triangle is etched in one leg. The object has a sticker marked: 365.James W.
Description
This 7" 45°-45°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of reddish wood set between two sections of darker wood. A small triangle is etched in one leg. The object has a sticker marked: 365.
James W. Queen of Philadelphia sold a similar ebony or maple triangle with a mahogany inlay, but only in a 7-1/2" size. The previous owner of this instrument collected more than 1,200 hand tools and machine tools and displayed them at his family's building company in Baltimore, Md. This object was item number 365 in his collection.
Reference: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), 51.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1977.1101.0088
catalog number
1977.1101.0088
accession number
1977.1101

Open Triangle

This 12" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood set between two sections of lighter wood.
Description
This 12" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different woods, with a section of darker wood set between two sections of lighter wood. Each corner is reinforced with horizontal splines made from the lighter wood: two in the right angle, and three in the other two angles. The back of the object has a sticker marked: 838. Compare to 1977.1101.0087, MA.335329, and MA.335330.
Neither Keuffel & Esser nor the Eugene Dietzgen Company advertised triangles like this one. James W. Queen of Philadelphia offered two-toned triangles, of walnut or mahogany with a maple or ebony inlay, but they did not have the splines. The previous owner of this instrument collected more than 1,200 hand tools and machine tools and displayed them at his family's building company in Baltimore, Md. This object was item number 838 in his collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1977.1101.0089
catalog number
1977.1101.0089
accession number
1977.1101

Open Triangle

This 8" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different kinds of mahogany, with a section of reddish wood set between two sections of darker wood. A small triangle is etched in the short leg. On the back, the object has a sticker marked: 839.
Description
This 8" 30°-60°-90° triangle with an open interior is made of two different kinds of mahogany, with a section of reddish wood set between two sections of darker wood. A small triangle is etched in the short leg. On the back, the object has a sticker marked: 839. Compare to 335329, 335330, and 1977.1101.89.
James W. Queen of Philadelphia sold a similar ebony or maple triangle with a mahogany inlay, but not in an 8" size. The previous owner of this instrument collected more than 1,200 hand tools and machine tools and displayed them at his family's building company in Baltimore, Md. This object was item number 839 in his collection.
Reference: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Mathematical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), 51.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
1977.1101.0090
catalog number
1977.1101.0090
accession number
1977.1101

Drafting Triangle

This unmarked 5-1/2" wooden right triangle has angles of about 30° and 60°. The corners of the instrument have broken off, and some drawing triangles were neither 30°-60°-90° nor 45°-45°-90°, so it is not possible to know the original dimensions of the object.
Description
This unmarked 5-1/2" wooden right triangle has angles of about 30° and 60°. The corners of the instrument have broken off, and some drawing triangles were neither 30°-60°-90° nor 45°-45°-90°, so it is not possible to know the original dimensions of the object. (For triangles with other angle measurements, see 1990.0690.01 and MA.323412.) Users held the object in place by putting their thumbs in an 11/16" circle cut from the center. Compare to 1979.0876.02, 1983.0238.01, and MA.304826.137.
The dating of other objects from this donor suggests the triangle was made around 1900. The Eugene Dietzgen Company sold a 5-3/4" 30°-60°-90° cherry triangle for 8¢ in 1904, while Keuffel & Esser offered a triangle with the same dimensions but in pearwood for 10¢ in 1909.
References: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 194; Catalogue and Price List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 223.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335331
catalog number
335331
accession number
305958

Drafting Triangle

This 5-1/2" 20°-70°-90° wooden triangle has a 3/8" round hole at the center for positioning and holding the instrument. Compare to 304826.137, 335331, and 1979.0876.02. A previous user has written the numbers 20, 70, and 90 at the appropriate corners.
Description
This 5-1/2" 20°-70°-90° wooden triangle has a 3/8" round hole at the center for positioning and holding the instrument. Compare to 304826.137, 335331, and 1979.0876.02. A previous user has written the numbers 20, 70, and 90 at the appropriate corners. For other drawing triangles with unusual angle measurements, see 334622 and 1990.0690.01. The Department of Mathematics at Brown University gave this object to the Museum in 1973.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.304722.09
catalog number
304722.09
accession number
304722

Keuffel & Esser 1855 8" Drafting Triangle

This 7-3/4" 30°-60°-90° yellowed plastic triangle was originally transparent and 8" tall. Like many plastic objects from the early 20th century, it is rapidly deteriorating. A small triangular hole in the interior has notches or bevels around its edges.
Description
This 7-3/4" 30°-60°-90° yellowed plastic triangle was originally transparent and 8" tall. Like many plastic objects from the early 20th century, it is rapidly deteriorating. A small triangular hole in the interior has notches or bevels around its edges. The object is marked along the short edge: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co. (/) N. Y.; 8; TRADE MARK (below the K&E eagle logo). By 1909 K&E offered xylonite triangles for use in engineering drawing; the 8-inch size sold for 55¢. By 1936 the price was 50¢. The Department of Mathematics at Brown University gave this object to the Museum in 1973.
References: Catalogue and Price List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 208; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 229.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
Maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.304722.08
catalog number
304722.08
accession number
304722

Magazine Case of Drawing Instruments

Richard G. Smith (about 1891–1936) assembled and used this collection of drawing instruments in his work as a draftsman in Baltimore. His son, also named Richard G. Smith, then used the set early in his career.
Description
Richard G. Smith (about 1891–1936) assembled and used this collection of drawing instruments in his work as a draftsman in Baltimore. His son, also named Richard G. Smith, then used the set early in his career. He apparently added a few of the instruments now found in the set since, for example, the C-Thru template was manufactured after the elder Smith's death.
This 13" by 10" wooden case has a lift-out tray and a pull-out drawer. The lid is lined with green velvet. The top tray contains:
1) 6-1/4" German silver compasses with bendable legs and removable pencil point. The center hinge is marked: PATENT (/) MARCH 17 (/) 1903. Inside one leg is marked: 56. Inside the other leg is marked: SCHOENNER II. On the Schoenner firm of Nuremberg, Germany, see 1989.0305.05.
2) 6" German silver and steel dividers. The center hinge is marked: PATENT (/) MARCH 17 (/) 1903. Inside one leg is marked: SCHOENNER II.
3) 6-1/8" German silver and steel proportional compass. The pieces are each marked: 39.
4) 4" steel bow pen marked: D.R.P. The mark is above an overlaid E, O, and R, the trademark of E. O. Richter, a German instrument maker that operated from 1892 to the 1980s. The letters DRP, or Deutsches Reichspatent, indicate that the firm held an imperial patent.
5) Two 3-3/8" steel bow pencils.
6) 3-3/4" German silver bow pen.
7) 3-3/4" steel bow dividers.
8) German silver beam compasses with removable pencil, pen, and needle points and cylindrical case for needles. Compare to item 1259 in A Manual of the Principal Instruments Used in American Engineering and Surveying, Manufactured by W. & L. E. Gurley, 37th ed. (Troy, N.Y., 1903), 310.
9) 2-1/2" flathead metal screwdriver.
10) 1-1/4" cylindrical case for leads (empty).
11) 2-3/4" metal handle with needle and pencil point inserts.
12) 3-1/4" steel pen point and 3-5/8" lengthening bar that do not fit the Schoenner compass. The end of the bar is marked: 13.
13) 3-3/8", 3-7/8", 4-1/8", 4-1/4" steel, German silver, and ebony drawing pens. The shortest pen is marked: K & E Co. The 4-1/8" pen is marked D.-Co. UNION. The longest is marked: T.A. & SONS. Keuffel & Esser of New York City, the Eugene Dietzgen Company of Chicago, and Theodore Alteneder & Sons of Philadelphia were three of the most prominent American scientific instrument makers and retailers in the 19th and 20th centuries.
14) 4-7/16" German silver and wood drawing pen.
15) 5-3/8" steel, German silver, and wood drawing pen. The point is unusually shaped and has a sliding lever next to the adjusting screw. The handle is marked: PAT. It is also marked with an S inside a circle and with the Dietzgen trademark. It is also marked: 2. The point is marked: 4708. No items numbered 4708 were found in 1904 and 1926 Dietzgen catalogs.
16) 5" steel and wood drawing pen with lever that lifts to widen the pen point and is marked: T. A. & SONS PAT. MAY 7, 95 – SEP. 29, 96. Compare to the Alteneder pen in 1989.0305.05.
17) 5-3/8" steel, German silver, and wood drawing pen with a metal support for the tightening screw.
18) 3-1/2" metal set of 15 convex and 15 concave curve measures, ranging from 17/64" to 1/2". The case is marked: THE L. S. STARRETT CO. (/) ATHOL, MASS. U.S.A. (/) No 178–B. Laroy S. Starrett established this firm in 1880 to manufacture the combination square he invented. The company expanded into precision metrology instruments and saw blades. In 2013 it still sold a version of catalog number 178B, the fillet or radius gage.
The drawer holds:
1) Four 1-1/2" metal cases for pencil leads marked: 2H (/) THE WAHL CO. (/) MADE IN CHICAGO U.S.A. The lids are painted red. The Wahl Company began to make fountain pens and mechanical pencils around 1913. The firm was renamed Wahl-Eversharp in the late 1920s, after its most famous mechanical pencil.
2) 2-1/4" cylindrical wooden case with fountain pen nib, two needle points, small metal screw, and small metal bolt.
3) 5-7/8" yellow plastic triangle with pinholes, hole for hanging, and small opening in interior. The top angle has a picture of a mustachioed man in a hat. Initials are scratched on the back: R S.
4) 4-3/8" yellow plastic triangle. Previous owner has scratched 67 1/2° in one angle, 22 1/2° in the other angle, and R G SMITH in the interior.
5) 4-5/8" white plastic protractor, divided to single degrees and numbered by tens in both directions, positioned at an angle inside an L-shaped frame of rulers. Most of the marks for measurement are no longer legible.
6) 8" clear plastic template with a 6" ruler, divided to 1/8", along the top edge and a protractor, divided to single degrees and numbered by tens in both directions from 10 to 180, at the right end. The instrument is marked: C-THRU RULER COMPANY (/) Hartford, Conn. U.S.A. On the history of C-Thru, see 1990.3130.01.
7) 3-3/4" metal template.
8) 11-9/16" wooden beam for the beam compasses in the tray, with a hole for hanging at one end.
9) 2-5/8" steel point for drawing pen. The handle is broken off; the handle and tightening screw are both missing.
10) Yellow pencil sharpened at both ends and marked: VAN DYKE DRAWING PENCIL EBERHARD FABER. U.S.A. 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. This pencil dates from the 1920s.
11) 5-3/4" metal knife with horn handle in leather case marked: R. G. SMITH. The knife blade is marked: E R (/) J. RODGERS (/) & SONS (/) 6 NORFOLK (/) SHEFFIELD (/) ENGLAND. Joseph Rodgers & Sons registered the logo on the other side of the blade, a star and Maltese cross, in 1764. The firm expanded from pocket knives into cutlery, razors, and scissors in the early 19th century. The Egginton Group purchased the company's name and trademarks in 1986.
12) A small folded piece of metal marked: VISE CLIP (/) G U CO. (/) DIST.
13) Twenty-six slotted metal thumbtacks of varying sizes. Two are unmarked. Two are marked: WEBER PHILA (/) GERMANY. Twenty-two are marked: HAMPDEN (/) No. T1.
14) Six two-holed metal thumbtacks marked: UNIVERSAL DRAFTING MACHINE CO (/) PATS. PDG.
References: D. M. Riches, "E. O. Richter," http://www.mathsinstruments.me.uk/page51.html; Ferdinand A. Alteneder, "Drawing Pen" (U.S. Patent 538,811 issued May 7, 1895) and (U.S. Patent 568,556 issued September 29, 1896); The L. S. Starrett Company, "Where It Began," http://www.starrett.com/about/company-profile; "New Goods and Lines Discontinued," National Association [of Stationers and Manufacturers] News 6, no. 5 (May 1922) : 4; Dennis B. Smith, "Eberhard Faber Van Dyke/Microtomic Drawing Pencil," Leadholder: The Drafting Pencil Museum, http://leadholder.com/wood-ef-vandyke.html; Egginton Group, "The History of Joseph Rodgers," http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/history/the-history-of-joseph-rodgers.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1910-1950
ID Number
1990.0690.01
catalog number
1990.0690.01
accession number
1990.0690

Arcascope Triangle and Combination Instrument

This 8" transparent plastic instrument consists of a 30°-60°-90° triangle with an 8" scale along the long leg, divided to 1/8" for four inches and to 1/16" for four inches; a 10 cm scale along the short leg, divided to millimeters; and a protractor cut out from the interior, divi
Description
This 8" transparent plastic instrument consists of a 30°-60°-90° triangle with an 8" scale along the long leg, divided to 1/8" for four inches and to 1/16" for four inches; a 10 cm scale along the short leg, divided to millimeters; and a protractor cut out from the interior, divided to single degrees and marked by tens in both directions from 10 to 180. Between the protractor and centimeter scale are two sets of angled lines, each between two X's and the letters A and B. These lines are used in conjunction with two unevenly divided scales on the hypotenuse of the triangle to determine the angle of an arc and the length of the diameter from the arc of a circle. The first scale is numbered by ones from 6 to 90; the second is numbered by ones from 10 to 60 and then by twos from 60 to 100.
The device is marked: THE ARCASCOPE (/) PATENTED MAY 2, 1916 (/) OTHER PATENTS PENDING (/) COPYRIGHT 1917 (/) L. J. LEISHMAN CO. (/) OGDEN, UTAH. It was donated to the Museum by the Department of Physics at Kenyon College in 1982.
LeRoy James Leishman (1896–1974) was still in high school when he invented this instrument and formed a company to produce and distribute it. He registered a copyright for the name "Arcascope" on October 13, 1913; applied for a patent on October 21, 1914, although the submitted drawing was very different from the final instrument; and submitted two copies of the copyrighted instrument on October 18, 1915. Leishman claimed that his device, which sold for 85¢ in 1919 and 50¢ in the 1920s, was popular with schools for solving problems in trigonometry, geometry, and drafting. He produced eight inventions by the time he was 20 years old and moved to Los Angeles around 1920. In the 1920s and 1930s he obtained several patents related to television, and in the 1940s and 1950s he developed devices that applied television principles to medical technology.
References: "Ogden Invention is Being Placed on the Market," The Ogden Standard (October 21, 1914), 7; Library of Congress, Catalogue of Copyright Entries, Part 4: Works of Art, n.s., vol. 9, no. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1914), 525; "Ogden Inventor Forms Company," The Ogden Standard (September 28, 1915), 8; LeRoy J. Leishman, "Measuring Instrument" (U.S. Patent 1,181,900 issued May 2, 1916); W. E. Zuppann, "Pictures Sent by Wireless," Illustrated World 26, no. 5 (January 1917): 678–680; "LeRoy James Leishman Papers," Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, http://findingaid.lib.byu.edu/viewItem/MSS%203243.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1917
maker
Leishman, LeRoy J.
ID Number
1982.0147.03
catalog number
1982.0147.03
accession number
1982.0147

J. L. Hammett Co. Open Triangle

This 17-1/4" 45°-45°-90° maple triangle is formed from three pieces of wood and has an open interior. The hypotenuse is marked: J. L. HAMMETT CO. (/) CAMBRIDGE. MASS.
Description
This 17-1/4" 45°-45°-90° maple triangle is formed from three pieces of wood and has an open interior. The hypotenuse is marked: J. L. HAMMETT CO. (/) CAMBRIDGE. MASS. John Hammett began selling erasers and slating paint for chalkboards in Rhode Island in 1863, moving to Boston in 1865. In 1890 new owners expanded the firm into all forms of paper school supplies. J. L. Hammett operated over 50 retail stores from 1974 to 2005. The Department of Mathematics at Brown University gave this object to the Museum in 1973.
References: Bill Lane, "School Supplier J. L. Hammett to Close Stores," Boston Business Journal, January 4, 2005, http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2005/01/03/daily12.html; "J. L. Hammett Company," The Play and Playground Encyclopedia, http://www.pgpedia.com/j/jl-hammett-company.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
20th century
maker
J. L. Hammett Co.
ID Number
MA.304722.44
catalog number
304722.44
accession number
304722

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