On one side this silver-colored metal rule has a 16-cm plotting scale with diagonal scales at each end (graduated to 5 mm and to 1 mm). The plotting scale is divided to centimeters. It is numbered along one edge by hundreds from 0 to 300 (representing a scale drawing at a proportion of 1 cm to 2,000 meters) and along the other edge by twenties from 10 to 150 (representing a scale of 1:1,000). The right end is marked: GEBR. WICHMANN BERLIN.
The other side has another 16-cm plotting scale with diagonal scales at each end (graduated to 4 mm and to 2 mm). The plotting scale is divided to two centimeters. It is numbered along one edge by hundreds from 0 to 400 (representing a scale of 1:2,500) and along the other edge by hundreds from 0 to 800 (representing a scale of 1:5,000). A cardboard case is covered with black leather and lined with dark blue velvet. The case is marked: GEBR. WICHMANN BERLIN.
Gebr. Wichmann (Wichmann Brothers) was founded in Berlin in 1873 and continues to distribute office and technology products. Ernst Emil Herzfeld (1879–1948) is believed to have used this scale on archaeological expeditions and excavations in the Middle East between 1903 and 1936.
References: Gebr. Wichmann, "Wir über uns," http://www.wichmann.de/fip_Ueber_uns-30.html; accession file.
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