Compasses

A collection of dividers and compasses in the Division of Medicine and Science's Mathematics collection.

One characteristic of the compasses in the collection is the variety of ornamentation molded into their metal parts. More often than the instruments on the other pages, compasses were manufactured in the United States, and Americans received patents for adding innovations to the instrument. Several of the objects below were used in schools, and some were even designed to prevent schoolchildren from poking themselves and each other. This page also contains spare parts for compasses.

Search term: *:* Resource Type: compass, drawing Clear All

Drawing Compass

This 18th-century brass drawing instrument appears to be mostly handcrafted. The needle point is relatively broad, and the pen point is shaped like a spade. Both legs are decorated with four horizontal lines, and the leg with the needle point is engraved with a horseshoe.
Description
This 18th-century brass drawing instrument appears to be mostly handcrafted. The needle point is relatively broad, and the pen point is shaped like a spade. Both legs are decorated with four horizontal lines, and the leg with the needle point is engraved with a horseshoe. Both sides of both legs have an apparently intentional gouge shaped like a triangle. The joint is round with a ridge around the bottom.
Reference:
Sotheby & Company, Catalogue of a Collection of Scientific Instruments, the Property of the Late Henry Russel Wray, London, 1959 (a copy of the catalogue is in the accession file).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
18th century
ID Number
MA.316928
accession number
219305
catalog number
316928

Bow Compass with Pen Point

This steel drawing compass has a hexagonal brass handle. The width of the instrument is adjusted with a small brass nut on the outside of the leg with the needle point. A second screw adjusts the width of the pen point.
Description
This steel drawing compass has a hexagonal brass handle. The width of the instrument is adjusted with a small brass nut on the outside of the leg with the needle point. A second screw adjusts the width of the pen point. This object resembles the bow compasses made by Stanley around 1860 that are depicted in Michael Scott Scott, Drawing Instruments (Haverfordwest, UK: Shire Publications Ltd., 1986), 10.
Reference: J. F. Heather, Mathematical Instruments: Their Construction, Adjustment, Testing, and Use, rev. ed. (London: Crosby Lockwood and Co., 1870), i:15–16.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1860
ID Number
1978.2110.11
catalog number
1978.2110.11
accession number
1978.2110
catalog number
336737

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

Drawing Compass

This German silver instrument has a handle and ridged ring at its top. Both legs have screws partway down and thumbscrews at the ends for adjusting the angles of the points. A piece of lead is in the receptacle at the end of one leg. The end of the other leg has a steel point.
Description
This German silver instrument has a handle and ridged ring at its top. Both legs have screws partway down and thumbscrews at the ends for adjusting the angles of the points. A piece of lead is in the receptacle at the end of one leg. The end of the other leg has a steel point. The instrument has no markings. Similar but shorter compasses from Germany are advertised for $2.15 in Keuffel & Esser's 1892 and 1909 catalogs. The instrument is not shown in the 1921 catalog.
References: Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 23rd ed. (New York, 1892), 61; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 108.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335340
accession number
305958
catalog number
335340

Bow Compass

This steel-spring instrument has a metal and ivory handle, with a ridged ring around the bottom and the top shaped like a pawn chess piece. A holder with a metal adjusting screw on one leg is missing its needle point.
Description
This steel-spring instrument has a metal and ivory handle, with a ridged ring around the bottom and the top shaped like a pawn chess piece. A holder with a metal adjusting screw on one leg is missing its needle point. This leg is marked with the number 8 inside a circle and an arrow pointing left (toward the 8). The holder on the other leg has a pencil lead and is adjusted with a brass screw. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a metal screw and brass nut. This object does not resemble the ivory-handled bow-pencils sold around the turn of the 20th century by Keuffel & Esser, Dietzgen, Gurley, Kern, or Schoenner.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335342
accession number
305958
catalog number
335342

Bow Compass with Pen Point

This steel-spring instrument has an ivory handle, a point attached to one leg, and a penholder with adjusting screw on the other leg. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a pin and thumbscrew.
Description
This steel-spring instrument has an ivory handle, a point attached to one leg, and a penholder with adjusting screw on the other leg. The distance between the legs is adjusted with a pin and thumbscrew. The instrument resembles a Swiss bow pen sold around the turn of the 20th century by W. & L. E. Gurley (for $2.00) and by Keuffel & Esser (for $2.50). The manufacturer was probably not Kern & Co. of Aarau, Switzerland, as the Kern instruments advertised in the 1897 Sears Roebuck catalog have a different shape of ivory handle.
References: 1897 Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalogue (reprint; New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2007), 369; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 23rd ed. (New York, 1892), 31; Catalogue and Price-List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 63; A Manual of the Principal Instruments . . . Manufactured by W. & L. E. Gurley, 37th ed. (Troy, N.Y., 1903), 289; A Manual of the Principal Instruments . . . Manufactured by W. & L. E. Gurley, 39th ed. (Troy, N.Y., 1906), 289. This instrument does not appear in the 1921 K&E and 1912 Gurley catalogs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MA.335337
accession number
305958
catalog number
335337

Hairspring Compass

The handle on this metal instrument is connected to the point and can be pulled out of the cylinder that is the compass's main leg. The other leg is screwed to the cylinder with a metal slat.
Description
The handle on this metal instrument is connected to the point and can be pulled out of the cylinder that is the compass's main leg. The other leg is screwed to the cylinder with a metal slat. A screw goes through this leg and can be loosened or tightened to adjust the radius of a circle drawn with the compass. A second screw adjusts the tube that holds a pencil point. Draftsmen used the hairspring compass to precisely draw small circles.
Keuffel & Esser, an American maker and dealer of slide rules and drawing instruments, donated this object to the Smithsonian in 1971. Part of a paper tag received with the object has been lost, but the remaining portion suggests this instrument may have come from Leipzig, Germany. None of the compasses offered in K&E catalogs in 1909, 1921, or 1936 resemble this instrument.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.335261
accession number
306012
catalog number
335261

Hairspring Compass with Lengthening Bar and Pen Point

This metal compass has a cylindrical scrolled handle. The upper parts of the legs have decorative grooves on either side. A thumbscrew on one leg may be used to finely adjust the angle of the leg (hence, the name "hairspring").
Description
This metal compass has a cylindrical scrolled handle. The upper parts of the legs have decorative grooves on either side. A thumbscrew on one leg may be used to finely adjust the angle of the leg (hence, the name "hairspring"). The lower parts of the legs are hinged and are attached by screws so that the pencil point and needle point may be replaced by the pen point or lengthening bar contained with the instrument. Small thumbscrews on the needle, pencil, and pen points allow for fine adjustments.
The donor of this object, William J. Ellenberger (1908–2008), 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. He may have acquired this instrument during his studies or early career.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
ID Number
1981.0933.20
accession number
1981.0933
catalog number
1981.0933.20

Dietzgen 738C Bow Compass with Pen Point

This steel instrument has a needle point on one leg and a pen point on the other. A cross-hatched handle is attached to a ring, which in turn is attached to the legs.
Description
This steel instrument has a needle point on one leg and a pen point on the other. A cross-hatched handle is attached to a ring, which in turn is attached to the legs. A screw goes through both legs, with the nut for setting the compass at a desired width outside the leg with the needle point. Additional thumbscrews allow adjusting of the needle and pen points.
The instrument appears to be a Champion Bow Pen, model number 738C, advertised in 1926 by the Eugene Dietzgen Company of Chicago. The leg with the needle point has handwriting: P M LARSEN. Engraved on the other leg is the word EXCELLO and the Dietzgen logo.
Reference: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 12th ed. (Chicago, 1926), 59, 74.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1926
maker
Eugene Dietzgen Company
ID Number
1981.0933.22
accession number
1981.0933
catalog number
1981.0933.22

Dietzgen 736B Bow Compass with Pencil Point

This steel and German silver instrument has a needle point on one leg and a holder for a pencil lead on the other. The handle has vertical ridges above a single line of raised metal dots.
Description
This steel and German silver instrument has a needle point on one leg and a holder for a pencil lead on the other. The handle has vertical ridges above a single line of raised metal dots. The width of the compass is adjusted with a pin through the legs and a wheel around the pin between the legs. Additional thumbscrews allow adjusting of the needle and pencil points. The instrument appears to be a Federal Bow Pencil, model number 736B, advertised in 1926 by the Eugene Dietzgen Company of Chicago.
Reference: Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co., 12th ed. (Chicago, 1926), 60, 74.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1926
maker
Eugene Dietzgen Company
ID Number
1981.0933.21
accession number
1981.0933
catalog number
1981.0933.21

Record Bow Compass

This steel instrument has a pen point on one leg. Two screws adjust the width of the pen point and allow it to be removed. The needle point and its screw are missing from the other leg. A thumbscrew for adjusting the width of the instrument is outside the leg with the pen point.
Description
This steel instrument has a pen point on one leg. Two screws adjust the width of the pen point and allow it to be removed. The needle point and its screw are missing from the other leg. A thumbscrew for adjusting the width of the instrument is outside the leg with the pen point. A cylindrical ridged handle is directly attached to a ring inserted into the legs. That leg is marked: RECORD. The object was received with several other instruments in a wooden box, 1984.1071.13.
The mark may refer to the British brand of woodworking tools. The Record factory operated in Sheffield, England, from 1909 until about 2002, when its parent company was acquired by Newell Rubbermaid. 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 and assigned the rights to Vitro.
References: "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); David Lynch, "Record Hand Planes: A History," http://www.recordhandplanes.com/history.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 20th century
ID Number
1984.1071.10
accession number
1984.1071
catalog number
1984.1071.10

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

Frederick Post Model 1795 Blackboard Compass

In the years following the Civil War, American mathematics teachers began to use oversized compasses like this one to draw circles on a chalkboard. This example was sold by the Frederick Post Company of Chicago.
Description
In the years following the Civil War, American mathematics teachers began to use oversized compasses like this one to draw circles on a chalkboard. This example was sold by the Frederick Post Company of Chicago. It consists of two maple arms, each about sixteen inches (41 centimeters) long, which are held together by a wing nut at one end. At the other end are a rubber tip and a piece of chalk.
Makers often sold such instruments as part of a set that also included a straight edge, a protractor, a T square, and a triangle. After passage of the National Defense Education Act in 1958, such instruments could be purchased by secondary schools with subsidies from the federal government. This particular instrument was used by Margaret G. Aldrich (1918-2007), who taught at Montgomery College from 1957 to 1984, chairing of the math department on the Takoma Park campus for many years. She had an undergraduate degree in mathematics and an M.A. in psychology, both from the University of Minnesota.
Blackboard dividers that are different from this instrument are advertised as model number 1781 in the Frederick Post Company's 1930 and 1936 catalogs. The instrument is not shown in the 1949–1950 catalog.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
maker
Frederick Post Company
ID Number
1999.0117.01
catalog number
1999.0117.01
accession number
1999.0117

Gramercy Bow Compass

The ridged cylindrical handle on this metal bow pencil is directly attached to a ring. The tops of the legs are pointed. A metal disc between the legs adjusts the width of the instrument. The bow screw is bolted inside the legs and has no nuts on the outsides of the legs.
Description
The ridged cylindrical handle on this metal bow pencil is directly attached to a ring. The tops of the legs are pointed. A metal disc between the legs adjusts the width of the instrument. The bow screw is bolted inside the legs and has no nuts on the outsides of the legs. Thumbscrews on the front of one leg and the back of the other adjust the height of the needle and pencil points. The compass is marked: GRAMERCY IMPORT GERMANY.
The Gramercy Import Company began operating around 1930. Robert Behrens Condon studied engineering at the University of Vermont and Columbia University in the late 1940s and early 1950s, which is probably when he purchased this instrument. He operated the New Englander Motor Inn with his politically active wife, Marie, from 1955 to 1978.
Reference: "April Milestones 2012," Friends Journal, http://www.friendsjournal.org/dept-2012-04-milestones/.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 20th century
maker
Gramercy Import Co.
ID Number
1991.0793.03
accession number
1991.0793
catalog number
1991.0793.03

Omicron Bow Compass

This aluminum and metal bow pencil has a ring connecting the instrument to its cylindrical handle, which has a honeycomb pattern. Its width is adjusted by a metal disc between the legs, but the pin holding the disc extends through only one leg of the compass.
Description
This aluminum and metal bow pencil has a ring connecting the instrument to its cylindrical handle, which has a honeycomb pattern. Its width is adjusted by a metal disc between the legs, but the pin holding the disc extends through only one leg of the compass. A ball is on the end of the pin. A rusted lever is on the pin between the legs. The legs are open and hollow. Thumbscrews on the front of one leg and the back of the other adjust the pencil and needle points. The needle point is only pointed on one end; i.e., it is not reversible. Inside each leg is engraved: OMICRON GLENDALE CAL.
Omicron manufactured drawing instruments, such as ellipsographs, in Glendale, Calif., in the 1940s and 1950s. Robert Behrens Condon studied engineering at the University of Vermont and Columbia University in the late 1940s and early 1950s, which is probably when he purchased this instrument. He operated the New Englander Motor Inn with his politically active wife, Marie, from 1955 to 1978.
Reference: "April Milestones 2012," Friends Journal, http://www.friendsjournal.org/dept-2012-04-milestones/.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 20th century
maker
Omicron
ID Number
1991.0793.04
accession number
1991.0793
catalog number
1991.0793.04

Safe-T 45749 Compass

This translucent light orange plastic instrument is wedge-shaped, with a rotating white plastic disc set inside the wide end of the wedge. One long edge of the wedge has a scale of four inches, divided to 16ths of an inch.
Description
This translucent light orange plastic instrument is wedge-shaped, with a rotating white plastic disc set inside the wide end of the wedge. One long edge of the wedge has a scale of four inches, divided to 16ths of an inch. The other edge has a scale of ten centimeters, divided to millimeters. These edges each have a row of 33 small circular holes. The holes are marked for the radius of various circles, from 1" to 5". To draw a large circle, a pencil is placed in the desired hole and the instrument is rotated while the user holds the disc.
Two rows of four small holes are on the disc; one row is straight and one is bowed. The disc also has a small hole at its center. To draw a small circle of up to 1-5/8" diameter, a pencil is placed in the desired hole and used to rotate the disc, while the wedge is held in place. Five larger circles are around the edge of the disc. The wedge is marked: SAFE-T (/) COMPASS® (/) LaGrange, IL 60535-0692 (/) #45761 Pat. #4,353,166. It is also marked: π = 3.1416 (/) A = πr2 (/) C = πd.
Instructions are on white cardboard received with the instrument. According to a company catalog (1998.0033.04), model number 45759 sold for $1.19 around 1998. The design of the disc is covered by a patent received by John S. Kettlestrings of Wheaton, Ill., in 1982.
Safe-T Products, Inc., of La Grange, Ill., was established in 1992 and specialized in drawing instruments that were safe for children. In 2006, the company became a subsidiary of A. Daigger & Company and its name changed to Classroom Products Warehouse. Kettlestrings (b. about 1933) is an inventor, designer, and entrepreneur who was associated with Tool-Less Hanger Corporation of Everson, Wash., in 2011.
References: SAFE-T Products, Inc., Innovative Safe Drawing and Measuring Instruments, about 1998; John S. Kettlestrings, "Toy-Like Instrument for Drawing Circles" (U.S. Patent 4,353,166 issued October 12, 1982); Company Overview of Safe-T Classroom Products, Inc.," Bloomberg BusinessWeek, http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=27794340; "About Us," Classroom Products Warehouse, http://www.classroomprdcts.com/.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1998
maker
Safe-T Products, Inc.
ID Number
1998.0033.03
catalog number
1998.0033.03
accession number
1998.0033

Safe-T Circle Perfect Compass

This instrument consists of two orange molded plastic discs held together by a metal screw and a plastic bolt, a blue pencil, and a blue plastic stylus with a metal point. The pencil and the stylus fit between the discs on opposite sides of the screw.
Description
This instrument consists of two orange molded plastic discs held together by a metal screw and a plastic bolt, a blue pencil, and a blue plastic stylus with a metal point. The pencil and the stylus fit between the discs on opposite sides of the screw. The user adjusts the screw and stylus to the desired diameter for the circle, according to a scale from zero to ten inches on the front of the instrument or a scale from zero to 24 centimeters on the back of the instrument. The compass is somewhat flimsy to operate.
The front of the disc is marked: CIRCLE™ (/) PERFECT (/) #45748. The back is also marked: pat. pend. The stylus is marked: CHINA. A blue and orange cardboard backing was held to the instrument by the screw. The back of the card has instructions and is marked: Pat. Pend. (/) Made in China (/) SAFE-T PRODUCTS™, Inc. (/) P.O. Box 692 (/) LaGrange, IL 60625 [sic]. As with other Safe-T items in the collections, this model number was used for distribution to retail stores. Extra Measures, the company associated with Safe-T Products, sold this compass through its own catalog as model number 45743 for $2.25 around 2000. For company information, see 2000.0160.04.
References: Bruce Stoneberg, "Circle Compass" (U.S. Patent 5,630,278 issued May 20, 1997); accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1997-2000
maker
Safe-T Products, Inc.
ID Number
2000.0160.07
accession number
2000.0160
catalog number
2000.0160.07

Safe-T 45762 Blackboard Compass

This is an oversized form of the Safe-T Compass (1998.0033.03), for use at a blackboard or dry erase board. It is a white plastic wedge-shaped instrument, with a rotating clear plastic disc set inside the wide end of the wedge.
Description
This is an oversized form of the Safe-T Compass (1998.0033.03), for use at a blackboard or dry erase board. It is a white plastic wedge-shaped instrument, with a rotating clear plastic disc set inside the wide end of the wedge. Both long edges of the wedge have a row of 9 circular holes. The holes are marked for the radius of various circles, from 1" to 5". To draw a large circle, a marker or piece of chalk is placed in the desired hole and the instrument is rotated while the user holds the disc. Note that the circle radii are those that may be drawn with the pocket-sized version of the instrument. This compass actually draws circles with radii from 3" to 15". One long edge of the wedge has a scale marked for four inches, divided to 16ths of an inch. The other edge has a scale marked for ten centimeters, divided to millimeters. Both scales are oversized.
Seven holes are in the disc. A piece of black rubber in the center hole attaches the instrument more securely to the blackboard. To draw a small circle of up to 3/8" radius, a marker or piece of chalk is placed in the desired hole and used to rotate the disc, while the wedge is held in place. Again, this instrument actually draws larger circles. The wedge is marked: SAFE-T (/) COMPASS® (/) Bensenville, IL 60106-0316 (/) #45762 Pat. #5,615,485. It is also marked: π = 3.1416 (/) A = πr2 (/) C = πd. The donor applied for the patent listed on this instrument in 1995 and simultaneously assigned it to Safe-T Products, Inc. A company catalog in the accession file indicates the compass sold for $18.95 around 2000.
According to the donor, the Safe-T compass, invented by Jack Kettlestrings of Naperville, Ill., was the first product of Safe-T Products, Inc., and Extra Measures, Inc. These related companies were established in the northwest Chicago suburbs in 1992 and 1997, respectively, to sell drawing instruments that were safe for children. For instance, as the donor noted, the compass is too wide to be swallowed, and the plastic bends, but does not break. This concern for safety is reflected in numerous products of the time. In 2006 and 2007, Safe-T was absorbed into Classroom Products Warehouse, and Extra Measures was taken over by Learning Resources, Inc. These firms were next-door neighbors in Vernon Hills, Ill., as of 2012.
References: Accession file; Bruce Stoneberg, "Instruments for Drawing Circles" (U.S. Patent 5,615,485 issued April 1, 1997); "Corporate and Limited Liability Company Name Search," Office of the Secretary of State for the State of Illinois, http://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/CorporateLlcController.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 2000
maker
Safe-T Products, Inc.
ID Number
2000.0160.04
accession number
2000.0160
catalog number
2000.0160.04

Safe-T 45700 Bullseye Compass

Like 2000.0160.06, this red and white plastic instrument combines a ruler, a protractor, and a compass. Unlike 2000.0160.06, this object is smaller, white instead of clear, and uses a slide instead of rows of holes for setting the radius of a circle.
Description
Like 2000.0160.06, this red and white plastic instrument combines a ruler, a protractor, and a compass. Unlike 2000.0160.06, this object is smaller, white instead of clear, and uses a slide instead of rows of holes for setting the radius of a circle. The semicircular (protractor) end is wider than the rectangular part of the instrument. It is marked in 15-degree increments in both directions, from 15 to 165 degrees, and divided to units of five degrees.
Inside the arc is a small rotating disc. The rectangular ruler has a groove down its center that carries a sliding red plastic piece with two holes in it. This piece can be set anywhere along the scales on the ruler, giving the distance from the center of the small disc. Placing a writing implement in one of the holes and rotating the ruler while keeping the disc fixed gives a circle of the radius set. One of the long edges has a ruler 12 centimeters long, divided to millimeters. The other edge has a five-inch ruler, divided to 16ths of an inch.
The back of the instrument is marked: U.S.Pat. # 5,615,485 (/) Other Pats. Pend. The back of the slide is marked: MADE (/) IN CHINA. The Bullseye Compass was introduced in 2000 and retailed for $1.99 in 2012.
References: Learning Resources online catalog (accessed October 22, 2012); Ho Chan, "Adjustable Compass with Ruler and Protractor" (U.S. Design Patent 411,959 issued July 13, 1999); J. Bruce Stoneberg, "Drawing Tool" (U.S. Patent 6,606,796 issued August 19, 2003); accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2000
maker
Safe-T Products, Inc.
ID Number
2000.0160.08
accession number
2000.0160
catalog number
2000.0160.08

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