“Loss of a right arm would take much out of the life of most people, but not to J. W. Dorrance (sic) of San Jose, Cal. In a week after a loss of a right arm in a sawmill accident some years ago, Dorrance was back on the job with a hook of his own invention. He patented the article and now they are being distributed all over the country from Dorrance’s small San Jose shop.” The reference here was to David W. Dorrance (1856-1933), who developed a prosthetic device, the first of several, in the 1890s. The inscription on this prosthetic hook reads “DORRANCE / PATENTED”.
Ref: “His Loss Benefits,” Imperial Valley Press (Jan. 22, 1931), p. 5.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.