Electric sterilizer with a “Boekel” inscription on the front. William Boekel (1825-1906) was a German mechanic who moved to the United States, and established William Boekel & Co. in Philadelphia in 1868. Following his death in 1906, his nephew, Julius Boekel, took charge of the firm. The firm was incorporated in 1932, and now trades as Boekel Scientific.