Keuffel & Esser 1740 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule
date: label: date made
content: 1882-1887
name: label: maker
content: Keuffel & Esser Co.
label: maker
content: Stanley, William Ford
notes: label: Description
content: This rule has a cylindrical hollow brass drum, which is covered with paper printed with 40 A scales. The first A scale runs from 100 to 112; the fortieth runs from 946 to 100 to 105. The paper is also printed in italics on the right side: Patented by Edwin Thatcher [<i>sic</i>], C.E. Nov. 1st 1881. Divided by W. F. Stanley, London, 1882. A wooden handle is attached to each end of the drum, and the drum slides in both directions.
label: Description
content: The drum fits inside an open rotating frame to which 20 brass slats are fastened. The slats are lined with cloth and covered with paper. The paper on each slat is printed with two B and two C scales. The first B scale runs from 100 to 112; the fortieth runs from 946 to 100 to 105. The first C scale runs from 100 to 334; the fortieth runs from 308 to 325. The frame is attached to a mahogany base, and the object is housed in a mahogany case. A paper label appears to have been removed from the top of the case.
label: Description
content: A paper of directions and rules for operating THACHER'S CALCULATING INSTRUMENT is glued to the top front of the base. A metal tag attached to the top back of the base is engraved: Keuffel & Esser (/) New York. The front right corner of the frame is stamped with numbers: 57 and 35. Presumably one of these is the serial number, but which one is not clear. In either case, the low number and the shape of the frame suggest that this example is the earliest Thacher cylindrical slide rule in the collections. Model 1740 sold for $30.00 in 1887.
label: Description
content: Robert B. Steffes of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics donated this instrument to the Smithsonian in 1970.
label: Description
content: See also MA.312866 and 1987.0107.08.
label: Description
content: References: Wayne E. Feely, "Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rules," <i>The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association</i> 50 (1997): 125–127; <i>Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser</i> (New York, 1887), 128. This was the first K&E catalog to list the model 1740.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: U.S. National Government, executive branch
label: Subject
content: Rule, Calculating
label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Business
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Slide Rules
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Robert B. Steffes
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1987.0808.01
label: catalog number
content: 1987.0808.01
label: accession number
content: 1987.0808
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating rule
label: Object Name
content: slide rule
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cloth (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15.3 cm x 60.8 cm x 17.5 cm; 6 1/32 in x 23 15/16 in x 6 7/8 in