Keuffel & Esser Flat Case of Drawing Instruments
date: label: date made
content: late 19th century
name: label: maker
content: Keuffel & Esser Co.
notes: label: Description
content: This wooden case is covered with black leather that has tooling on the lid. The lid is marked: 12. The case has a steel locking pin. Inside the case is lined with green silk and velvet. A label inside the lid is marked: JAMES SMITH, (/) ARCHITECT (/) 20 BATH ROAD. The set includes:
label: Description
content: 1) 6-1/8" German silver drawing compass with bendable legs and removable pencil point, leg extension, and pen point. Inside of one leg is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER N.Y. Each piece is marked: 12.
label: Description
content: 2) 4-1/4" German silver drawing compass with bendable legs and removable pencil point and pen point. Inside of one leg is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER N.Y. Each piece is marked: 12.
label: Description
content: 3) 4-3/4" ebony, German silver, and steel drawing pen.
label: Description
content: 4) 3-3/4" German silver and steel drawing pen. The handle is broken and missing.
label: Description
content: 5) 1-1/8" cylindrical metal case with four leads. The case is marked: EAGLE PENCIL CO. (/) NEW YORK.
label: Description
content: 6) 3-1/2" German silver and steel bow dividers, bow pen, and bow pencil.
label: Description
content: The case for leads and the broken pen are probably not part of the original set. At least two original instruments are missing. No case exactly like this one or with the catalog number "12" was found in Keuffel & Esser catalogs between 1880 and 1943. Descendants of James Smith donated the set in 1965.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Germany
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Drafting, Engineering
label: Subject
content: Architecture
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: Drawing Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mr. & Mrs. W. H. Smith
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.326518
label: accession number
content: 260029
label: catalog number
content: 326518
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing instruments, set of
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: german silver (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.5 cm x 24.3 cm x 12.4 cm; 31/32 in x 9 9/16 in x 4 7/8 in