Josiah Delph and William A. Bradford's 1876 School Desk and Seat Patent Model
date: label: date made
content: 1876
label: patent date
content: 1876-07-04
name: label: bequest
content: Hoffman, John
label: patentee
content: Delph, Josiah
label: patentee
content: Bradford, William A.
label: inventor
content: Delph, Josiah
label: inventor
content: Bradford, William A.
notes: label: Description
content: Josiah Delph and William A. Bradford from Goshen, Indiana received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 179472 was issued on July 4, 1876.
label: Description
content: This model consists of a chair in front and the attached desk behind it. The desk folds up and down with metal hinges, and it can be locked and unlocked. The compressed slats are maple-colored wood and create horizontal grooves in the seat. The iron legs have feet with small holes for attaching to a base. The desk top, the supports and legs are of decoratively cut metal. The original patent tags are attached to the desk. One tag is pasted to a newspaper clipping illustrating the machinery of the desk top.
label: Description
content: Josiah Delph and William A. Bradford worked for L.H. Nobel & Sons, a leading manufacturer of school furniture.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: referenced in patent specifications
content: United States: Indiana, Goshen
topic: label: general subject association
content: Education
label: classified
content: Patent Models
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Education
label: See more items in
content: American History Education Collection
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Patent Model School Seats and Desks
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of John R. Hoffman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0508.02
label: accession number
content: 1983.0508
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0508.02
label: patent number
content: 179,472
objectType: label: Object Name
content: model
label: Object Name
content: desk model
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 1/4 in x 9 3/8 in x 10 3/4 in; 26.035 cm x 23.8125 cm x 27.305 cm
label: Measurements
content: seat: 9 1/2 in x 3 3/4 in; 24.13 cm x 9.525 cm
label: Measurements
content: desk: 8 in x 3 3/4 in; 20.32 cm x 9.525 cm