Pocket Case of Drawing Instruments
date: label: date made
content: 1806
name: label: maker
content: Newton & Co.
notes: label: Description
content: This pocket-sized wooden case is covered with black shagreen, leather made from the skin of a shark or rayfish. On the paper lining the inside of the lid, a previous owner has written: N. O'CONNOR 2/12/1806. Ten drawing instruments were received with the case:
label: Description
content: 1) A 4-1/2" boxwood plotting scale with diagonal scales at each end. Above the plotting scale are scales divided to 0.12" and to 1/10". The other side has a scale of chords and architect's scales dividing the inch into 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 parts.
label: Description
content: 2) A 6" ebony parallel ruler with scalloped brass hinges.
label: Description
content: 3) A pair of 3-3/4" brass and steel fixed-point dividers.
label: Description
content: 4) A pair of 6-1/4" brass and steel dividers with a removable point.
label: Description
content: 5) A brass and steel pen point that fits the 6-1/4" dividers.
label: Description
content: 6) A pair of 5-14" brass and steel fixed-point dividers.
label: Description
content: 7) A 3" brass and steel drawing pen with a swiveling handle.
label: Description
content: 8) A lead pencil.
label: Description
content: 9) A metal joint tightener and file.
label: Description
content: 10) A brass gauge, unevenly graduated from 100 to 1,000 and marked "16 FT" on one side and unevenly graduated from 1,000 to 150 and marked "C 8 FT 6 IN" on the other. The first side is also marked: NEWTON & Co 3 FLEET S<sup>T</sup> NEAR TEMPLE BAR LONDON.
label: Description
content: William and Frederick Newton were the partners of Newton & Company, which sold scientific instruments and lantern slides from 3 Fleet Street in London from 1851 until the 1930s, when the firm moved to Wigmore Street. In the 1950s, the company was renamed Newton Photographic Services Ltd. The gauge, joint tightener, and pencil likely date to the mid-19th century. The other instruments are consistent with the 1806 date written on the case.
label: Description
content: The donor, civil engineer C. B. Beyer of Albuquerque, New Mexico, gave the instruments to the Smithsonian in 1953.
label: Description
content: References: Science Museum Group, "Collections Online – People," http://collectionsonline.nmsi.ac.uk/detail.php?type=related&kv=43411&t=people; Gloria Clifton, <i>Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851</i> (London: National Maritime Museum, 1995), 200.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Drafting, Engineering
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 C. B. Beyer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.314286
label: catalog number
content: 314286
label: accession number
content: 199264
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing instruments, set of
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ebony (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.8 cm x 7 cm x 17.2 cm; 1 3/32 in x 2 3/4 in x 6 25/32 in