Set of Drawing Instruments
date: label: date made
content: ca 1870
notes: label: Description
content: This wooden case has a mahogany veneer and is lined with blue paper and velvet. A brass plate on the lid is not marked. A compartment inside the lid has a holder for a protractor (not present) and a white label marked: MÉDAILLE D'ARGENT (/) Marque de Fabrique (/) EXPOSITION DE PARIS 1867. A blue and white label on the inside bottom of the case is marked: No. 14 (/) 7–2.
label: Description
content: The bottom also holds: a piece of white tissue paper; two pencil leads; 4-3/8" brass and steel dividers with removable leg, pencil point, and extension bar; pen point that fits the 6" dividers in the tray; a 5-3/4" wooden French curve marked with a sphinx; and a 5-1/2" wooden triangle marked in the corners: 90, 67 [1/]2, 22 [1/]2.
label: Description
content: A tray inside the case contains: 6" brass and steel dividers with a removable leg, pencil point attachment, and extension bar; 4-1/2" brass and steel fixed-leg dividers; 3-3/8" brass and steel compass with removable leg, pricker point, and pen and pencil attachments; a pen point that nearly fits the 4-3/8" dividers; two metal joint tighteners; and a 5-1/4" steel, German silver, and ivory drawing pen.
label: Description
content: It is unclear which European firm won a silver medal at the 1867 Paris Exposition for the entire set or an instrument within it. This example was likely first sold soon after the fair and before the next major competition for makers of scientific instruments, such as Havre in 1869 or Vienna in 1873. The Smithsonian received the object in 1963.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Europe
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. C. Hostrup
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.323412
label: accession number
content: 251004
label: catalog number
content: 323412
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing instruments, set of
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4.4 cm x 20.1 cm x 12.2 cm; 1 23/32 in x 7 29/32 in x 4 13/16 in