Scholar's Companion Patriotic Pencil Box
date: label: date made
content: 1900-1902
notes: label: Description
content: Public schools encouraged the Americanization of newcomers with programs and images intended to inspire patriotism. In most classrooms, American flags hung alongside images of the American eagle and George Washington. Even the smallest of school supplies inspired patriotic thoughts. The lid of this Scholar’s Companion wooden pencil box has a lithograph with colorful illustrations of a globe, shield, American flag, and a bald eagle surrounding a stylized “ABC” motif. Other small containers such as stationery boxes, tobacco containers, and liqueur novelty boxes were also used to hold writing implements.
label: Description
content: Scholar’s Companions were made in Germany from 1895-1915 and were imported to New York City stationery stores and school suppliers. They often had locks on them, as this one does, as supplies were costly. The boxes cost 10 cents each unfilled and the price would increase as accessories were added. They were marketed to parents or grandparents as gifts for students, and were advertised as equipment to lead to a student’s success, which would have resonated with many parents but particularly immigrants sacrificing to provide a better life for their children.
label: Description
content: This box has a lock but the student user is unknown.
place: label: place made
content: Germany
label: used
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Lebanon
topic: label: used
content: Education
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Education
label: See more items in
content: Many Voices, One Nation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Dr. Richard Lodish American School Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0244.079
label: accession number
content: 2014.0244
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0244.079
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pencil box
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (cover material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (lock material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (hinges material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3.5 cm x 21.2 cm x 6 cm; 1 3/8 in x 8 11/32 in x 2 3/8 in