Worsted Test for Color Blindness
date: label: date made
content: ca 1882
notes: label: Description
content: The late nineteenth century saw large increases in the speed of railroads, the miles of track, and the number and lethality of railroad accidents. When it was found that some accidents were caused by employees who could not detect the colors of railroad signals (red, green, blue and white), railroads began testing applicants for color blindness. This card with pieces of worsted of various colors was used for that purpose. The hand-writing on the back reads "These were the colors chosen at an examination for color blindness by two employees (brothers) of the Amboy [New Jersey] Division, Penna R.R. in 1882 and 1883. J.E. Watkins."
label: Description
content: Ref: William Thompson, “Color Blindness Among Railroad Employees,” <i>Popular Science Monthly</i> 31 (Oct. 1887).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.180636
label: catalog number
content: 180636
label: accession number
content: 0000000
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Chart, Testing, Eye
label: Other Terms
content: Chart, Testing, Eye; Medicine
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 1/2 in x 6 in; 8.89 cm x 15.24 cm