Box of American Lead Pencil Co. Venus Pencils
date: label: date made
content: 1918-1939
name: label: maker
content: American Lead Pencil Company
notes: label: Description
content: This set of six short wood and graphite pencils is in a square white cardboard box with a gold-colored metal pencil holder. The holder is marked: VENUS PENCILS. Five of the pencils are marked: VENUS AMERICAN (/) PENCIL CO. N.Y. They are also marked with the hardness of their leads: H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 8H. These correspond to a chart of lead hardnesses that is both on the top of the box and inside the box lid. The chart is also marked: "VENUS" PERFECT PENCILS: (/) Made in 17 Black and 2 Copying Degrees: (/) each degree guaranteed never to vary. (/) AMERICAN LEAD PENCIL CO. (/) London. New York.
label: Description
content: The sixth pencil appears to be a later replacement. It is marked: VENUS COPYING AMERICAN (/) PENCIL CO. N.Y. 165. Empty space in the box suggests it originally held eight pencils, from H to 8H. The American Lead Pencil Company began operating in New York City around 1861. In 1956 it changed its name to Venus Pen and Pencil to reflect this popular brand of its products, which it started manufacturing in 1905. Faber-Castell USA purchased the firm in 1973.
label: Description
content: The owner of these pencils, Mendel Lazear Peterson (1918–2003), earned degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and Vanderbilt University. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 and served in the Pacific theater, where he developed an interest in underwater archaeology. He remained in the service after World War II. From 1958 to 1973, he was a Smithsonian curator in historic archaeology and armed forces history. He likely acquired the pencils during his military career.
label: Description
content: References: Bob Truby, "American Lead Pencil Co.," http://www.brandnamepencils.com/brands/american/; Bart Barnes, "Smithsonian's Mendel Peterson Dies," <i>Washington Post</i>, August 28, 2003.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Drawing Instruments
label: Subject
content: writing implements
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Pens and Pencils
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mendel L. Peterson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.330191
label: accession number
content: 288888
label: catalog number
content: 330191
objectType: label: Object Name
content: pencils
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cardboard (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: graphite (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7.6 cm x 7.4 cm x .6 cm; 3 in x 2 29/32 in x 1/4 in