Compumatic Slide Rule
notes: label: Description
content: The “COMPUMATIC SLIDE RULE” and “WESLEY JESSEN” inscriptions on this device refer to Newton K. Wesley (1917-2011) and George N. Jessen (1916-1987), two optometrists who worked together in Chicago, developed plastic contact lenses, and established the Plastic Contact Lens Co. That firm introduced the term “Compumatic” to commerce in 1961 and obtained a copyright the following year. The device was designed for determining the curvatures of corneas and contact lenses.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Robert E. Fischer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1979.0700.04
label: accession number
content: 1979.0700
objectType: label: Object Name
content: slide rule, contact lens
label: Object Name
content: slide rule, contact lens
label: Other Terms
content: Slide Rule, Compumatic, Contact Lens; Medicine
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 3/8 in x 5 3/8 in x 18 in; .9525 cm x 13.6525 cm x 45.72 cm