mechanical pencil
notes: label: Description
content: A silver-plated copper alloy mechanical pencil. The pencil is an angular hollow tube with wavey patterns incised into the side and a decorative band at the end and midsection. The pencil is open at one end and the proximal end which is slightly flared is inset with a pale purple faceted glass or stone.
label: Description
content: In a world before copying machines and computers, every letter, memo, and report had to be typed many times. If you made one mistake, you typed it again. Secretaries drafted, corrected, and retyped in an almost endless loop. Offices had typing pools (dozens of women) making enough perfect copies for everyone. There was no backspace key!
label: Description
content: Pens and pencils were symbols of secretarial work and given as gifts to “office girls.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanisms
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1981.0106.01
label: catalog number
content: 1981.0106.01
label: accession number
content: 1981.0106
objectType: label: Object Name
content: mechanical pencil
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver-plated copper alloy, glass (overall1 material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 3/4 in x 1/2 in; x 9.525 cm x 1.27 cm