Latham, Machinist's Tool Chest
notes: label: Description
content: Albert Latham and his son Harold Albert Moore Latham used these machinist tools and tool box during their careers at the United Shoe Machinery Company in Binghamton, NY during early 20th century. The seven-drawer tool chest was made by Union Tool Chest Works of Rochester, New York and contained nearly 250 machinist tools. The box’s nameplate bears the family name “Latham,” the tools are well protected in the felt-lined drawers, and the box can be locked to keep them safe, reflecting the personal pride the owner had in his tools.
label: Description
content: The Latham’s worked for the United Shoe Machinery Company (USMC) based in Beverly, Massachusetts at their site in Binghamton, NY. The USMC is emblematic of the mechanization industry, enabling the mass production of a uniform shoe cheaper and faster than ever before. Over 150 machine operations were required to produce a typical welt shoe at this time, and any breakdown during the work day would halt production, making immediate repair imperative and skilled mechanics a necessity.
label: Description
content: Albert Latham was a mechanical engineer with over 30 patents relating to mechanized shoe production assigned to USMC, while his son was employed as a machinist, or mechanic.
label: Description
content: Harold Albert Moore Latham served as a machinist for the USMC during the 1920s and ’30s before becoming a superintendent in the 1940s.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
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content: Work
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Judith C. Lawrence
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0259.348
label: accession number
content: 1989.0259
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0259.348
objectType: label: Object Name
content: tool chest, machinist
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 13 in x 20 in x 8 3/8 in; 33.02 cm x 50.8 cm x 21.2725 cm