Case of Mismatched Drawing Instruments
date: label: date made
content: ca 1800-1920
notes: label: Description
content: This polished wood case has a metal plate on the lid and is fastened with brass hooks (one is missing). The case is lined with burgundy silk and velvet. The case and instruments appear to have been assembled separately, because there are more instruments than slots in the case and the styles of the instruments do not match. The case contains:
label: Description
content: 1) 4-1/4" clear plastic protractor (held in a compartment inside the lid), divided to single degrees and numbered by tens in both directions from 0 to 180.
label: Description
content: 2) 6-1/4" brass folding square. The outer edge of one leg has a centimeter scale, numbered from 1 to 15, with the first centimeter divided to millimeters. This leg is marked: N<sup>LLE</sup> MESURE. The outer edge of the other leg has a scale divided to 1-1/16", numbered from 5 to 1, with the first unit divided into twelfths. This leg is marked: A<sup>NC</sup> MESURE. The scale thus represents a pre-metric French inch. A rectangular hole with a rounded end is cut out of this leg, and the leg has a pinhole for suspending a weight on a string. This instrument is the oldest in the case and probably dates to around 1800.
label: Description
content: 3) 12" section of a four-fold wooden rule with brass hinge and tip. One side is divided to 1/8" and numbered by ones from 23 to 13. The other side is divided to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 11 to 1. The other half of the rule is missing. Compare to 1990.0099.01 and MA.335275.
label: Description
content: 4) 4-1/4" German silver extension bar and 3" divider and pen points that do not fit the dividers in the case.
label: Description
content: 5) 1-18" brass tack that appears to hold ink.
label: Description
content: 6) 4-1/2" ivory and steel drawing pen with a brass adjusting screw.
label: Description
content: 7) 7/8" metal joint tightener.
label: Description
content: 8) 3-3/4" brass and steel dividers with removable divider and pencil points.
label: Description
content: 9) 4-7/8" German silver and steel fixed-point dividers.
label: Description
content: 10) 2-5/8" brass and steel pen point that does not fit the dividers in the case.
label: Description
content: 11) 2" brass pencil point that does not fit the dividers in the case.
label: Description
content: 12) 3-1/8" curved steel needle point in brass holder; its function is not known.
label: Description
content: 13) Extra brass adjusting screw, metal plate with one screw, and crudely cut metal circle marked: PEN.
label: Description
content: The donors' family was prominent in the history of American science. John William Draper (1811–1882) was a chemist who also made innovations in photography. He had three sons: John C. Draper (1835–1885), who was a physician and chemist; Henry Draper (1837–1882), who was an astronomical photographer; and Daniel Draper (1841–1931), who established the New York Meteorological Observatory in Central Park in 1868 and directed it until 1911.
label: Description
content: References: Maya Hambly, <i>Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980</i> (London: Sotheby's Publications, 1988); Robert S. Harding and Jeffrey L. Tate, "Draper Family Collection, ca. 1826–1936," Archives Center, National Museum of American History, http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/d8121.htm.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Drafting, Engineering
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Drawing Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of John William Christopher Draper and James Christopher Draper
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.335353
label: accession number
content: 304826
label: catalog number
content: 335353
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing instruments, set of
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: german silver (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ivory (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.5 cm x 19.5 cm x 10.7 cm; 31/32 in x 7 11/16 in x 4 7/32 in