Dividers & CompassesCompasses
One characteristic of the compasses in the collection is the variety of ornamentation molded into their metal parts. More often than the instruments on the other pages, compasses were manufactured in the United States, and Americans received patents for adding innovations to the instrument. Several of the objects below were used in schools, and some were even designed to prevent schoolchildren from poking themselves and each other. This page also contains spare parts for compasses.
"Dividers & Compasses - Compasses" showing 1 items.
- This German silver bow pencil has a handle engraved in a honeycomb pattern above a ring. A spiral is engraved on a disc below the ring. The width of the instrument is adjusted with a corroded metal nut between the legs. The two small screws on the front of the legs that adjust the metal and pencil points appear to be different from each other. The bow nut is marked: MADE IN USA. The nut adjusting the metal point is marked: KNOPF (/) GERMANY. The initials RW are scratched into the leg with the pencil point.
- According to the donor, her husband, electrical engineer Robert H. Wieler (1923–1993), used the instrument. Jürgen Knopf began manufacturing drawing instruments and chalk in Hehlen, Germany, in 1950. He sold the company in 2010 and it was renamed PyCom. Since the object is marked as made in two different countries, it is possible that it was put together from parts of other compasses.
- References: PyCom GmbH & Co. KG, "About Us," http://pycom.eu/en/index.php?categoryid=8; accession file.
- Currently not on view
- date made
- mid 20th century
- ID Number
- catalog number
- accession number
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center