Leroy lettering set manufactured by Keuffel & Esser Co., copyright 1950.

Object/Artifact

Hoboken Historical Museum

front view - open

Name/Title

Entry/Object ID

2008.012.0125

Description

Leroy lettering boxed set manufactured by Keuffel & Esser Co., copyright 1950. Mahogany wood wood with hinged top, 10-11/16" wide x 3-1/4" deep x 1-11/16" high; fitted wood interior; printed paper label with instructions and illustration. full width, inside lid. Contents: six laminated plastic templates, metal and plastic scriber, pen socket for pen holder. Lacking pens and two items noted below. Metal K & E plate on front. No stock number indicated on box, but it corresponds generally to N3245-6L which was a set which had six templates, six pens (not present in this set), adjustable scriber, socket holder and two other items listed, but not present here: pen holder and lead holder. The templates were used for inked lettering on architectural & engineering drawings or maps. Two are 12" (11-7/8") long; 4 are 9-1/2" long. Templates have company name: K+E Leroy and the product number. While the count is correct, one of these templates is definitely not original to the set, but was apparently a later addition/replacement: 61-0300-100CL. Also the "3240-80C" ('C' is for 'capital' and 'CL' is for 'capital and lowercase') should have been a "CL" and is presumed to be a later substitution or replacement. The varying condition (ink marks, differing degrees of whiteness of the plastic) also suggests that this not an original set as sold. Present in this set: 3240-80C 3240-100CL 61-0300-100CL 3240-140CL 3240-175CL 3240-240CL Scriber does not have product number, but does correspond to N3237-2, Adustable Scriber, as called for in the boxed set. Date that plastic knob fitting came into use was circa 1941 or later. Keuffel & Esser Co. was located in Hoboken during this period and the item is considered as having been manufactured here. Instructions copyright 1950, but date of manufacture or issue may have been during the 1950s and possibly into the 1960s.

Acquisition

Accession

2008.012

Source or Donor

Lukacs, Claire

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Museum Collections. Gift of a friend of the Museum.

Made/Created

Date made

1950 - 1960

Notes

Date: 1950-1960

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

General Notes

Note

Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2009-01-05