Name/Title
spirit levelEntry/Object ID
1971.J.162Description
Spirit level of hardwood (beech?) with brass end bindings and brass plate around bubble on top surface. One bubble inserted in circular opening in side of the level. Makers name stamped in the brass "Henry Disston and Sons, Keystone Works, Philada U.S.A." Description of use from R.A. Salaman's 'Dictionary Of Tools,' p. 262. "A block of hardwood,...6-12 inches long and 3/4-1 inch wide, with a short glass tube, containing spirit with a bubble of trapped air, let into the suface of the block. A brass plate covers the tube, with a thin strip dividing it into two halves. When the bubble appears to be bisected by the strip, the tool is exactly level. A side window is sometimes provided so that the bubble can be seen when the tool is at eye level. ...Spirit levels were used in the eighteenth century by surveyors and others, but were not commonly adopted as a carpenters tool until the nineteenth century."Acquisition
Source (if not Accessioned)
John CollectionNotes
Accession Date: 01-Jan-71
Mode of Acquisition: giftLexicon
Legacy Lexicon
Object Name
level, spirit levelCreate Date
November 16, 2022Update Date
May 22, 2025