Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Since it is back to school time I thought I would share a few school related items for today's Vintage Thingies Thursday. If you would like to join in or just look at the other vintage offerings be sure and go to Suzanne's blog by clicking on the VTT button on my sidebar.


The 12" ruler above received its patent number in September of 1930. The center section of it is marked off and shows the degrees of angles. The small 7" ruler was made by the American Pencil Co. and includes a timeline of important dates and illustrations. It shows the Norsemen for the year 1000, Columbus-1492, Magellan (?)-1520, I can't decipher the picture for 1541, St. Augustine-1565, and Jamestown-1607.


The reverse of the 12" ruler is called The Eyesaver and as you can see it is marked off in quarter inch segments making the measurements very easy to see.


This American History text book has a copyright of 1937 and belonged to my mother.

And no text book would be complete without a little bit of doodling. The flowers were cut into the book board with a sharp instrument before someone colored over them. I am not sure of the story behind that and the letters above the doodle make no sense...just another doodle I guess!

28 comments:

★Carol★ said...

I love your rulers! I have a few too. I guess if it's more than three it's a collection, so yes, I have a small collection! I've always thought they were little works of art. The book that was your mother's is a great little keepsake too!
Happy VTT!

LV said...

You have saved some very vintage memories. School supplies are not like they used to be.

Kate said...

As a future teacher, I love all of your finds!

JEWELGIRL said...

I agree school supplies definitely
are not made of wood! These are
nice examples of old rulers. I learned a lot from your post! :)

anythinggoeshere said...

What cool doodles in your school book. I love all things with numbers so I love the rulers.

Jane said...

I love the rulers. I have several vintage rulers myself. There is just something about them that calls out to me...they are all currently displayed in an old jar...if you have any clever ideas on how to use/display them let me know.

Leilani said...

The rulers had me remembering grade school and my father using his slide ruler to correct my math homework! He tried in vain to teach me how to use the slide rule...it didn't take.

A said...

That ruler is so cool! I need to find one.

Diann said...

Awesome finds!

Robin said...

Love your vintage back to school items! Why don't they make rulers that are that easy to read nowadays?

CC said...

Love the rulers..and the school book is just wonderful, and even better that you know it's history. Happy VTT..have a wonderful weekend.

rt said...

Wonderful post, I love the rulers!

Margaret said...

what a wonderful collection of treasures you have, very special! M

Anonymous said...

what a fun post..love the rulers :)

Coloradolady said...

What an interesting post, the art doodled in the book is really neat to see. I love all the rulers, they don't make them like that any more, that is for sure. Have a great weekend and a Happy VTT!!

Postcardy said...

I love old rulers. I have thought about collecting them but haven't. Now I am inspired to look for some interesting ones.

Unknown said...

That's the best book doodling I've ever seen.
Love those cool rulers!

ScrappyPam said...

I wonder if those letters are initials?

Jocelyn said...

I love your rulers. And the book is a treasure. Thanks for sharing.

Jocelyn
http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

I like that incised and colored doodle! I wonder if the letters above it were an abbreviation for a name?

Those rulers rule!

Bea said...

The rulers are great. How smart to have the angle degrees on it!

Old Time Cindy said...

That book and ruler is really intriguing!
Thanks for sharing!
Living it up Lakewood,
Cindy

Louise (KardKrazy) said...

The rulers are very cool...especially the smaller one with the letters.
I cannot believe your mother saved her history book from grammar school!

RachelD said...

Don't you just love old books---the feel of the pages and the scent of old knowledge?

And the cut-and-paint picture is amazingly lovely, in its own way, worthy of framing, though I'd hate to dismantle a book in any way.

Anonymous said...

What it is about rulers? I just love to find old vintage rulers! I can't get over how horribly cheap rulers are today. They certainly wouldn't last that many years.

Candace said...

Wow - I could use that eyesaver ruling in my quilting - these old eyes don't see as well as they used to! Wonderful back to school items!
Cheers

Roslyn said...

maybe it was her boyfriend's name?!

Barbara Jean said...

Love those old rulers.

thanks for coming by to visit

barbara jean