Accession No

5996

Brief Description

ivory folding rule; early 19th century

Origin

France

Maker

Class

weights & measures

Earliest Date

1795

Latest Date

1845

Inscription Date

Material

ivory; metal (brass)

Dimensions

length when extended: 32 cm; folded: 8 cm

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated on behalf of a private individual, by the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, on or before 15/06/2004.

Inscription

PARIS
LONDON
AM:DAM
METRE

Description Notes

Ivory folding rule with three hinged joints which allow the rule to be folded out for use. Four scales for comparison: Paris Feet, London Feet, Amsterdam (AM:DAM) feet and the new metric system. The rule is coarsely engraved and the Amsterdam scale has not been completed. Total length of rule is one Paris Foot and the presence of the metric system suggests a French maker.

The foot scale marked as Amsterdam (AM:DAM) as divided is about 12.17 imperial inches long (1.014 imperial feet) and corresponds more nearly to the Rhinland Foot (1.032) than the true Amsterdam foot (0.930). The Rhemish foot was widely used in the trading centres of that river. The rule was probably manufactured for use by a travelling merchant for comparison of length in London, Paris and Amsterdam (or the Rhineland area), it also has a scale for the new metric system introduced in the late 18th century. Use of the Paris foot decreed illegal in the 1840's.

References

Events