Accession No

6007

Brief Description

wooden prototype for mathematical triangle; English; 19th century

Origin

Maker

Class

mathematics

Earliest Date

1800

Latest Date

1900

Inscription Date

Material

wood; paper

Dimensions

218mm length; 125mm width; 4mm depth

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Tesseract, Box 151, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York 10706, U.S.A., on 01/09/2004. From Catalogue 77, Summer 2004.

Inscription

[on paper parallel to short edge]
This edge to be accurately square with Base:
It is to be finely basiled, except a small shoulder
Which must be left for the vernier.
It is to be divided into inches of tenths

[by dotted line]
This line to be 1/2 the base
---------------------------------
or 41/2 inches.

[along hypotenuse]
This side to be basiled

[in centre of square]
To be made of well
seasoned wood, and
the exact thickness
of the Brass Seals

[along base]
base 9 inches long

[on paper in corner of square]
Brass on(?) Silver
Vernier
7/10 of an inch divi
-ded into 10 parts

Description Notes

Wooden triangle containing details for a maker on how to construct a mathematical triangle; English, 19th century. Triangle is not a template itself, but serves as plan for the final product.

Triangle has angles of 30, 60 and 90 degrees. One 16mm diameter hole in corner near right angle.

Manuscript notation on wood of one face giving construction details for the mathematical triangle for makers. More instructions are written on applied paper in right-angle corner and on shortest edge. Drawn scale also on applied paper in right-angle corner.

The inscription along the base instructs the base to be 9 inches but in fact it measures 8.5

Condition good; paper is discoloured and one piece has a scratch mark 18mm in length; small chip in tip of one point.

References

Events