This tape measure (pull the cat's tongue) came to my ruler collection before I started collecting rulers (in 1986)! It was a gift from Tom's mother, Augusta Fox Horrocks, who died in early 1984. I treasure that gift.
Today a friend sent me this ebay link, to check if I had one in my collection. I certainly do, and it certainly didn't cost any $369.99.
I scanned these four new rulers in their packaging, because I love how the packaging complements and enhances the rulers. These are made of wood, so they're a little outside of my current ruler collection policy, but these days, flexibility really helps. For everything.
Purchase (etsy) -"PapereriaCo" = Joe, India [no details provided] - received 22 June 2020
There are a lot of things I like about this new ruler blotter, including the form of the telephone number. Someone who knows more about cars will be able to estimate the year; looks like 1930s to me. My favorite parts: the illustrations, and the line "Place of Sudden Service."
Purchase (ebay) - "chesapeakeantiques," Blacksburg, VA - received 11 June 2020
If not for my friend Evie Eysenburg, I would have completely missed this listing on ebay. In the item description, the seller didn't use any of the words I usually search for, including the Most Important Word: ruler.
Thank you, Evie!
Purchase (ebay) - "kriskexplorer" = Melissa E. Kasprzyk, Topeka, KS - received 20 June 2020
(Note: a few stains removed from image in PhotoShop)
I don't eat much meat at all these days, but sometimes, the smell of bacon makes me want some really badly.
This new acquisition is a trade card for Swift's Premium Ham and Bacon, with a 1918 calendar, and a ruler, on the back.
Purchase (ebay) - "pagesrevisited" = C.T. Williams, Kingston, NY - received 10 June 2020
This 60-page booklet--How To Use Your Ruler, by T.H. Whitney--was published in 1960 (reprinted in 1963) in London by Frederic Warne. They must have known I'd be coming along as a collector of ruler-related paper items, right?
Inside the front cover is the name "A. Jewell, Esq.," Museum House, Haslemere, Surrey. Looks like the Haslemere Educational Museum is still in existence, and the wikipedia article about it describes its collections:
The three main galleries cover geology, natural history, and human history, and contain some 240,000 specimens and 140,000 artefacts from around the world. There are also textile and fine art exhibits.
The reference library covers the whole spectrum of science and history with about 7,000 books, 13,500 scientific and historical periodicals and over 22,000 documents, largely but not exclusively relating to the local area. There are also more than 2,000 maps and about 35,000 photographic images dating from the museum's foundation to the present day.
Turns out "A. Jewell, Esq." worked there until 2008:
[Former Curator] Clegg was succeeded by his assistant curator Arthur Jewell. Jewell had joined the museum from school in 1974 and retired in 2008, and the museum's Education Room is named in his honour. Arthur, a stuffed Siberian bear and a museum mascot, is also named after him.
This booklet was clearly used by a child, I think a child not particularly interested in completing most of the many exercises. I hope that kid turned out OK.
Sample pages:
Purchase (etsy) - "KaysVintage Ephemera" = Kay Holder, Dormansland, Surrey, UK
In honor of my friend Terri Rice, on the first anniversary of her passing.
She loved everything about wolves...
Rest in peace, my friend.
Theresa Mae (“Terri”) Rice - 4 July 1950 - 7 June 2019
This acquisition from 2012 is an ink blotter from the end of WWII, issued as a promotion for the Denver Area War Chest. Just right for Memorial Day.
Stay safe, everyone, and let's hope we can all live in peace.
Purchase (ebay) - Foxy's Antiques, Parker, Colorado - received 30 January 2012
This fold-up paper ruler came in its own paper sleeve, and an accompanying leaflet advertising--as the ruler does--Garland brand stoves from The Michigan Stove Company. The paper sleeve and the ruler itself are covered in promotional language, including some of my favorite ruler jokes: THE ONLY SAFE RULE...;" and "The Approval of the Public is the MEASURE of our SUCCESS." The folds of the ruler have brass-colored ink, meant to mimic the real brass hinges of the wooden rulers that the paper one is supposed to look like. And it has an 1889-1890 calendar on the back. So few of my rulers have actual dates on them, and the 1889 date makes this ruler one of the oldest in my collection.
Purchase (ebay) - "olddexterity" = Phil & Trudy Helley, Olde Kilbourne Antques, Wisconsin Dells, WI - received 29 February 2020
It's not often that I get a new item for my collection that has two jokes in the text. This recent acquisition, a blotter advertising Merlen Capital Laundry & Cleaners (in Sacramento, California, according to the ebay seller), has both a ruler joke ("Merlen's rule is give time...") and a blotter joke ("...to blot out spots."). It also has a 1950-1951 calendar.
Looks like there's now a brewery and smokehouse at that address. You see why I love collecting these things?!
Purchase (ebay) --"28patfun" = Patricia L. Funk, Sacramento, CA - received 14 May 2020
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