Catalogues & Brochures

I have learnt much of what I know about old instruments & tools from my collection of catalogues and brochures. Besides the originals described below I have a number of photocopies (Halden 1902 and 1910; Thornton 1895; Threadwell pre & post WWII), and also some leaflets from A West, W F Stanley, Standardgraph, Rotring and Addiator. Please contact me if you would like details of particular items from these catalogues. I will email scans of relevant pages (but not whole sections or catalogues).

Allott Jones & Co Ltd, Pall Mall, Liverpool, “Drawing Office Supplies”
Undated, comparing prices with other catalogues suggests it is about 1930.
Small 4to, 43 pages

Blundell Harling Ltd, Regulus Works, Lynch Lane, Weymouth, UK, “General Catalogue”
January 1980.
4to, 36 pages

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co, Rochester, NY, “Microscopes and other Scientific Instruments”
1929,
8vo, 318 pages

C F Casella & Co Ltd, Regent House, Fitzroy Square, London W1, “Surveying & Drawing Instruments and Appliances.” Catalogue no 564,
1930s
8vo, 260 pages

Eugene Dietzgen Co, “Drafting & Surveying Supplies.”
1928
8vo, 496 pages

With Price List no 13, August 1928

James Dinsdale Ltd, New Station Street, Leeds 1, “A Catalogue of Drawing Instruments & Materials.”
September 1960
8vo, 52 pages

B K Elliott Co, Pittsburgh, Pa “Drawing Materials and Surveying Instruments” 6
8vo, 436 pages

With price list for catalog 6, Nov 1938
and Discount Sheet effective July 1943

Friedmann Bros Drawing Instrument Co, New York, “Precision”
Pen dated “received 1-16-39”
8vo, 54 pages

With price list No 2, March 1, 1935,
Pen dated as above.

Esmond Hellerman Ltd, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, “Modern Drawing Equipment”
8vo, 140 pages

With supplementary pages, trade price list for Sept 1964, and notice of temporary import charge dated Nov 1964.

Instruments Limited, Canada, “Catalogue No 47”
Undated, but 1947
8vo, 364 pages

Keuffel & Esser Co, New York, 37th Edition.
January 1928
8vo, 548 pages

I also have an incomplete 1936 38th edition.

K&E Catalog 41st Edition Part 1.
“Drafting and Reproduction Equipment and Materials Slide Rules”
October 1949
8vo, 256 pages

MDS, London, “Surveying & Drawing Instruments”
March 1940
8vo, 44 pages

New York Blue Print Paper Co “Catalogue of Drawing Materials & Engineering Instruments”, Volume 10, February 1916.

12mo, 400 pages

18th edition catalog of the Frederick Post Co, Dependable Drawing Materials Sensitised Papers and Cloths Engineering Instruments and Supplies.
January 1936
8vo, 416 pages

With Price List No 18, May 1, 1940

Rotring “precision without compromise”
1978
4to, 32 pages

With Recommended retail price list 1st February 1979 for Rotring Technical Drawing Equipment, and Rotring Isograph F drawing pen leaflet
(All printed in Germany for UK market)

W F Stanley & Co Ltd, London, England, 29th “K” edition, Drawing Instruments, 1912
12mo, 112 pages

With list of “Revised Prices, November 1918”

I also now have the full ‘K’ edition of 360 pages covering surveying & optical instruments as well.

Stanley, London, 33rd “A” edition catalogue
1958
8vo, 392 pages

With November 1958 price list and leaflets for Draftmaster Parallel Motion Unit, Popular Levelling Outfit, Optical Mean-Reading Level, and A1 Optical Micrometer Theodolite.

The International Correspondence Schools, Scranton, Pa, Illustrated Catalogue and Price List Drawing Instruments and Appliances, Drawing Papers and Materials, Surveying Instruments, Mining Instruments, Anemometers, Safety Lamps, Etc
8vo, 76 pages
Undated, pre WWI

Schrell & Brock, New York, General Catalog of Drawing Materials, Architects, Engineers and Surveyors Supplies.
First Edition
1940s
8vo, 176 pages

A G Thornton, Ltd, Manchester “Drawing Surveying & Scientific Instruments and Drawing Office Materials, Edition D, 1916
8vo, 448 pages

A West & Partners Ltd, 36 Broadway, London SW1, Section 2, Drawing Instruments and Materials
8vo, 238 pages

With Price List no 1 section 2, March 1953

A West & Partners Ltd, Uno Pen Stencils and Accessories, 8vo, 56 pages, with Jan 1st 1953 price list and three leaflets for templates.

Keuffel & Esser Co, Leroy Lettering Equipment, 8vo, 37 pages, 1960.

I also have a 1962 catalogue (same cover) in which the numbering system for K&E products has changed. It includes a list of equivalent old and new numbers for Leroy items.

B J Hall & Co, London, Section No. 1, Mathematical Drawing Instruments, 8vo, 67 pages, with 1935 amendments pasted in.
Many of the instruments shown were made by A G Thornton, C Riefler or W H Harling.

W H Harling Ltd, Catalogue of Mathematical Drawing & Surveying Instruments, 8vo, 132 pages, September 1930

1913 Keuffel & Esser catalogue of drawing and surveying instruments and materials. 8vo. 34th edition. Comprehensive 566 page catalogue

A West & Partners Ltd, 36 Broadway, Westminster, London SW1 catalogue of surveying instruments, drawing instruments and materials, etc. 8vo. 1930 edition updated with new prices 1935. 251 pages include nearly 30 pages of tables at the back such as logarithms, trig tables, British Standard sections and constants.

Aristo 1955 catalogue of Slide Rules and Drafting Instruments. 40 pages, 8vo.

J Halden & Co Ltd,
8 Albert Square, Manchester.
Drawing Instruments, Surveying Instruments, Drawing Office Materials, etc.
257 pages, 8vo
c1925

H Cole Co., Columbus, Ohio Catalogue No.

4-D Drafting and Blue Printing Instruments, Equipment and Supplies.

126 pages, 8vo

1920s probably

Includes Richter and Schoenner drawing instruments.

Gebr. Wichmann Haupt-Katalog 20th edition, Berlin, 1939
778 pages 8vo

Drawing instruments and equipment, surveying instruments.

Includes some Richter and Riefler drawing instruments and Ott planimeters and integrators. In German.

A G Thornton Ltd. Mathematical Drawing Instruments Catalogue, 1930

80 pages, 8vo

Metal instruments only

Anleitung zum Gebrauch des Rechenstabes, Gebr. Wichmann.

32 page, 4to booklet containing slide rule instructions and 15 page catalogue of slide rules, drawing instruments, etc.

Early 20th century

Katalog der Prazisions Reisszeugfabrik

E O Richter & Co

143 pages large 8vo

1928

Also 1928 price list and new vs. Old catalogue numbers booklet

Bayerische Reisszeugfabrik AG, vorm. Eichmuller & Co., Preisliste Ausgabe 1929

104 pages 4to 1929 Ecobra catalogue.

Also 1932 price list and leaflets

A G Thornton Ltd. Mathematical Drawing Instruments Minerva and B E Series, 1938

8vo, 48 Pages

Keuffel & Esser Drawing Instruments and Materials for High Schools Preparatory Schools and Manual Training Schools, 1936
8vo, 117 pages.

Also May 1937 price list

Standardgraph Catalogue 75

4to, 36 pages

Pens, templates and some drawing instruments.

A Catalogue of Surveying, Engineering and Drawing Office Requisites.
J V Navlakhi & Co., 533 Kalbadevi Road, Bombay

W F Stanley and A W Faber-Castell agents

8vo, 172 pages
Probably 1940s

Illustrated Catalogue Mining, Surveying, Mathematical, Drawing, Optical and Scientific Instruments manufactured by T B Winter & Son, Opticians

8vo, 64 pages

August 1889

Watts Surveying and Engineeering Instruments and Drawing Office Supplies

8vo, 150 pages

ca. 1927

Hughes Owens Catalogue No. 37

catalogue of drawing and surveying instruments, etc

8vo, 262 pages

1937

1937 price list in back pocket

Moore & Wright British Precision Engineer’s Tools List No. 36
November 1936

8vo, 160 pages

Buck & Hickman Ltd General List of Tools & Supplies for all Mechanical Trades

1964

8vo, 1231 pages

Norton & Gregory Ltd. Section III Drawing Appliances and Section IV Drawing Materials

August 1938
Large 8vo’
Pages 145 to 295

New York Blue Print Paper Co. Catalogue

1921

8vo, 384 pages