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Keuffel & Esser N4053 Polyphase Slide Rule Manual

National Museum of American History

Object Details

author
Breckenridge, William E.
Description
The citation information for this paperback book is: William E. Breckenridge, The Polyphase Slide Rule No. N4053: A Self Teaching Manual, 3rd ed. (New York: Keuffel & Esser Co., 1944). According to Clark McCoy, this example comes from the first of two printings of the manual with the 1944 copyright date; the cover and first few pages were changed in the second printing, which was also marked with the K+E logo that was introduced in 1949. This example has the earlier K&E lion logo.
Breckenridge earned an A.M. in mathematics from Columbia University in New York City, was chair of the mathematics department at Stuyvesant High School around 1909–1910, served as an associate editor of The Mathematics Teacher from 1913 to 1928, and apparently also taught at Columbia. He first wrote this manual in 1924. It has 88 pages that describe the uses of slide rules and explain processes for making calculations and locating the decimal point. Breckenridge also discussed the history and theory of the slide rule before providing worked-out examples and exercises for readers to solve. There are also "advanced problems," material on plane trigonometry and triangles, and problems specific to certain occupations and tasks.
At the back of the book, there are advertisements for K&E's specialty slide rules, the all-plastic Ever-There line of slide rules, and surveying instruments such as transits. This manual was received with MA.321780.
References: Clark McCoy, ed., "The Polyphase Slide Rule No. N4053," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEManuals/4053-1944/4053-1944.htm; William E. Breckenridge, The Polyphase Slide Rule, [3rd ed.] (New York: Keuffel & Esser Co., 1944), http://sliderulemuseum.com/SR_Library_KE.htm.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Transfer from Interstate Commerce Commission
1944
ID Number
MA.304213.05
accession number
304213
catalog number
304213.05
Object Name
pamphlet
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 20 cm x 13.3 cm; 7 7/8 in x 5 1/4 in
place made
United States: New York, New York City
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Science & Mathematics
Slide Rules
National Museum of American History
Subject
Mathematics
Rule, Calculating
Education
Record ID
nmah_904539
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a7-30e4-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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Keuffel & Esser Instructions for Polyphase Slide Rule, Model N4053
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