Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
October 9, 1983
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society
Pencil sharpeners were new
The omni-present pencil sharpeners are so taken for granted in school rooms and offices that one forgets they were once new labor saving inventions.
The pencil sharpener in the museum, currently on display in the Vigo Room, has an interesting history. It was given to the museum by C. Huston Isaacs, and educator in Vigo County, in 1956. Hidden in the drawer beneath the sharpening apparatus is a tag designating the giver and a description as “early type school room pencil sharpener from Gerstmeyer Technical High School.”
Since the Gerstmeyer Technical High School building was the site of Rose Polytechnic Institute until 1925 when the engineering school moved to its present location, probably a few Rose alumni alive today used this early 20th century invention. A picture of the device may be found in a “Scientific American” patent section, dated Dec. 20, 1913.
Heavy by today’s streamlined standards, the machine weighs about 12 ounces and could be used as a paper weight. It was not necessary to fasten it to a table or wall. The drawer below caught the shavings. The pencil was inserted vertically in this model but other models were using side insertion. The exposed gears were turned manually and the blade sharpened the pencils vertically. The pencil rested against a support in a slanting position. Some early pencil sharpeners incorporated a sharpening stone against the blade so that the blade would always be sharp. Inventors specified that the stone would counteract the dulling effects of graphite on the blade.
Promotional literature stated the pencil sharpener was valuable where a more efficient device than a pen knife was required. The use of the pen knife required both a keen blade and considerable whittling skill. The pencil sharpener controlled the shavings and should not break the lead if used properly. Schoolrooms, offices, telephone exchanges, and railway terminals were urged to purchase the newly-invented machines.
In the museum, the pencil sharpener is displayed with other old school items which bring back memories of an earlier educational atmosphere. The pencil sharpener is the most modern, most progressive item in the case. With its exposed gears, the pencil sharpener was a small step toward tomorrow’s computerized classroom.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.