Measure, Dry

Object Name:

Measure, Dry

Object ID:

1975.021 a-d

Creator:

Cragin, DanielManufacturer

Place of Origin:

Wilton, NH

Date:

1876

Description:

Set of dry measures, four pieces. Wood, cylindrical. Inside bottom of each measure stamped (impressed) "DANIEL CRAGIN / MANUFACTURER / & / [SEAL]ER / WILTON / NH".
A. Medium-tan wood. Wood formed to create hoop. Wall thickness 0.21". Ends of wood tapered and overlap. Outside overlaps from right side. Outside edge straight and slightly chamfered. Eight slightly-domed steel tacks holding wood together. Long thin taper on inside edge. Top corner worn and rounded with single tack in that area. Bottom one piece. ~0.6" thick. Four square wood pins that hold bottom in place. Some dents and marks in bottom on outside. Some slivers and small pieces from bottom edge on outside. Slivers and pieces missing from top edge. Some distortion and delamination and fibers from one small area of top edge. Inside has stamp: "DANIEL CRAGIN / MANUFACTURER / [&] /[SEAL]ER / WILTON / N. H" (worn portions).
B. Medium-brown wood. Bent to form shape of cylinder. Wall thickness: 0.2". Ends tapered and overlap. Outside overlaps from right side. Straight edge and chamfer along edge. Ten slightly-domed steel tacks holding wood together. Piece missing from bottom of taper on outside that extends about a quarter way around edge on bottom. Long thin taper on inside with straight edge. Diagonal cut that clipped off corner at top edge. Cut mark in wood. Single small tack adjacent to clipped corner. Bottom one piece of wood, ~0.6" thick. Five square wood pegs around bottom edge on outside that hold bottom piece in place. Bottom surface smooth. Inside bottom surface also smooth. Some white residue on inside of bottom. Portions of the "DANIEL CRAGIN" stamp on inside surface. All fairly worn except for "WILTON and N.H." Three black residue area spots on top edge.
C. Medium-tan wood. Bent into shape of hoop. Wall thickness 0.24". Both ends of hoop tapered. Wraps with right side over left. Cut and chamfered taper edge on outside. Ten, slightly-domed steel tacks on outside that fasten edges together. Long thin taper on inside with one tack. Top edge of taper on inside clipped with cut line behind clipped corner. One-piece bottom, ~0.7" thick. 6 square peg holes holding bottom piece in place. Peg 0.13" square. Inside bottom surface slightly worn with a number of shallow cut marks. Stamped on inside bottom as above. Letters serif, all capped. Curved with some straight. Some letters faint. Cut marks and wear. "DANIEL CRAIG" "&" pretty clear.
D. Medium-brown wood. Wood hoop, thickness 0.27". Tapered overlap with right-hand side overlapping left. Definite line on outside for tapered edge. Inside taper, jagged and cracked. On outside, 12 steel tacks that fasten wood together. Slightly domed tacks. In one area of top edge, section of almost 4" long missing one piece. Adjacent to it, long crack to left. Small wire nails driven down through top to repair cracks. Two left; one missing as only hole left. Bottom one piece of wood, ~0.5" thick. Held in place by several nails and tacks. Appears to be one small wood peg that may have held it at one time but no longer passes through wall. Another square-wood peg that passes through at overlap area and sticks out slightly in a gap between bottom and hoop. May have been other pegs replaced by more modern tacks. Three vacant holes around bottom edge of hoop. Bottom one piece of wood. Some smooth wear patterns on inside. Stamp or stamps on bottom outside surface. Curved one: "DANIEL CRAGIN / MANUFACTURER / & / SEALER / WILTON / N.H." Paint residues on outside.

Material:

Wood
Steel

Dimensions:

H-6.3 Dia-11.5 inches

Provenance:

Daniel Cragin, born in Merrimack, NH, in 1836, began working in a furniture shop. In 1858 in Wilton, NH, he made knifes, trays, and toys. In 1876 he began manufacturing dry measures. He invented a machine to make measures. He was a prominate person in Wilton.

Credit Line:

Gift of William Warren

People:

Cragin, Daniel (1836-1921), Frye, Edmund B., Frye, Whitney M.

Subjects:

Measures