Description

White plastic advertising ruler with green markings. It has a scale of inches along the top edge, divided to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 1 to 6. The center of the rule is marked “Property Surveys // Clarke & Hartman // Professional Engineers and Surveyors // 30 Journal Square Jersey City 6 NJ // Journal Square 2-0012 // Engineering Services for the Legal Profession."

In the late 19th century, American companies began to give away rulers are promotional items. Measuring, these companies realized, was a near universal activity by the 19th century and these rulers would remind customers of their company’s services. Often, these promotional rules also included tables or conversion charts that were relevant to their industry. Since Clark & Hartman was a surveying company, they also included tables that converted inches to decimals of a foot, gave conversions between imperial and surveyors’ measurements, and square measures.

This rule was manufactured by Whitehead & Hoag of Newark, New Jersey. It was a major producer of paper and plastic advertising novelties. It was founded in 1892 and remained in business until 1959.