Keuffel and Esser
Encyclopedia
The Keuffel and Esser Co. (also known as K&E) was a drafting instrument and supplies company founded in 1867 by German immigrants William J. D. Keuffel and Herman Esser.
materials and drafting
supplies. In 1876, K&E (as the company was known) started selling surveying instruments. A four-story factory in Hoboken, New Jersey
was completed four years later, and K&E was incorporated in 1889.
In the following decade Keuffel and Esser introduced another, new line of surveying instruments based on the work of John Paoli, an Italian immigrant in Hoboken.
K&E acquired Young & Sons
of Philadelphia in 1918 and made it a department of the firm. In the 1920s, K&E started manufacturing slide rule
s. In World War II
the company made fire-control instruments for the US Government and won seven Army-Navy ‘E’ Award
s for Excellence in Production.
However, with the advent of the electronic, transistorized calculator in the 1970s, slide rules became obsolete in most contexts. Slide rules had never been very profitable for K&E, so it was not difficult to discontinue the line. K&E's market share shrank because of other technological advancements and the firm shut down its slide rule engraving machines in 1975.
Keuffel and Esser had an office in Montreal, at 130 Montée de Liesse, in the 1960s.
K&E was acquired by AZON Corp. in 1987.
Overview
Keuffel and Esser started out in New York and sold drawingDrawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
materials and drafting
Drafting
Drafting or draughting may refer to:* Campdrafting, an Australian equestrian sport* Drafting , slipstreaming* Technical drawing, the act and discipline of composing diagrams that communicates how something functions or is to be constructed. E.g.:** Architectural drawing** Electrical drawing**...
supplies. In 1876, K&E (as the company was known) started selling surveying instruments. A four-story factory in Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
was completed four years later, and K&E was incorporated in 1889.
In the following decade Keuffel and Esser introduced another, new line of surveying instruments based on the work of John Paoli, an Italian immigrant in Hoboken.
K&E acquired Young & Sons
Young & Sons
William James Young , probably born in Philadelphia, was indentured as an apprentice to instrument maker Thomas Whitney of Philadelphia for seven years beginning in 1813. Young was first listed in the 1825 Philadelphia directory as a mathematical instrument maker. He continued in business by...
of Philadelphia in 1918 and made it a department of the firm. In the 1920s, K&E started manufacturing slide rule
Slide rule
The slide rule, also known colloquially as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog computer. The slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions such as roots, logarithms and trigonometry, but is not normally used for addition or subtraction.Slide rules come in a...
s. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the company made fire-control instruments for the US Government and won seven Army-Navy ‘E’ Award
Army-Navy ‘E’ Award
The Army-Navy "E" Award was an honor presented to a company during World War II for excellence in production of war equipment. The award was also known as the Army-Navy Production Award. The award would consist of a pennant for the plant and emblems for all employees in the plant at the time the...
s for Excellence in Production.
However, with the advent of the electronic, transistorized calculator in the 1970s, slide rules became obsolete in most contexts. Slide rules had never been very profitable for K&E, so it was not difficult to discontinue the line. K&E's market share shrank because of other technological advancements and the firm shut down its slide rule engraving machines in 1975.
Keuffel and Esser had an office in Montreal, at 130 Montée de Liesse, in the 1960s.
K&E was acquired by AZON Corp. in 1987.