{"id":7621,"date":"2025-05-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nbm.org\/?p=7621"},"modified":"2025-05-14T16:43:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T20:43:14","slug":"what-are-these-lettering-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nbm.org\/what-are-these-lettering-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"Mystery in the Collection: What Are These Lettering Devices?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every once in a while, a mystery item emerges from the archives that sparks curiosity and a healthy dose of detective work. That\u2019s exactly what happened when our Collections team took a closer look at an interesting set of tools donated to the museum in 2011: eight lettering devices that once belonged to Harold Esten, a Washington, DC\u2013based architect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Legacy of Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A 1966 mid-century modern Harold Esten design in Bethesda, Maryland. Photo: Modern Capital DC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Harold Esten (1920\u20132014) was known for his crisp, modernist aesthetic. Over a career spanning four decades, he designed iconic structures including the Nevey Shalom synagogue in Bowie, Maryland, and the American City Building in Columbia. Esten also oversaw the renovation of eight Amtrak stations along the Northeast Corridor and shared his knowledge through teaching architecture at Howard University. His professional papers, architectural drawings, and photographs came to the Museum following his death. But tucked into that donation was something that caught our eye and stumped our Collections staff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Eight Nearly Identical Tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These eight objects are long, narrow, and made from a thin material, measuring between eighteen and twenty-two inches in length, 1.25 inches tall, and 1\/8 inch thick. Each one contains the alphabet, although the letters are not in order. Some of the pieces are two-sided, with numbers on the reverse. The lettering appears to be recessed very slightly into the surface, though not punched all the way through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are consistent design elements across all eight items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n