Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Type Gauge (Pica Pole)
Type Gauge (Pica Pole)
Type Gauge (Pica Pole)

Type Gauge (Pica Pole)

Manufacturer / Maker
Dateca. 1950
Mediummetal
Dimensions13 3/8 × 7/8 in. (34 × 2.2 cm)
ClassificationsTools, Implements & Weights
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of Bill and Sally Blackstad
Object numberPC1999.71.3
DescriptionJournalists often use this brass pica pole when designing and editing newspaper prints and designs. The bottom is a curved semi-circle and the top contains a curved edge with the manufacturer information and star logo printed. The pica pole measures picas as a typographic unit of measurement used in newspaper printing and this example contains 72 picas which equals 12 inches. Its design reflects the era’s reliance on manual tools for advanced calculations before the advent of electronic calculators and computer design.
On View
Not on view
Terms