Really Sharp!: MOTAL's New Vintage Artifact

The Chicago pencil sharpener shown in the photo above was acquired by Fred Brannock when his beloved Peach Blossom Elementary School in Cambridge, Maryland was torn down to make way for a condominium project. The brick school was originally constructed in 1917 and had been a neighborhood landmark for many decades. The Brannock family was particularly fond of the school, for they had lived right next door in the 1940s and 50s. At the end, the district sold bricks and some other school items as mementos. Fred chose to purchase both a brick and this hand-crank sharpener. He installed it in his hobby room and enjoyed sharp pencils for several decades. In early 2022, his widow, Jo Ann, decided to donate the single-hole pencil sharpener to MOTAL.


Readers may remember reading about Fred in other MOTAL
articles. For example, he had written a story about his days as the
schoolyard marbles champ at Peach Blossom Elementary.
MOTAL has his winnings!
 – Young Marbles Champion Astounds Everyone!  –


The story of the sharpener deepened one day, quite by accident. MOTAL’S new school tool was not immediately stored away in an archival box; it was resting on a shelf in a storage area. There it soon caught the eye of architectural engineer James Garcia (now retired) who was visiting. Jim was thrilled to see the precision sharpener, for it brought back fond memories from his long career. His pencil sharpener story follows.


First, some facts: Although the APSCO (Automatic Pencil Sharpener Company) produced earlier CHICAGO models, this model was said to be for the Chicago School of Architecture. Instructors wanted a design for a sharpener capable of creating an exceptionally sharp point. It was required for drafting in those days before automatic pencils and electric pencil sharpeners. So, in the 1950s they commissioned the BEROL Company to design a good-looking, well-crafted instrument. The result was the Streamlined Moderne precision sharpener. APSCO was the manufacturer and distributor.


Young Jim Garcia first learned about this sharpener after he graduated from high school in Orange County, California. He had established himself as a good student, and was fortunate to have helpful school counselors. They advised his selection of schools and classes to maximize his ability to pay very little and still get a good education. To make a living, he accepted a job with Walter Beeson and Associates, one of Orange County’s three architectural firms at the time. His tasks involved cutting, starching, and ironing the linen sheets that were used for drawings. He then used a fine-pointed pen to handwrite the title blocks to identify the company on all sheets.
 
In that large office with a couple dozen employees, Jim was impressed by the fact that every desk had three things: 1) an ashtray, 2) a cupholder for a Walter Beeson company coffee cup, and 3) a Chicago single-hole pencil sharpener—just like the one MOTAL now possesses.
 
Although Jim had plans to become an automotive engineer, his plans were altered by a course in architectural drafting. It was the only class that would fill a requirement and fit his schedule at the time, but he ended up loving it! That, plus his Beeson experience, and a wide-ranging background from many years of helping out in his extended family’s construction-related businesses, set his path for the future. He advanced from Fullerton Junior College to the University of California, Irvine, to the University of Southern California. In the meantime, Walter Beeson moved his firm to Northern California, so Jim Garcia ended up working for a series of architectural firms, gaining skill and authority from junior draftsman to the person who oversaw major development projects in Southern California. One memorable time was with McClaren, Vasquez & Associates.
 
The photo below shows an architect’s pencil that has just been sharpened by the Chicago Streamlined sharpener. It IS really sharp, yes?

MOTAL is pleased to have the Chicago pencil sharpener in its artifact collection. A museum philosophy that has applied to many of its objects, will include the pencil sharpener. It will be touchable for any guests who wish to use it . . . with care, of course.

Fred Brannock

Jim Garcia

Submitted by MOTAL Board Members
Jo Ann Brannock, PhD
Greta Nagel, PhD

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