19th c. Framed Student's Personal Schoolhouse Slate Chalkboard c.1880-1910

ABOUT Antique double sided black slate student's chalkboard framed in walnut. The frame has faint student's inscribed doodles. CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1880-1910. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Walnut, Slate. CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Chip in upper right corner. White marks on the slate on the reverse side. DIMENSIONS H 15 in. W 11 in. D .25 in. HISTORY In the nineteenth century, schoolchildren's access to paper was limited. Slates were used to practice handwriting and arithmetic without wasting precious paper. After a teacher's approval, the students were allowed to copy their best slate work into a paper copybook, as a record of accomplishment. Students also memorized concepts, rules and even long literary passages, thus conserving paper.