The objects 7304 to 7314 are pieces of ox-horn illustrating the stages in the manufacture of side combs. Each stage in the process can be seen from the heating and pressing to make the template to the different stages of teeth cutting using a machine. They were donated to the museum in 1884 by Mr C E Wigzell a Sydney hairdresser and form part of the original Technological Museum collection. This is a strip cut out of length of horn.

References
MacGregor, A., 'Bone, Antler, Ivory and Horn: the technology of skeletal materials since the Roman period', Barnes and Noble Books, New Jersey, 1985.
Knight, E., H., (ed), 'Knights American Mechanical Dictionary', Vol 1, J.B. Ford and Company, New York, 1874
Schaverien, A., 'Horn, its History and its Uses', Everbest Printing Co., 2006
Mossman, S., (ed.), Early Plastics; perspectives, 1850-1950, Leicester University Press, London, 1997
Mossman, S., Morris, P. J. T., (eds.), 'The Development of Plastics', Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1993

Geoff Barker, March, 2007

Comb (unfinished), ox horn, donor C. E. Wigzell, Sydney, Australia, 1874-1884

A short curved section of ox horn for use in the construction of a comb. This is one of a series of specimens to illustrate the stages in the manufacture of side combs.

Made: 1855 - 1884

An piece of paper adhered to the horn reads '1'. Also inscribed on the horn is 'No.1'.

7304

1855 - 1884

115 mm

55 mm