# Untouched, unerased school blackboards from 1917 discovered **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932 "2015-06-07T23:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/1 "2015-06-07T23:20:05Z")
This is pretty cool. Contractors removing blackboards from an Oklahoma school found another set of blackboards under them. The blackboards still have markings from 1917 that weren’t erased before being covered. [Haunting chalkboard drawings, frozen in time for 100 years, discovered in Oklahoma school](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/06/eerie-chalkboard-drawings-frozen-in-time-for-100-years-discovered-in-oklahoma-school/?tid=pm_national_pop_b) ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/2 "2015-06-08T00:14:43Z")
That’s awesome! I wonder if the new (old) blackboards had gone up around Thanksgiving, since there’s the one turkey in there. I’d love to see those firsthand. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/3 "2015-06-08T00:26:03Z")
Those are awesome. I hope they can find a way to preserve them. I once helped clean out an old HS science lab room and we found all kinds of stuff like mercury sitting out in the open and believe it or not, a dead human fetus in a glass jar. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/4 "2015-06-08T00:54:03Z")
The nuns still used that “wheel” to teach us multiplication when I was in elementary school in the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/5 "2015-06-08T03:42:31Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The nuns still used that “wheel” to teach us multiplication when I was in elementary school in the 1960s. I don’t understand how it works. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/6 "2015-06-08T04:20:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I don’t understand how it works. 😕 [Thread about the wheel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=758851) (which I hadn’t seen before I started this thread). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/7 "2015-06-08T15:06:52Z")
I wonder what’s up with the Stars of David at the top of the board, above the multiplication wheel? Wondering if it was related to the time of year (Chanukah) or the year itself (1917, Israel formed) or if some kids just liked drawing stars that way with colored chalk. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/8 "2015-06-08T17:21:13Z")
Whats the deal with the weird spelling on the calendar? DELEMAER wonderful penmanship. I miss seeing that style of writing. Reminds me of my childhood. Letters from relatives had similar cursive writing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/9 "2015-06-08T17:32:10Z")
FYI: That link locked up my computer. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/10 "2015-06-08T17:32:34Z")
It’s DECEMBER, written in block letters with the top of the C and the bottom of the B blending in to the box outline. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/11 "2015-06-08T17:38:45Z")
:o I haven’t seen block letters in ages. I had even forgotten they ever existed. Now, I can make out December. thanks block letters were for really young kids? before they learned to print, then they learned cursive? printed letters [http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading\_genie/alpha.jpg](http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/alpha.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/12 "2015-06-08T17:44:05Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Whats the deal with the weird spelling on the calendar? > DELEMAER > > wonderful penmanship. I miss seeing that style of writing. Reminds me of my childhood. Letters from relatives had similar cursive writing. The handwriting was all but unreadable. ---
**Author:** ![Feint\_of\_Spades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Feint\_of\_Spades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feint_of_Spades)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/13 "2015-06-08T17:54:39Z")
These are very cool to see. My daughter has been having issues with multiplication, I may pepper her with some wheels over the summer to see if it helps. Also, on the penmanship, very good point. You don’t see that stressed much in modern curriculum, likely since computers are so much more likely, but having the ability to communicate through handwritten notes and forms is still important. I once was told “I think this is the neatest application we have ever received” from a potential employer (I got the job). One other thing I noticed, when practicing penmanship, they seem to have used positive life lessons like “I need to wash my clothes” instead of over-analyzed nonsense like “The cat and big dog need a fast zebra and a ghastly quail.” simply because it uses all the letters. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/14 "2015-06-08T17:55:22Z")
Interesting. Chalk on blackboard appears to be more archival than 5.5" floppies, 3.5" floppies, tape or Zip drives. Hang on, I’m going to head over to the art supply store and pick up some chalk so I can back up my hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/15 "2015-06-08T18:36:11Z")
Better get two boxes. Just in case you need to write a lot. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/16 "2015-06-08T18:38:19Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Those are awesome. I hope they can find a way to preserve them. > > I once helped clean out an old HS science lab room and we found all kinds of stuff like mercury sitting out in the open and believe it or not, a dead human fetus in a glass jar. We had a dead fetus in a jar in my High School biology room. I can’t imagine that they still have it for display anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/17 "2015-06-08T19:25:22Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Better get two boxes. Just in case you need to write a lot. Nah, just gonna write a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/18 "2015-06-08T19:38:33Z")
If I’d found them I’d have to look back behind them, because of the ending of **Thunderbolt and Lightfoot** ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/19 "2015-06-08T20:10:48Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Nah, just gonna write a bit. HA!! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932/20 "2015-06-08T20:24:04Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > The handwriting was all but unreadable. Really? How old are you? I find the writing completely legible, but I grew up using cursive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/untouched-unerased-school-blackboards-from-1917-discovered/721932.md?page=2)