NBM News

Mystery in the Collection: What Are These Lettering Devices?

May 28, 2025

Every once in a while, a mystery item emerges from the archives that sparks curiosity and a healthy dose of detective work. That’s exactly what happened when our Collections team took a closer look at an interesting set of tools donated to the museum in 2011: eight lettering devices that once belonged to Harold Esten, a Washington, DC–based architect.

A Legacy of Design

A 1966 mid-century modern Harold Esten design in Bethesda, Maryland. Photo: Modern Capital DC.

Harold Esten (1920–2014) was known for his crisp, modernist aesthetic. Over a career spanning four decades, he designed iconic structures including the Nevey Shalom synagogue in Bowie, Maryland, and the American City Building in Columbia. Esten also oversaw the renovation of eight Amtrak stations along the Northeast Corridor and shared his knowledge through teaching architecture at Howard University. His professional papers, architectural drawings, and photographs came to the Museum following his death. But tucked into that donation was something that caught our eye and stumped our Collections staff.

Eight Nearly Identical Tools

These eight objects are long, narrow, and made from a thin material, measuring between eighteen and twenty-two inches in length, 1.25 inches tall, and 1/8 inch thick. Each one contains the alphabet, although the letters are not in order. Some of the pieces are two-sided, with numbers on the reverse. The lettering appears to be recessed very slightly into the surface, though not punched all the way through.

There are consistent design elements across all eight items:

A small hole on the left side, possibly for hanging
Dots centered below each letter and notches above
No makers mark or brand name
An enigmatic number printed in the top right corner
Subtle variations in font and text size
Plastic sleeves for storage

So, what exactly are these?

Lettering Guides… but for what?

We’re fairly certain these are some type of lettering guide or stencil system used with a scriber tool, possibly for architectural or technical drawings. They resemble templates from the Leroy lettering system by Keuffel & Esser (K+E), which was widely used by architects and draftsmen in the mid-20th century.

But key differences set Esten’s tools apart. The Leroy templates are highly branded, feature measurement scales, and include a groove along the bottom to guide the scriber. In contrast, our tools have grooves on the top, no branding or measurements, and those distinctive dots and notches flanking each character.

Below are sets that have similar functions, but are not identical to our mystery item.

So while we understand the general purpose of these tools—to help draw uniform letters—the exact device or system they were used with remains unknown. Did they belong to a proprietary or lesser-known drafting system? Were they modified or custom-made for Esten’s own use? Were they part of a larger set now lost to time?

Help Us Solve the Puzzle

If you recognize this lettering system or have used something similar in your own work, we’d love to hear from you at research@nbm.org. Your insight could help us better understand not just these tools, but the daily working life of a local mid-century architect.