March 1916-December 1917 (dates of Remington contract)
General note:
Card Number: 38
Category: Disabled study--crutches
Collection: NMAH
Copy negative: 92-7931
Gilbreth image: 17951?
Information on photo: 17961
Job name: Remington Typewriter Works, Illion NY (captions for glass diapositives, NF1/0019, vol. III, Purdue University, via Elspeth Brown 10.24.98).
Original caption: See caption for 17951 (not in NMAH collection) but which explains who the subject is: "This picture and the next two following ["17972" an "A"] are of a cripple named Case. As the result of rheumatic fever some 25 years ago he became a cripple and he has no motions whatever from his neck to his knees except in his arms. In spite of this handicap he has learned the machinist's trade and is a model maker and is one of the highest priced workers at the Remington Typewriter Works at Illion, NY He has invented crutches of a peculiar shape and tongs that enable him to dress himself and he does everything for himself that a well man can do and is well and happy. His case illustrates what perseverence will do and shows that any cripple can make good in spite of his handicap." (FBG captions for glass diapositives, NF1/0019, vol. III, Purdue University, via Elspeth Brown, 10.24.98).
See caption for closely related image 17960 (not in NMAH collection): "To pick up anything from the floor he must kneel like this." (FBG, captions, NF1/0019 vol. III, Purdue University, via EHB 10.24.98).
see related caption for Gilbreth image (17966), as follows: "Undressing comes under the motion study law of dis-assembling. This man has designed for himself special crutches which he uses for many different purposes. He pushes off his shoes and stockings and other clothes that he cannot otherwise reach. This picture shows him bending forward as far as he can move."(FBG captions from Morley/NMAH files, f.888-1 Motion Study, typescript ARM 1/27/20--from Purdue, originally; EHB 10.24.98).
see caption for two images in this series, which are not--so far as I know--in the NMAH collection, but clearly concerning this man and his use of self-designed hooks for dressing. The images are numbers 17975 and 17973; MAY refer as well to NMAH image accession number 318949.0070 (this NMAH image, depicting the tongs, does not have a Gilbreth number on the image). The caption is as follows: "These [images 17975 and 17973] show the man who has no joints from his neck to his knees except in his arms, and it shows that special tools can be made to accomplish anything, and if this man has become one of the highest paid men in a typewriter factory, then we should use his example in the design of all tools in order to permit the worker to do his work in the One Best Way. I wish particularly to call attention to these two pictures for the reason that some people think that we intend to have all workers use the very same motions. Obviously, this is impossible. Men do no "average" in the plant. There is no such animal as "the average man." Therefore, it is out of the question to consider for a moment the possibility of making all men use the same motions. However, the cost of intensive investigation is so great that it is better to concentrate it on the One Best Way for the typical "average man", and then we will consider individual deviations according to the individual charachteristics of the given man at any particular instance. In standardizing the method of putting on one's clothes, we would suppose that the "average man" would not be expected to use tongs for pulling on his trousers and for pulling on his stockings or long hooks for reaching his shoes and pulling them on. Nevertheless, the laws of dependent sequence and such as putting on one's stockings before one puts on one's shoes would apply quite the same to an unusual cripple in the operation of his dressing as it would the case of Beau Brummel. These pictures stand out for all time as being the best example that we know of expecting standard derivations from the One Best Way which has been determined for the average man." (FBG to Professor Frank Watts, October 21, 1921, pg. 5, NF1/0019, vol. II, via Elspeth Brown 10.24.98).
see Case photographs in the frontispiece and facing page 27 of Frank B. Gilbreth and Lillian B. Gilbreth, Motion Study for the Handicapped, (Easton PA: Hive Publishing, 1973 [1920]) with the following captions: frontispiece: "What Pluck Did for A Cripple. This man's joints solidified from his neck to his knees some years ago. He made special appliances to enable him to dress himself, and crutches for walking. One of the latter, when reversed, is used to push off his boots, stickings, etc. In spite of his informities, he is to-day one of the most highly waged mecahnics of the Remington Typewriter Co., Ltd." And facing page 27: "Special devices for helping the handicapped. Mr. Case, whose picture is shown here, has had complete stiffening of the joints since 23 years of age. He is what is sometimes called a "hopeless case" because he has had very little use of his legs and very little motion in his back and neck. He has, however, invented and made for his own use special devices such as peculiar shaped crutches, long handled hooks for pullin on his shoes, and tongs for pulling on his trousers, etc. He has learned tow trades and is earning high pay as class model maker. His life is a fine example of what a cripple can do if what is left of him is of the right kind of stuff."
Location of subject: Illion, NY
Subject names: "Case", a model maker at Remington Typewriter Works, Illion NY
Series Restrictions:
Series 2: Glass Stereo Slides are restricted. The glass stereo slides in boxes 3-9 were digitized in 2021. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Sponsor:
Digitization of Series 2: Glass Stereo Slides (Positive) was made possible by Andrew and Anya Shiva.
