Chicago Hand Crank Pencil Sharpener (Green) by APSCO, c. 1920s

Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co., 58 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL

This was the pencil sharpener of your youth . . . if your school was like mine and failed to pay for the widely available electric alternative.

The classic “Chicago” hand-crank sharpener is actually one of five Automatic Pencil Sharpener Co. (aka, APSCO) pieces in our museum collection, all dating from the 1920s or earlier.