5.20 Unique, UK
Having produced well over 2.5 million slide rules during its existence, the Unique Slide Rule Company of Brighton was most likely the largest producer of slide rules in the United Kingdom. It made slide rules from 1920 to 1975 and the firm itself, renamed the Unique Slide Rule Company Limited in 1951, continued to make other scientific instruments until 1993. Their relatively inexpensive rules were often the first slide rule introduced to students in the UK, especially during the 1970s when learning about slide rules was part of the UK’s curriculum. This also had the effect of enticing many students and professionals in the UK to upgrade to more extensive UNIQUE models. A very nice review of the UNIQUE slide rule company and its history can be found in the article by Hopp, Barnes, and Knot,
“UNIQUE Slide Rules”,
in the Journal of the Oughtred Society.
Total number of Unique slide rules in the collection: 3.
| Model | Year | Type | Mat | L0 | Case | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigational | 1943 | L | wd | 10 | box | Original box from London; Lt. Filipek (1943) ~WWII | |
| 5L/L |
|
1945 | L | wd | 5 | box | Log Log, no CI scale; stock v. D; cursor v. iii |
| Universal I | 1959 | L | wd | 10 | box | Log Log, CI scale; stock v. D; cursor v. vi; stamped U.1 and dated 19 Mar 1959 on box; instructions |