Inspection test poises egg grading machine by De Grave Short & Co. of London, dated 1942.

Made for Northamptonshire County Council.

Fitted case with six aluminium imperial weight egg grades and brass lifting forceps.

Each marked: E46 with verification marked dated 1942.

Case dimensions: 19 x 14 x 9 cm.

Egg grading test ‘poises’ weights and measures used by Trading Standards. Eggs are graded for sale according to their weight.  Machines used to grade eggs would be regularly inspected by Trading Standards who would use a set of test poises to check the calibration of the machine. These aluminium eggs range from the maximum to the minimum weight for each egg size.  The test poises would be fed into the machine to check that it would grade them correctly.

For a similar set of egg grading test poises see the collections of the Shropshire Museum, England, and the History of Science Museum, Oxford, England.

De Grave of London was established in the 18th century, circa 1767, by Charles De Grave and produced weights, scales and measures. From 1817 to 1844 the business was known as De Grave & Son, and was located at 59 St. Martin’s-le-Grand, London. From 1817 to 1844, the firm was known as De Grave, Short & Co., and from 1845 onwards, De Grave, Short, Fanner & Co. 1851 De Grave, Short and Fanner exhibited at the Great Exhibition, London. From 1890 the firm was located at 13 Farringdon Road, London. The firm became part of the Avery organisation in 1922.