In the Soviet Union, between 1924 and 1937, there was once a group of people dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Latvian language and culture. They called themselves the “Prometheus Society", and they financed themselves by manufacturing and selling various items (including slide rules), and by putting on concerts, shows, and art exhibitions.
I recently acquired one of their slide rules, and with the help of my friends Vera and Konstantin Stankevich, I found out quite a bit about this society. Their end was tragic: in one of Stalin’s infamous purges, every member of the society was either killed outright or set to gulags (most likely for a slow death there).
This is one of the most interesting stories I’ve heard associated with slide rules, and thus a particularly good example of the unexpected benefits of my hobby.
Read more about the society here, or see the slide rule here…
