Knox & Shain
(1850-1929)

Knox & Shain are first listed in Philadelphia directories: 1855 Knox & Shain, mathematical instrument makers, 46-1/2 Walnut (Joseph Knox & Charles J. Shain). The partnership continues until 1876 at 716 Chestnut. In 1878 Knox & Shain, mathematical instrument makers, 716 Chestnut (Henry M. Knox & Charles J. Shain). This partnership continued until 1891 when Charles J. Shain died in Atlantic City. The firm name continued until 1929.


Joseph Knox Jr. was born in 1805. His father Joseph Knox Sr. operated the Phoenix Tavern from 1807 to 1822.   The Phoenix Tavern was next door to Thomas Whitney's shop in the Northern Liberties.   Joseph Sr. also witnessed the inventory of Thomas Whitney's estate.  Thus it is very likely that Joseph Knox Jr. served an apprenticeship or at least learned the trade at Whitney's shop which is where he may have met Wm. J. Young.
Joseph Knox (1805-1877) is first mentioned in Philadelphia directories in 1829 as a mathematical instrument maker. In the 1837 directory and only this directory there is the entry for Draper & Knox at Edmund Draper's address.   It is not known where Knox worked from 1829 on but by the early 1840's he was foreman in William Young's shop.  


In 1850 he and Charles J Shain started in business and in the 1850 Franklin Institute Fair they exhibited a telegraph register. Soon after opening in 1850 they acquired the circular dividing engine that Jesse Ramsden had built in 1774.  In 1880 the Ramsden dividing engine was sold to Henry Morton, professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Morton, in turn, gave this historic engine to the Smithsonian Institution.


Charles J Shain (1822-1891) was born 1822 and served his apprenticeship with Young. There is a Young Compass marked on the underside “Tom Tennant March 31 1842 Charles J. Shain April 12, 1842”. Apparently Tom and Charles had nearly finished their apprenticeships and were allowed to put their names on the instrument (out of sight). Shain continued (off and on) with Knox and Shain up to his death in 1891.


They were very well known for their telegraphs but they could never leave their original roots as very fine instrument makers.  In 1851 they sent an instrument to the Franklin institute for their approval and they got the positive backing from Franklin that they desired for their instruments. Knox made surveying and telegraph instruments until he died Feb 16 1877.

Their roots from the Wm. Young shop are seen in their transits as they look very similar to Wm. Young's transits of the time. The Knox & Shain company remained in business until 1929.

National Museum of American History - Transit