Vernon Clay 1928 NYC Dental Ledger Odontogram Tooth Chart Hotel Ambassador
$ 11.09
Description
Vernon Clay 1928 NYC Dental Ledger Odontogram Tooth Chart Hotel Ambassador. The odontogram, or tooth chart, is printed in blue ink at the top of the card, featuring a series of diagrams representing the adult dentition. The card shows clear signs of age and handling. The paper has a natural, even tanning and is slightly brittle along the edges, with a prominent vertical fold line and several lighter horizontal creases. This is an original early twentieth-century dental record from the files of a New York City dentist, combining a clinical odontogram with a patient payment ledger. The printed form, manufactured by The C. E. Sheppard Company of New York, was designed for use in a professional dental office and bears the printed headings for date, chart number, time, debit, and credit columns. The odontogram, or tooth chart, is printed in blue ink at the top of the card, featuring a series of diagrams representing the adult dentition. These diagrams were used by the dentist to record the condition of each tooth, including restorations, missing teeth, and planned treatment, through period markings. The presence of the odontogram makes this a particularly informative piece of medical ephemera, documenting how early dentists charted oral health before the standardization of modern dental notation. The record is associated with a patient named Mr. Vernon Clay, who was referred by a Mr. F. Keetchem. Mr. Clay’s address is listed as the Hotel Ambassador and the Bradford Dyeing Association in New York City, with a business address at 320 Broadway, Room 601. The Hotel Ambassador was a prominent Manhattan hotel, and the Bradford Dyeing Association was a well-known textile processing firm, suggesting Mr. Clay was a businessman or a visiting professional. The handwritten entries on the ledger side record two appointments in 1928. On April 20, the patient received a cleaning and examination, for which a charge of twenty-five dollars was entered. A subsequent appointment on May 4 was noted as “Broke appt. N.N.,” indicating a missed appointment. A credit of fifty dollars was recorded on May 8, likely settling the account for the earlier visit. The card shows clear signs of age and handling. The paper has a natural, even tanning and is slightly brittle along the edges, with a prominent vertical fold line and several lighter horizontal creases. There are three punch holes along the right margin, indicating it was once filed in a binder. A faint paperclip impression is visible in the upper right quadrant. The handwritten entries are in period ink, with no fading or loss of legibility. This item is a compelling example of early dental record-keeping, offering insight into the administrative and clinical practices of a 1920s New York City dental practice, and will be of interest to collectors of medical ephemera, dental history, and social history related to Manhattan business and hotel life. PLEASE NOTE: This item may be shipped according to how it was originally folded.
