Miscellaneous Calipers

This is one of my favorite photographs in the Tool Project. I arranged a collection of my dad’s calipers and measuring tools across the workbench, letting their curved arms, straight edges, screws, and circular forms overlap and move through the frame.

I loved how precise these tools were, even after years of use. They were made for measuring carefully, adjusting by small amounts, and getting things right. That was very much a part of my dad’s world. Spending time arranging them gave me a way to look closely at the tools he understood so well, and to appreciate their shapes in a completely different way.

Part of Donna Dufault’s Tool Project, a collection of 19 black-and-white still life photographs created in 2002 using tools from her late father’s garage.