Common Slates
These are typical slates. They came in different sizes and generally were made of a single, flat piece of slate with a wooden border around the edges. Students could write on both sides of the slate.
"Book" or "Double" Slates
Sometimes two common slates were joined to create a single book slate that could be opened and closed. This usually provided four surfaces for writing. This example, however, had the outer surfaces of the slate covered with wood.
Other Interesting Slates
Although these were called slates, they aren't really slates. The item on the left is "Guyot's Slated Map Drawing Cards" circa 1880. These are a series of large cards painted black to resemble slates. They were used by students to draw maps.
The artifact on the left is made with even heavier paper and was also painted black. It was used just like a more common slate but it was lighter in weight and, when closed, was thinner. It was much less fragile, too.
