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diagrammatic symbol of a motor outlet from a 1924 instruction manual

At the head of the cellar stairs
there is indicated an electric switch,
and a dotted line points down the stairs˰

In the cellar plan a 50-watt lamp is shown˰
this instrument is used˰
for transferring distances˰

An imaginary cut is
made through materials˰
outside of the border lines˰

Run the line straight through
regardless˰
erasures can be made

diagrammatic symbol of a power outlet from a 1924 instruction manual


Collaged text and image fragments from Architectural Details, by Louis Rouillon and Charles G. Ramsey (1924). Caret footnote marks˰ indicate the seams between glued-together quotations.



M.C. Childs' poetry has won awards from the Science Fiction Poetry Association and appeared in multiple magazines. Professor Childs is the author of award-winning urban design books, including Foresight and Design; The Zeon Files: Art and Design of Historic Route 66 Signs; Urban Composition; and Squares: A Public Space Design Guide.
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19 Jan 2026

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