I shudder to think of a time when this would have been part of school curriculum.
I don't. In the era that this device would have been found in use, both adults and kids had more common sense and maturity. It would have been a very effective demonstration of the principles of current flow and what-not.
I have always been a "tactile" type. Show me a schematic, and I can work it through with some difficulty. Show me the actual device first, then I can not only read through the schematic a lot faster, I can draw one up!
Or a better example, I designed a dual-motor control with delay start for motor #2 for pipe organ blowers. I built it first, then drew out the diagram by hand after in about an hour. It would have never gotten built if I'd tried to draw it up first.
I flunked chemistry in High school for the same reason. Give me the chemicals and lab supplies and I could solve any formula. Give me the book or a list on paper, I couldn't get the formulas right to save my life! Really ticked off the teacher and my parents!
