late nineteenth century countertop oak wood slanted display case manufactured for the henry l. hanson company of worcester, ma. the front panel has hand painted gold and red-outlined lettering with the manufacturer's name and location, surrounded by two brass plated butterfly hinges. the framed glass lid opens from the back to a wedge-shaped display area lined by blue felt. the display case would have showcased taps and dies or some variety of tool produced by henry hanson. the henry l. hanson company was initially housed in a five-story building at 25 union street in worcester. built in 1879 by a wealthy merchant, stephen salisbury, it was first used by the porter last company before being occupied by hanson. for 50 years, hanson made taps and dies there that gained world-wide fame for their quality. they eventually made a variety of hand and power tool accessories under names such as "handy" as well as "ace" and sold these through retail hardware outlets, mass merchants, and automotive and industrial channels. in 1975, the company moved to a modern facility in the same city. at some point, the company became a part of the irwin tool empire (now a part of newell rubbermaid), where the name is still used as a brand. the city of worcester was once a huge manufacturing centre, especially after 1828 with the completion of the blackstone canal, which linked the city to providence. the boston-worcester railway, established in 1835, also helped build the city's fortunes. at its height, local companies made machine tools, wire products, power looms, ice skates, and corsets. however, its industrial decline began after world war ii.