Just lovely. Early 20th c. I believe, a cloth measure housed inside tin litho case, with metal pull at the end of the measuring tape and smoothly turning arm that winds it tightly back inside. I don't come across these very often, especially not as graphically excellent as this one, which feels like a cousin of a Schoenhut circus drum! 

1 15/16" d x 1 1/4". I pulled it out a little further than 40 inches and it seems it likely goes a to 48 or so. Some wear to the cloth tape, especially the first few inches, but the further one pulls the brighter it gets!