Sextant

Description:

The double-framed brass sextant was patented by Edward Troughton in London in 1788, and the form remained popular throughout the first half of the 19th century. This example belonged to Haverford College in Pennsylvania and may have been acquired when that school was founded in 1833. It has a silvered scale that is graduated every 10 minutes from -5° to +145° and read by vernier with tangent screw and swinging magnifier. The inscription reads "W. & S. Jones Holborn London."

Ref: Edward Troughton, "Framing to be used in the construction of octants, sextants, and quadrants," British patent #1644.

Date Made: 1800-1850

Maker: W. & S. Jones

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United Kingdom: England, London

See more items in: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences, Navigation, Measuring & Mapping

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Haverford College

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1981.0745.06Catalog Number: 1981.0745.06Accession Number: 1981.0745

Object Name: Sextantsextant

Measurements: box: 12 cm x 33.6 cm x 33.6305 cm; 4 23/32 in x 13 7/32 in x 13 1/4 inoverall: 10.8 cm x 28.3 cm x 28.3 cm; 4 1/4 in x 11 5/32 in x 11 5/32 inoverall in box: 4 3/4 in x 13 in x 12 1/2 in; 12.065 cm x 33.02 cm x 31.75 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-4861-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1187556

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