This 9-inch theodolite was made for the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, designed for first order triangulation, and dates from the mid-1930s. New, it cost $2,175. The inscription reads "David White Co. Milwaukee Wis. No. 9049" and "USC&GS No. G362." The horizontal circle is graduated to degrees, and read by opposite micrometers with drum dials to 30 seconds. The vertical circle is graduated to 10 minutes, and read by opposite verniers and magnifiers to single minutes. The David White Co. was established in 1895, and renamed the David White Instrument Co. in 1956.
Ref: David White Co., Catalog A, 7th edition (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about 1937), pp. 103-104.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.