James Foster Jr. (1814-1873) began advertising as a mathematical and philosophical instrument maker in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1846. He showed his wares at several fairs sponsored by the Ohio Mechanics Institute in the 1850s. The rim of this surveyor's compass is graduated every 30 minutes. The vernier on the north arm is moved by rack and pinion, and reads to single minutes. There is a circular level on the south arm. The inscription reads "James Foster, Jr. Cincinnati, O."
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