Octant

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Description:

This has an ebony frame, a reinforced brass index arm, an ivory scale that is graduated every 20' from -2° to +107° and read by vernier with tangent screw to 30" of arc. The inscription reads "Spencer Browning & Co London. Made for D. McGregor & Co Glasgow & Greenock." Spencer Browning & Co. were in business from 1840 to 1870.

Western Union transferred this sextant to the Smithsonian in 1972.

Date Made: ca 1855

Maker: Western Union CorporationMaker: Spencer, Browning & Co.

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United Kingdom: England, London

See more items in: Work and Industry: Electricity

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: from Western Union Corporation

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: EM.331882Catalog Number: 331882Accession Number: 294351Collector/Donor Number: 25-54

Object Name: SextantOctantoctant

Physical Description: ebony (part: material)ivory (part: material)brass (part: material)mahogany (part: material)Measurements: box: 12 1/2 in x 11 1/2 in x 5 in; 31.75 cm x 29.21 cm x 12.7 cmoctant: 11 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in; 29.21 cm x 24.13 cm x 11.43 cm

Metadata Usage: CC0

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a7-0cbb-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_891066

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