The rim of this Gurley vernier compass is graduated to 30 minutes. The variation arc on the south arm extends 20 degrees either way, and is read by folded vernier to 2 minutes. Two level vials are on the north arm, and an outkeeper is on the south arm. The side of one vertical sight is graduated to half degrees, for determining angles of elevation or depression. The machine-engraved signature indicates that it was made after 1876. This compass came to the Smithsonian from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Ref: W. & L. E. Gurley, A Manual of the Principal Instruments Used in American Engineering and Surveying (Troy, N.Y., 1904), pp. 108-120.
W. Skerritt, "W. & L. E. Gurley's Engraving Machine," Rittenhouse 11 (1997): 97-100.
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.