Lensatic military field compass and pouch owned by Lt. Vernon O. Nicolls
date: label: Date
content: 1942-1945
name: label: Manufactured by
content: W. & L. E. Gurley Company, American, founded 1845
label: Issued by
content: United States Army, American, founded 1775
label: Owned by
content: Lieutenant Vernon O. Nicolls, American, 1909 - 2003
label: Used by
content: 758th Tank Battalion, American, 1941 - 1945
notes: label: Caption
content: Vernon Nicolls was born in Barbados in 1909 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1915. During World War II, while living in Brooklyn, Nicolls enlisted as a Private in the Army at Fort Jay on Governor's Island, New York, in 1942. After graduating from Officer Candidate School, Lieutenant Nicolls served in Italy with the 758th Tank Battalion, the Army's first African American armored unit. He used this compass during his World War II Army service.
label: Description
content: A lensatic military field compass (2014.142.6a) with a green canvas pouch (2014.142.6b) owned by Lt. Vernon O. Nicolls. The compass (2014.142.6a) is black with a hinged cover. It unfolds into four (4) main parts: the cover, the dial, rear sight/eyepiece, and the holding ring. The holding ring is a brass loop on the back of the compass to hold the compass steady while in use. Directly in front of the holding ring is the black metal rear sight, which has a lens and an eyepiece that unfolds to a ninety (90) degree angle. The rear sight aligns with the front sight in the front cover of the compass. The front sight is a metal wire, or crosshair, running down the length of a rectangular slot. There are luminous dots above and below the slot. The dial is a black, floating circular plate. Directional markers, [W E / S], are printed in gold text on the face of the dial with a gold arrow, representing north. The dial has inner and outer scales of numbers running around the rim of the dial in white lines and numerals. The outer scale is printed in two degree increments from [2] to [64]. The inner scale is printed in ten (10) degree increments from [20] to [340] with the gold arrow printed over the ten (10) degree mark of the inner scale and pointing to [64] on the outer scale. The manufacturer’s name and information is printed in white text on the surface of the dial, [W. & L.E. GURLEY / TROY, N.Y., U.S.A.] just above the south directional marker. The dial sits in a brass rimmed holder and is covered with glass with a painted gold line that runs across the radius of the glass surface. The pouch (2014.142.6b) for the compass is roughly rectangular in shape with rounded edges. It is constructed from olive green canvas with a top zipper closure and a ball chain zipper pull. The front of the pouch is plain. The pouch has a canvas belt loop on the back and a black metal hook attached to the top of the pouch. The ball chain zipper pull has a large, round connector.
place: label: Place made
content: Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, United States, North and Central America
label: Place used
content: Italy, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: World War II
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
label: Exhibition
content: Double Victory: The African American Military Experience
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kay L. Nicolls
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.142.6ab
objectType: label: Type
content: compasses (direction indicators)
label: Type
content: cases (containers)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: a. ink on metal and glass;
label: Medium
content: b. canvas with thread and metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (Overall): 5 1/4 × 3 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (13.3 × 7.9 × 3.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2014.142.6a compass closed): 3 3/4 × 2 1/16 × 7/8 in. (9.5 × 5.3 × 2.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2014.142.6a compass opened): 6 1/8 × 2 1/16 × 2 11/16 in. (15.5 × 5.3 × 6.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2014.142.6b case): 5 1/4 × 3 9/16 × 1 in. (13.3 × 9 × 2.5 cm)