Portable Horizontal Sundial by C. Stedman
date: label: date made
content: 1750
name: label: maker
content: Stedman, Christopher
notes: label: Description
content: This brass horizontal sundial consists of a round, portable dial with lid. The dial is on a ring fastened near the top of the case. It is calibrated from IIII to XII to VIII by I's, divided to 1/8 hour. The triangular brass gnomon is fastened to two brass pieces transversing the dial. The gnomon is scalloped on two edges. It folds up for use and measures 2 X 3 cm. Paper compass roses are inside the lid and at the bottom of the case. Both roses are divided by degrees into four quadrants of 90 degrees each. The compass inside the lid has eight points lettered. The compass in the case has thirty-two points lettered. A fleur de lis is at North. A brass point extends upward at the center of this compass and may originally have held the needle. The dial aligns approximately along the N/S axis of the compass.
label: Description
content: A mark on the compass rose inside the lid reads: C. STEDMAN (/) LONDON.
label: Description
content: Christopher Stedman began to make instruments in London in 1747. He employed at least 15 men before he died c. 1774. His widow, Elizabeth Stedman, carried on the business until 1784, and passed it on to their son, also named Christopher Stedman.
label: Description
content: Compare 330838.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Timekeeping
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Ruth M. Parks
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0599.01
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0599.01
label: accession number
content: 1986.0599
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sundial, horizontal portable
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 cm x 6.8 cm x 6.8 cm; 25/32 in x 2 11/16 in x 2 11/16 in