Beam Compass by Kern & Co.
date: label: date made
content: 1885-1926
name: label: maker
content: Kern & Co.
notes: label: Description
content: Beam compasses were used to draw circles of large radius by positioning the sliding pieces on a wooden lath. This German silver instrument, also called a draftsman’s trammel, has a smaller sliding piece with a pencil point that may be exchanged for the pen point holder also contained in the case. The smaller sliding piece is engraved with the Kern logo, a K inside a pair of dividers. The larger sliding piece has a needle point. Either end of the needle point may be used.
label: Description
content: The larger sliding piece is engraved with a maker’s mark: KERN & Co; AARAUSWISS. No beam, or wooden lath, is included, nor is there room for one in the case. The case is leather over wood, lined with maroon velvet and locked by a button on the side. The top of the case is imprinted with a rectangle that has a fleur-de-lis at each corner. The maker’s mark is stamped in gold: KERN & Co AARAU [/] SWITZERLAND. The owner’s card is inside the case, with “Property [/] of” written in cursive pencil and “L. N. EDWARDS” printed. Carolyn H. Edwards of Glen Echo, Md., bequeathed this beam compass set to the Smithsonian in 1971.
label: Description
content: The marks on this compass are similar to those used by Kern between 1885 and 1926. For other instruments manufactured by Kern, see ID numbers MA.247966, 1977.0460.02, 1978.2291.01, and MA.321781.
label: Description
content: Reference: Juerg Dedual, "How Old is My Kern & Co. AG Aarau?" <i>Virtual Archive of WILD HEERBRUGG</i>, http://www.wild-heerbrugg.com/how_old_is_my_kern_&_co__ag_aarau_instrument.htm.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Switzerland: Aargau, Aarau
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Compasses, Beam
label: Subject
content: Drawing Instruments
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Dividers and Compasses
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of Carolyn H. Edwards
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.333947
label: accession number
content: 296611
label: catalog number
content: 333947
objectType: label: Object Name
content: beam compass
label: Object Name
content: beam compasses
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: german silver (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 13.5 cm x 5.8 cm x 2.5 cm; 5 5/16 in x 2 9/32 in x 31/32 in