Signaling Mirror
date: label: date made
content: 1955-1956
label: SS Alcoa Guide sank
content: 1942-04-16
name: label: maker
content: Burton Manufacturing Company
notes: label: Description
content: This signaling mirror was owned by Waldemar Semenov, whose career as a marine engineer aboard American merchant vessels spanned 54 years. He survived torpedo attacks during World War II, including one that sank the SS <I>Alcoa Guide</I> in 1942. Seven Americans lost their lives in the attack.
label: Description
content: Signaling mirrors like this were produced in large quantities and issued to military personnel and merchant seamen alike. Small and compact, such mirrors could be used to signal for help over long distances. By aiming the mirror at the sun, the person in distress could signal the reflected flash of light for miles. Numerous improvements were made in the design of the sighting devices and the materials used in the construction of signal mirrors in the 1940s and 1950s. This model was manufactured by the Burton Manufacturing Company, probably in 1955-56.
label: Description
content: The following instructions are inscribed on the back of the mirror:
label: Description
content: 1. Reflect sunlight from mirror onto a nearby surface, raft, hand, etc.
label: Description
content: 2. Slowly bring mirror up to eye level and look through sighting hole. You will see a bright light spot. This is the aim indicator.
label: Description
content: 3. Hold mirror close to the eye and slowly turn and so manipulate it that the bright light spot is on the target.
label: Description
content: 4. Even though no aircraft or ships are in sight, continue sweeping the horizon. Mirror flashes may be seen for many miles, even in hazy weather.
place: label: German submarine sunk SS Alcoa Guide 300 miles east of Cape Hatteras
content: United States: North Carolina, Cape Hatteras
topic: label: related event
content: Postwar United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: See more items in
content: On the Water exhibit
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: National Museum of American History. On the Water exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Waldemar Semenov
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0295.02
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0295.02
label: accession number
content: 2005.0295
objectType: label: Object Name
content: emergency signaling mirror
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: textile (part: cord material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 in x 5 in x 1/4 in; 7.62 cm x 12.7 cm x .635 cm