Sutton Type Quadrant
date: label: Date made
content: 1657
name: label: maker
content: Henry Sutton
notes: label: Description
content: This brass Sutton-type horary quadrant has two brass sights on the top of the quadrant along one radius. The plumb-bob and string which belong at the vertex are missing. The quadrant is designed for a latitude of 54.5 degrees; a table for the six stars (Ala Peg, Arctur[us], Cor Leo, Oc[cidental] Ta[urus], Cor Vult, Canicul[a]) charted on this quadrant is engraved underneath the latitude near the vertex. Next is a double-wide calendar arch, named by month. The quadrant also contains a declination arc marked from 0 to 23 8/12, an hour arc from 6 to 12 and an azimuth arc from 10 to 90 to 130 (from 90, the arc is also marked down and to the left from 90 to 10), an ecliptic arc marked by zodiac symbol, a horizon arc marked from 0 to 43 by 10, a second hour arc (with a dogleg along the left edge) from 12 to 1 to 5 to 7 to 8 and from 8 to 6 to 1 to 12, logarithmic (?) scales from 1 to 9 and from 1 to 20, circumference from 0 to 90 by half-degree, and a third hour scale from 12 to 6 returning in the other direction to 1.
label: Description
content: The reverse of the quadrant bears a planisphere disc which once turned over scales from 1 to 12 X 2 by 1/8 hour. There is a fleur de lis at the 12 near the vertex. The disc is calibrated by month name and contains pictoral representations of six constellations (two bears for Ursa Minor and Ursa Major, etc.). There is a leather and cardboard case for this quadrant stored separately.
label: Description
content: Henry Sutton (d. 1665) was a well-known instrument maker who made both wood and brass quadrants among other objects.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Gloria Clifton, <I>Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers</I>, p. 270.
label: Description
content: E. G. R. Taylor, <I>The Mathematical Practitioners of Tudor and Stuart England</I>, p. 220.
label: Description
content: Maurice Daumas, <i>Scientific Instruments of the 17th and 18th Centuries</I>.
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
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.320152
label: catalog number
content: 320152
label: accession number
content: 241222
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sundial, quadrant
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: .6 cm x 13.1 cm x 13.1 cm; 1/4 in x 5 5/32 in x 5 5/32 in