Surveyor's Vernier Compass
date: label: date made
content: 1841-1863
name: label: Associated Name
content: William J. Young and Sons
label: maker
content: Edmund Brown and Son
notes: label: Description
content: Edmund Brown (1800-about 1867) spent 20 years with Richard Patten in New York, as an apprentice in the shop at the Sign of the Compass Card, and then as a journeyman. In 1835, when Patten withdrew from the business, Brown and another employee took over the shop. In 1841, Brown joined with Bush G. Brown, and began trading as E. Brown & Son. This partnership lasted until 1863. This vernier compass marked "E. Brown & Son, New York" dates from that period.
label: Description
content: The compass has a variation arc on the north arm that extends 20 degrees either way. The vernier, moved by a tangent screw on the south arm, reads to single minutes. A level vial is on the south arm. The tangent screw and the decoration of the face (a circle of flowers and leaves) are typical features of New York compasses. The compass has two sets of vertical sights. The plain ones are probably original with the instrument. The others, which are graduated so that vertical angles can be read, are probably not.
label: Description
content: One label in the box reads "E. BROWN & SON, MATHEMATICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS No. 27 Fulton Slip NEW YORK." The other label is that of Wm. J. Young & Sons of Philadelphia, a firm that may have repaired the compass and supplied the graduated sights.
label: Description
content: Ref: Charles E. Smart, <i>The Makers of Surveying Instruments in America Since 1700</i> (Troy, N.Y., 1962), pp. 16-20.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Surveying and Geodesy
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Smart, Charles E.. Makers of Surveying Instruments in America Since 1700
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.328752
label: catalog number
content: 328752
label: accession number
content: 308252
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Surveyor's Compass
label: Object Name
content: surveyor's compass
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: needle: 6 in; 15.24 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall length: 17 in; 43.18 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall in case: 4 3/16 in x 17 1/2 in x 8 1/4 in; 10.63625 cm x 44.45 cm x 20.955 cm