Stenometer
name: label: maker
content: Fauth & Co.
notes: label: Description
content: William J. Peters of the U. S. Geological Survey devised this type of instrument in 1898, while doing reconnaissance work in Alaska. G. N. Saegmuller, proprietor of Fauth & Co., explained its function: "Having a fixed base of known dimensions defined by targets, the measurement is made by bringing the images of the targets together by moving the halved objective by means of a micrometer screw." The Geological Survey transferred this example to the Smithsonian in 1907, reporting that "Distances up to 1 or 2 miles can be determined with sufficient accuracy for reconnaissance work."
label: Description
content: This is actually a composite instrument. The prism monocular was probably made by Bausch & Lomb in Rochester, N.Y., according to the design developed by Zeiss in Jena, Germany, while Saegmuller made the divided object glass micrometer. It is notably different from the stenometer that Saegmuller was offering in 1901, and so is probably an early prototype. The words "U.S.G.S. No. 4" are scratched onto its surface.
label: Description
content: Ref: George N. Saegmuller, <i>Descriptive Price-List of First-Class Engineering & Astronomical Instruments</i> (Washington, D.C., 1901), p. 108.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
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content: Surveying and Geodesy
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content: Measuring & Mapping
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: U.S. Geological Survey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.247921
label: catalog number
content: 247921
label: accession number
content: 47736
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Stenometer
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in x 3 1/4 in x 4 3/4 in; 5.08 cm x 8.255 cm x 12.065 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in x 3 5/16 in x 4 11/16 in; 5.08 cm x 8.41375 cm x 11.90625 cm