Wye Level
name: label: maker
content: Roach, John
notes: label: Description
content: The United States Geological Survey transferred this wye level to the Smithsonian in 1907. The "John Roach Maker San Francisco 730" inscription from the period 1855-1891. Roach illustrated his advertisement in the San Francisco Directory for 1886 with a cut of a similar instrument.
label: Description
content: John Roach (1813–1891) was born in Ireland. By 1833 he was in New York, identifying himself as an instrument maker. He joined in partnership with Henry Warner soon thereafter. Advertising in the <i>American Railroad Journal</i> for 1837, Roach & Warner offered to supply "Wholesale Dealers and Country Merchants" with surveying compasses and other instruments "of their own manufacture, warranted accurate and at lower prices than can be had at any other establishment." This advertisement reflects an appreciation of the westward expansion of the country, as well as a concern for price at a time when America was experiencing a severe economic depression. By 1841 Roach was again in business on his own, offering daguerreotype materials (this photographic technique had been introduced in Paris in 1839) as well as other optical and philosophical apparatus. He moved to San Francisco in 1855, and was soon the leading instrument dealer on the West Coast. At his death, he was succeeded by his longtime employee, J. C. Sala.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, San Francisco
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.247910
label: catalog number
content: 247910
label: accession number
content: 47736
objectType: label: Object Name
content: wye level
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 in x 4 7/8 in x 21 5/8 in; 22.86 cm x 12.3825 cm x 54.9275 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 7/8 in x 4 3/4 in x 21 1/8 in; 22.5425 cm x 12.065 cm x 53.6575 cm