Chartometer
notes: label: Description
content: A chartometer measured distances on maps and charts. Edward Russell Morris, a draftsman in the Small Arms Factory in Birmingham, England, obtained a British patent (#3948) on the form in 1873. He called it an “improved pocket instrument for measuring and recording distances.” This example belonged to Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887), the naturalist who served as the second Secretary of the Smithsonian. The case is marked “CHARTOMETER / MORRIS’S PATENT.” The glass cover opens to allow different paper scales to be fitted to the face.
label: Description
content: Ref: Notice in <i>The London Gazette</i> (Dec. 12, 1873).
label: Description
content: “The Chartometer,” <i>The Gardner’s Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette</i> (May 24, 1873): 718-719.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.284271
label: catalog number
content: 284271
label: accession number
content: 55865
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Chartometer
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.5 cm x 9.3 cm x 6.8 cm; 31/32 in x 3 21/32 in x 2 11/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall; case: 1 1/8 in x 2 5/8 in x 3 5/8 in; 2.8575 cm x 6.6675 cm x 9.2075 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall; chartometer: 1/2 in x 2 1/4 in x 3 1/8 in; 1.27 cm x 5.715 cm x 7.9375 cm