Surveyor's Compass
date: label: date made
content: around 1800
name: label: maker
content: Harland, Thomas
notes: label: Description
content: The "Made by Thomas Harland Norwich" inscription on the face of this surveyor's compass refers to Thomas Harland (1735–1807), an English clockmaker who settled in Norwich, Conn., in 1773. By 1790 Harland had a dozen or so apprentices and was producing some 40 clocks and 200 watches a year. An advertisement in the <i>Norwich Courier</i> of February 10, 1802, notes that Harland made and sold "Surveyors' Compasses, with agate centre needles."
label: Description
content: With its narrow bar holding the vertical sights, this example resembles an English instrument of much earlier date. Since the face of the compass has no direction letters, it could be read either clockwise or counterclockwise. The "I.W.B. 1800" inscription on the bottom of this compass may refer to an owner.
label: Description
content: Ref: Silvio A. Bedini, "Thomas Harland of Norwich, Connecticut," <i>Professional Surveyor</i> (July/August 1991): 60, 67.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut, Norwich
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: Professional Surveyor Magazine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0146.01
label: accession number
content: 1983.0146
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0146.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Surveyor's Compass
label: Object Name
content: surveyor's compass
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall length: 9 7/8 in; 25.0825 cm
label: Measurements
content: needle: 4 in; 10.16 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 7/8 in x 9 7/8 in; 17.4625 cm x 25.0825 cm