Nautical Compass

Object Details

Ritchie, Edward S.

Description

Liquid nautical compass with a brass bowl gimbal mounted in a wooden box. The graduated ring is curved. The needle float is in the form of crossed cylinders, as described in the patent (#38,125) granted to Edward S. Ritchie on April 7, 1863.

The gimbal ring, which seems to be of a somewhat later date than the compass, identifies several Ritchie patents in addition to that of 1863. The patent of May 12, 1868 (#77,763) describes a paint that would not deteriorate in the liquid in the compass. The patent of July 19, 1870 (#105,492) describes a way to hold the glass in place with a water-tight joint. The patent of November 14, 1876 (#184,300) describes a "fascicular magnet" composed of a series of separate drawn wires of steel laid parallel to one another.

The Ritchie ledgers, now held by Ritchie Navigation, indicate that this compass was produced on March 2, 1880, and sold to S. Thaxter & Son in Boston. Smithsonian records indicate that Thaxter gave it to the Smithsonian, perhaps for use in the International Fishery Exhibition which opened in Berlin on April 20, 1880. The compass was clearly shown in the similar exhibition held in London in 1883.

Ref. D. J. Warner, "Compasses and Coils. The Instrument Business of Edward S. Ritchie," Rittenhouse 9 (1994): 1-24.

G. Brown Goode, et. al., Descriptive Catalogues of the Collections Sent from the United States to the International Fisheries Exhibition, London, 1883 (Washington, D.C., 1884), vol. 2, p. 728.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

S. Thaxter & Sons

ID Number

PH.039385

catalog number

039385

accession number

8745

Object Name

nautical compass (liquid)

Measurements

compass: 8 1/2 in; 21.59 cm

box: 11 in x 11 in; 27.94 cm x 27.94 cm

overall: 5 3/4 in x 11 in x 11 in; 14.605 cm x 27.94 cm x 27.94 cm

place made

United States: Massachusetts, Boston

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Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences

Navigation

Measuring & Mapping

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_1197895

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-5c20-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa