Nautical instruments
This part of the collection includes mainly navigational instruments from the early sailing period, the time when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel.
Nice quality single draw telescope with two bras tubes and good optics in a wooden chest. The mainbody is clad with leather and has taken on a nice antique patina, polished over the years. The eye lens has a sliding lens protector. The objective lens with a diameter of 6 cm (2.5 in).
Père Edmond Lorieux had his workshop in Paris at Passage Dauphine 30 and Rue Mazarine 27 à Paris.
Catalog: NM.2-11
Date: circa 1850
L telescope: 78/93,5 cm (30.6/36.8 in)
Signed: E. Lorieux Père Paris
Origin: France
Condition: good with some general signs of wear
The stand is new made of old oak of about the same age as the telescope.
Price of the stand is E 85,=
A ship-log records the distance travelled through the water. With the time in hours between the observations it gives the ship’s speed in knots. Logs like this one are fixed on the rail at the stern of a ship, the taffrail.
From the 17th century onwards people had made many attempts to devise a mechanical log which would automatically record the ships distance done. Edward Massey invented a mechanical log in 1802 with four blades which was used by the Admiralty from 1807-1815. If the rotator was dragged behind the ship, the log rotated in the water and the revolutions were transformed in miles on the dials, to be read after the rotator was brought on deck.
Later W.F. Reynolds developed a log in which the counter was attached to the taffrail. Walker’s refined this design and patented the Rocket in 1884. The production was ceased in 1919.
The recorder, made of brass with an enamel dial, would have been connected with a line to the rotor at the end of the line. On the log there are three dials, the first registers miles up to 100, the second registers the units up to 10 mile, the third registers quarters of a mile. The rotator has an unique fixture for the log line. In 1905 the price was L 4:16:0.
Catalog: NM.3-28
Date: 1884-1919
LD: 32×4,5 cm (12.5×1.8 in)
Signed: WALKER’S “ROCKET” SHIP-LOG BIRMINGHAM (PATENTED)
Origin: England
Condition: perfect
A chart divider of wrought iron in very nice condition, striking due to its length.
Catalog: NM.4-20
Date: 1650-1700
L: 191 mm
Signed: not signed
Condition: perfect for its age, in working condition
Speed reckoner of lime wood designed by Captain McClean and made by C.T. Cooper & Sons. With this reckoner it is easy to convert an observed distance per unit of time in miles, into speed per hour.
Rare specimen in excellent condition.
Catalog: NM.4-19
Date: 1919
WL: 5,7×64,5 cm (2.2×25.3 in)
Signed: Capt. W.N. McClean A.M.I.C.E. July 30th 1919
Origin: England
Condition: perfect
Positions of celestial bodies are indicated by height above the horizon and by azimuth. The direction of a celestial body to be observed can be determined with the help of an azimuth ring.
An azimuth ring like this is placed on the compass and is rotated in the direction of the celestial body to be observed. With the help of the rotatable prism, both the celestial body and the compass rose are observed. In this way the direction is determined in which the celestial body is located. Sunshades are available for sun observations. Land objects can also be observed with it.
This Azmuth ring looks brand new. Both the case and the instrument do not seem to be used in practice. Even the Langford sales label, in the form of a cardboard compass rose, is still glued to the circle.
The ring is marked: Gyro Azimuth circle. Serial nr. R/78/RML/224. In the lid instructions for use.
Catalog: NM. 4-16
Date: ca. 1950
HWL case: 14x29x29 cm (5.5×11.5×11.5 in)
Diam. circle: 10 in
Signed on the label: Langford, 53 Quay, Bristol
Origin: England
Condition: excellent
Brass ruler with different proportional scales and nautical chart divider in a leather case.
All three are in good condition.
On the ruler the scales:
Meters 1:1000 and 1: 2500.
Meters to Pied de Chamb.
Vadems of Savoy 1: 2372
Meters 1: 2372
Catalog: NM.4-15
Date: ca. 1800
L: 20 cm (7.9 in)
Signed: not signed
Origin: French
Condition: very good
Eigtheen century brass protractor with hand engraved scales and transversal nonius on the horizontal bar.
Catalog: NM.4-12
Date: 1790-1810
HW: 71×113 mm
Signed: not signed
Origin: France
Condition: excellent
A ship-log records the distance travelled through the water. With the time in hours between the observations, it gives the ship’s speed in knots.
This is a nice set with clock, line, rotator, sinker weight and towing ring in a pine case with instruction for use in the lid. The log is fixed at the stern of a ship with a rope. The recorder would have been connected with a line to the rotor at the end of the line. Open govenor wheel is mounted on a drive spindle. The enamel face with two dials.
Thomas F. Walker (1837–1921) patented a log in 1878, the Walkers patent taffrail ship-log. It was one of the first logs in which the recorder was placed on board the ship rather than being part of the rotator. The Excelsior Mark III was made between 1926 and 1936.
Catalog: NM.4-8
Date: ca. 1926-1936
HWD case: 13x40x17 cm (5.1×15.7×6.8 in)
Signed: Walker’s Mark III Excelsior Yacht-log, nr Q4270
Origin: England
Condition: complete, in good and working condition, wear consistent with age and use
Pelorus in a remarkable wooden suit-case with brass handle. The suit-case is made of lime-wood and marked with a crown and number 28.
The pelorus has to be slid onto a shoe on the railing to take relative bearings. The instrument is made of brass, the rose appears to be silver-plated.
Catalog: NM.1-29
Date: ca. 1920
HWL case: 5,5x24x18 cm (2.1×9.5×7 in)
D rose: 16 cm (6.2 in)
Signed: not signed
Origin: Sweden
Condition: in good and working condition, wear consistent with age and use