Gurley
Solar Compass w/ Auxiliary Scope & Original Box
This c.1880 Gurley Solar Compass has a graphic and commanding look that will
be the highlight of any surveying collection. Solar compasses are among the rarest and most desirable of all surveying
instruments that can be found. Such instruments were widely used to
survey and lay out the west because of their ability to use the suns
location to help determine the exact location in areas where standard
compasses would be adversely affected by the ore deposits found here.
This compass is marked under the glass of the small directional compass needle with the W. L & E Gurley name and Troy New York location. The original owner was a county surveyor in central Oregon who was also a well known gunsmith. The current owner is the second owner and it came directly from the family of the original purchaser. In addition to the compass w/ sight vanes and solar attachment seen in the pic to the left, this instrument also includes an auxiliary scope that the owner made up using a Gurley scope that he attached a tapered fitting to to fit the leveling head when the solar compass was not mounted. Please look at the pics to see all the details of this second piece.
The mahogany box is proper and its condition is very nice noting an early repaired crack in the top. It is fitted to hold the compass, its sight vanes, and the separate leveling base. The condition of the solar instrument is very nice as well. All motions are free and turn properly. The leveling base is nice as well. The tripod mount is the old style male 1 1/2 x 12 TPI center mount. The inside dia of the plate is 3 7/16. There is some residue at corners and evidence that this instrument was lightly cleaned in the past. The original patina remains on the brass and the silver scales and the instrument looks very nice.
This Gurley solar compass is being offered at an attractive price as the owner would like it to sell to a party that will appreciate and enjoy it as much as he has over the years.
I have a early proper Gurley tripod to fit this instrument. It is square stock Gurley marked collapsible leg example in very nice condition. The price for it is $200.00 additional.
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TN-GSC-1
Fine . . . . . $10,950.00 SOLD!
Dolland
/ London 45" Leather Barrel Telescope w Queen Anne Brass Folding Tripod Base
What a graphic and commanding looking instrument this is!! Telescopes are
becoming increasingly difficult to find and nice examples like this are a
genuine rarity. Dolland is the most widely known and well respected English maker of telescopes and spyglasses in the 18th & 19th century. The firm was begun in the mid 1700's and the original owner, John Dolland, is credited with the development of the Achromatic Lens which solved problems associated with colors being off in earlier optical telescopes. You can find a much more detailed explanation of that idea / patent and development here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_telescopes. I found one site on the internet having to do with Lewis & Clark, and it mentioned that Thomas Jefferson had a similar telescope by Dolland, and that it made the trip cross-country with that expedition.
The Smithsonian has a short history of the firm and the various Dolland family makers. They have a couple of their instruments, but no telescopes like this on brass Queen Anne tripod bases. Here is a link to that information. If it does not work just paste the address into your top browser window. http://americanhistory2.si.edu/collections/surveying/maker.cfm?makerid=10
The telescope is 45" long without the tailpiece. Overall on the folding brass tripod base this Dolland telescope stands approx 16" tall. This telescope can be used with or without the tailpiece as it is designed to erect the image for use on land or sea. Without the tailpiece the image appears to be inverted as is typical with celestial telescopes even today. One section of the tailpiece is a different color as though the lacquer has worn off or it has been buffed There is one eyepiece with a very dark lens and another with a clear lens. There are holes in the box for three lenses so it appears one might be missing.
The leather covering on the telescope barrel is in nice condition noting just a few nicks and dings. The makers name, Dolland / London is marked at the end of the tube on the brass fitting. I could find no info on a time line for dating this from that marking, but other aspects indicate it is from the first quarter of the 19th century.
The telescope is in a fitted mahogany dovetailed box. It has a label from the well known American maker and dealer in surveying and scientific instruments Richard Patten of NY. Patten first opened his shop in 1813 in NY as an importer and dealer in charts, maps, and imported instruments before starting to offer his own line of instruments. He is only lasted in NY until the 1830's, so I assume that this is the period that this telescope dates from, approx 1813 to 1830. Here is the Bio and write-up on Richard Patten that can be found on the Smithsonian site. http://americanhistory2.si.edu/collections/surveying/maker.cfm?makerid=21 If the link does not work just paste the address into your top browser window.
This Dolland Telescope recently came from an old time estate here in the Western states and has been in the same family for as long as they could remember. This telescope is fresh to the market and deserves a place in a top notch collection and to be prominently displayed. It is a wonderful piece of history.
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C-PD-TELE-1
Good ++. . . . . $3495.00 SPECIAL SALE PRICE . . . . . . .$2750.00
Circle
Frame Sextant / Octant / Quadrant w/ Several Scopes
This interesting maritime or nautical piece dates from near the turn of the century.
It is housed in a close fitting Mahogany box that is in nice condition.
I am not sure if the proper term is Sextant, Quadrant or Octant. The
label inside the top indicates that it is a sextant, and that it was
calibrated, or certified by the National Physical Laboratory back near the
turn of the century. I believe it is English, but I see no maker ID
anywhere. Note the swinging magnifier over the outer scale when
viewing all th4e pics. All in all a nice condition piece of Maritime history
that will display even better w/ a lite cleaning.
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GM-SEXT
Good + . . . . . $695.00
Prismatic Sighting Scope / Range Finder
This is an interesting optical piece that resembles a surveying transit but
I believe is some sort of a range finder or artillery sighting device.
It looks to be Military surplus to me. It has a great look, but is not terribly
old if the1962 stamped onto the case lid is the date. I believe it is
English from the markings but am not sure of that. In running a few
Google image searches I saw similar, but not the same instrument, and
those were from a number of different countries. Also included is the tripod not shown in the pics here. The legs look to be ebony, or another black wood, and it stands just 36" tall. I suppose that helps explains the offset / angled set-up of the eyepiece in relation to the scope. Everything seems to operate and function, including the elevation and left to right adjustments, but am not sure how accurate it will be in use. A nice looking display piece.
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JW-RANGE-1
Good + . . . . . $195.00
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