Antique & Vintage
Surveying Instruments

Surveyors and the instruments they used played an important part in the development and history of America.  Dividing up the land and determining passages and routes across the land were an important factor related to the growth and development of this country.  From the earliest Colonial times right up to today surveying the land and determining what is where and how to get from point A to point B and beyond, and who owned what, was and is of vital concern. 

The earliest instruments used for surveying prior to the development of compasses included devices such as circumferentors, quadrants and sextants whose origins and use are most commonly associated with maritime navigation.  The  need for more precision as well as portability led to design changes and improvements in the known designs.  What generally became known as survey compasses, an example of which is pictured just above, became the standard for day to day use here in America. 

Surveying Compasses developed and evolved over time. The earliest American examples were made of either brass or primitive wooden bodied surveying compasses.  18th century instruments dating from the colonial era  occasionally turn up but are very rare. Different forms or designations of surveying compasses include Plain and  Vernier compasses, Railroad compasses, Mining compasses, and Solar compasses.  Each of these different styles of compasses had features allowing them to better perform a specific task or function, and were used in different circumstances or to accomplish different tasks as their name implies. 

More complex and job specific compasses such as  Mining Compasses came with provisions for auxiliary \ scopes for mining applications or to allow for shooting of angles in field use.  (See example to right) Solar Compasses were developed in order to allow the operator or surveyor to better determine his location by using the sun and horizon as reference points.  These were especially useful in areas where the magnetic deviation affected the compass bearing.    Different variations on these themes were developed and offered by different makers as these designs evolved and each company or maker offered their own unique version.  

These later job specific Surveying compasses were offered by manufactures like William Young, Gurley, and Keuffel & Esser, Buff, Berger, Warren & Knight as well as many others.  These well known names represent the larger makers but many examples by smaller and not as well known makers who had ideas and products to offer the marketplace are known as well.

To see various Vintage surveying instruments by well known makers such as Gurley, Thaxter, Queen, Lietz, Dietzgen, Keuffel & Esser, Buff, Berger, Heller & Brightly and a host of others that I have sold in the recent past, here is a link to the Surveying Instrument Past Sales Archive Page picturing and describing many of those antique surveying instruments.  This link will take you to our informational sister site www.AntiqBuyer.com.

Surveying Compasses

The first instruments used to explore, survey and divide up America came with the early settlers and explorers from England and the original homelands of these early explorers and adventurers.  During the earliest colonial times most of the available instruments in America were manufactured in England and were distributed  in America from the largest cities such as New York, Boston and Philadelphia which were located along the Eastern seaboard or had access to large bodies of water or seaways.  It was not long before the demand for surveying and related instruments outstripped the limited supply of imported instruments and a new industry began to develop here in America.  These same areas also became the centers of manufacturing activity in early America and expectedly the locations or home base of the earliest American surveying instrument makers. 

These earliest makers included Anthony Lamb and Thomas Briggs of New York, and Aaron Breed of Boston.  

Early makers of surveying and other mathematical instruments from the Philadelphia area included Benjamin Condy and James Ham, as well as the recognizable names, David Rittenhouse and his brother Benjamin Rittenhouse who have been said to have made George Washington's surveying instruments and compasses for him when he was a surveyor prior to the American Revolution.  (Rittenhouse compass pic above)

Early Wooden Surveying Compasses by colonial era makers are becoming ever more difficult to obtain. This material was utilized for several reasons, availability and ease of construction being the main ones.  The earliest makers and  pioneers in the development of surveying instruments were "Yankee's in the truest sense of the word.  They made do with the materials at hand .  Even though brass is relatively easy to work, non magnetic, and adaptable to the form needed, wood was an even easier material to work with and in ready and plentiful supply.  The vast majority of these early compass makers, that utilized wood as the basic material for the bodies of their instruments, originated from the New England area.   Many of these first American made examples are seeming crude and rudimentary, but have a sense and presence that once appreciated and understood  make them very appealing. 

These earliest American examples had paper labels under the glass known as compass cards.   The compass bearings and added graphics were engraved on a plate, used to make the paper cards  It has even been purported that Paul Revere provided one Boston Maker with an engraving plate that he purportedly used to make his compass cards with.  Some of these were works of art depicting scenes with animals or landscapes or even people at work.  Compasses from areas like New York and Philadelphia were typically made of brass and their compass faces can be highly decorated or engraved with intricate and beautiful geometric designs like the example to the right.  Most later examples became much simpler with just the points called off and a few points or arrows leading to them engraved on the face.  

The list of individual makers of all forms of surveying instruments continued to grow along with America throughout the 19th century.  The major makers continued to be concentrated in or near the major cities and hubs of activity, but the list of maker from other areas began to grow with people setting up shops in places like Western PA, different parts of Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and elsewhere.  Saint Louis also became a center of activity with its strategic local and jumping off point on the Mississippi River for the trek west.  The first and best known California makers of surveying instruments were Schmolz of San Francisco, followed by John Roach who moved there from New York after a partnership with Warner in the mid 1800's and finally Joseph Sala who took over the Roach business after his death. 

The list and examples known number in the many hundreds and there is a comprehensive although not complete list of known makers and examples of their instruments documented and pictured at the Virtual Museum of Surveying compass makers directory which can be found here.   http://www.surveyhistory.org/compass maker directory.htm

Surveying Transits and Theodilites

The next major step in the evolution of surveying instruments made in America is attributed to William Young of Philadelphia who is credited by some with designing and manufacturing the first American transit in approximately 1831.  He began working in Philadelphia in the 1820's and is also credited with having made the first dividing engines in America which were touted to be second to none and the largest in the known world. This firm continued in business until 1918 when they finally sold out to the well known maker Keuffel & Esser or K & E of Newark NJ.  The basic design he used for his transits continued for nearly 100 years and an example is shown to the left.  There is another one of his early instruments pictured at the Smithsonian site dealing with surveying instruments at that site.

Transits and Theodilites are basically a further improvement over the surveyors compass which was also offered with a scope as an accessory.  The major difference being that the scope was fixed over the compass and it was offered as a single unit.  The earliest transits did not have the ability for the scope to be revolved on its axis ---- to shoot behind it as well without turning the whole instrument 180 degrees.  This was due partly to the quality of the optics available necessitating longer scopes and partly to the basic idea simply was not thought of or employed in the initial design.  Over the years, these attributes were incorporated into the transits design without fanfare.  Originally instruments that were not able to revolve on their axis were designated as theodilites, but over time the use of this word was changed or expanded to include more precise instruments that not only had this ability but were so intricate and precise that small magnifiers were needed to insure proper recording of what the scales indicated. 

As with compasses, transit were offered in different designations according to size or function.  Some transits were offered without compasses under the scope at all and were used for simple layouts or laying of straight lines and are typically referred to as Builders transits.  The vertical vernier found on some transits was offered in different sizes and configurations for different applications and many transits did not utilize them at all.  Transits could be ordered in many sizes and different configurations leading to a myriad of differences that can be encountered even in models carrying the same model number from makers like K & E or Gurley.

Our interests in buying and selling of antique surveying instruments is focused on more complex  instruments that include surveying transits of all sizes and forms.   Each company or maker designated different models in their own way, but in general are commonly referred to by their size or application with names such as Expedition transit, Explorer, Light Mountain, Engineer's transit, Architects transit, Railroad transit, Solar transit, Mining Transit and more.  I have detailed and discussed just some of the aspects concerning specific details related to these different surveying instruments to clarify what we typically sell and are seeking to buy but there is much involved that has not been touched on.

During this period during the mid to late 19th century many different surveying instrument makers came onto the scene and entered the marketplace.  Partnerships were formed and dissolved, and individuals moved from town to town or left the scene altogether for one reason or another.   For example, W. L. & E Gurley the surveying instrument maker who became the dominate force in the field evolved from members first apprenticing to, or from their associations with, the earlier individual makers in upstate NY area like Menelly and Hanks. Gurley then moved on to form the small partnership of Phelps and Gurley and then on to the partnership finally formed amongst the father, sons, and family members of the core Gurley family that became known as the W. L. & E Gurley Co. of Troy New York. On the left is an Explorer size Gurley transit that dates from near the turn of the century and the instrument just above on the right is what is know as a Light Mountain Gurley Solar transit. 

  http://www.surveyhistory.org/how_old_is_my_instrument.htm

  http://www.surveyhistory.org/how_old_is_my_david_white.htm

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Larry & Carole