Sextant

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Ingenium, 1979.0908.001
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OBJECT TYPE: BRASS BOX
DATE: 1850–1899
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1979.0908.001

MANUFACTURER: Elliott Bros.
MODEL: Unknown
LOCATION: London, England

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 1
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: Solid brass construction with glass mirrors and filters; leather case with velvet lining

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length: 5.6 cm
Width: 8.5 cm
Height: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Exploration and Survey
Category: Measurement-angles
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Elliott
Country: England
State/Province: Unknown
City: London

Context

Country: Unknown
State/Province: Unknown
Period: Unknown
Canada: Received from CADC, no other significance to Canada available.
Function: Box sextant used for measuring angles on land. Series of reflecting mirrors can be used to obtain angles within 120? upon the surface of the land to within a single minute of the arc. During its time period it was popular with British surveyors as a land surveying instrument and also became popular in the military.
Technical: Manufactured by Elliot Bros. Box sextants were very portable instruments. They were protected from any type of injury because the box could be used to cover the instrument after removal, unlike nautical sextants which could be damaged by anything. Arc reads from -5 degrees to 130 degrees, and the vernier goes to 30 degrees.
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: 'ELLIOTT BROS. LONDON' Written script above scale; Outer case stamped 'HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY 11'
Missing: Achromatic telescope normally fitting in the side tube From CA of 08/14/1995 by Tony Missio: Undetermined
Finish: All casing brass is a natural metal finish, the adjustable screws have been lacquered, the scale and vernier are a light polished silver
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

Elliott Bros., Sextant, between 1850–1899, Artifact no. 1979.0908, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collections.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1979.0908.001/

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