Accession No

0712

Brief Description

set of drawing instruments, by Watkins, English, 1775 (c)

Origin

England; London; Charing Cross

Maker

Watkins

Class

drawing

Earliest Date

1775

Latest Date

1775

Inscription Date

Material

fishskin (rayskin); metal (brass, steel); ivory

Dimensions

case length 167 mm; breadth 76 mm; thickness 26 mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased from T.H. Court on 02/03/1933.

Inscription

‘WATKINS CHARING
CROSS’ (sector)

Description Notes

Green shagreen (rayskin) clip case with brass bindings containing six instruments with two accessory points.
1. 6-inch ivory sector with brass hinge and brass reinforcing studs. Obverse divided with scales of ‘L’ (lines of equal parts), 0 - 10 by 1; ‘S’ (secants) 20 - 75 by 10; ‘C’ (chords) 0 - 60 by 10; ‘POL’ (polygons) 4 - 12 by 1. Along fully opened limb [0] - 12 inches with decimal foot along edge. Reverse divided with scales of ‘S’ (sines) 0 - 90˚ by 10˚; ‘T’ (tangents) 45 - 75 by 10, and 0 - 45 by 10. On the fully opened limb ‘T’ (log tangents )2 - 45 by 1 to 10; ‘S’ (log sines) 1 - 90 by 1 to 10; ‘N’ (log numbers) 1 - 10 by 1.
2. 6-inch plain scale in ivory with bevelled edges; recto divided with a protractor [0] - [180] and [180] - [0] by 10 to 1 with diagonal scale for 1/2 and 1/4 inches to 1/100s. Reverse divided with scales of equal parts at 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 60 parts to the inch. Scale of Ch (chords) [0] - 90; ‘La’ (latitudes) [0] - 70; ‘Si’ (sines) [0] - 70; ‘In Mer’ (inclined meridian) [0] - 90; ‘Ta’ (tangents) [0] - 70; ‘Ho’ (hours) I - VI; ‘Ru’ (rhumbs) [0] - 8; ‘M. Lon’ (longitude) [0] - 60; ‘Sec’ (secants) 20 - 60; ‘P’ (polygons) 1 - 11.
3. Brass dividers with long hinge joint and inset steel tips; one detachable with spare push-fit pencil point and ink bows, both hinged.
4. Pencil with brass top.
5. Brass 117mm compass with steel ink bows and inset steel point (two screws missing; 2-2-2000).
6. Brass 70mm compass with hinged handle, inset steel point and brass and steel ink bows.
(2 items missing)

Condition: fair; incomplete (two items missing; two screws missing).

References

Events