Accession No

6630

Brief Description

pocket compass diptych dial, by Smith, Beck and Beck, English, mid-19th Century

Origin

England; London

Maker

Smith, Beck and Beck

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1857

Latest Date

1867

Inscription Date

Material

ivory, metal (brass); paper

Dimensions

[When closed:] 14mm (depth) x 260mm (height) x 43mm (width)

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Charles Miller Ltd., Suite 6, 3/11 Imperial Road, London, SW6 2A6 on or before 12/05/2015. Maritime and Scientific Models, Instruments & Art, lot no. 250.

Inscription

Description Notes

Pocket compass diptych dial, by Smith, Beck & Beck, English, mid 19th century

Pocket compass diptych dial, set in an ivory base with printed paper compass dial and instructions inset into the lid. There is a string gnomon and a brass arm to hold the lid raised. The instructions in the lid contain a table which can be used to calculate mean time using the solar time as read from the dial. Dial has brass fixtures (hinge and hooks to seal shut as well as arm); both the dial and the fixtures are warped and the ivory is cracked. There is a small brass mechanism contained within the base of the dial - potentially it was a way of locking the compass needle in place (needle now missing).

Incomplete: no compass needle.

References

Events