Accession No

1006

Brief Description

alidade, for use with a plane table, attributed to Charles Whitwell, English, 1592

Origin

England; London [based on attributed maker]

Maker

Whitwell, Charles [attributed]

Class

surveying

Earliest Date

1592

Latest Date

1592

Inscription Date

1592

Material

Metal (brass)

Dimensions

length 293mm; diameter of circle 98mm

Special Collection

Provenance

On loan from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge from 1951.

Inscription

“1592” “SP” (front)
“This Scale is of 12 in a inche” (back)

Description Notes

Brass rectangular plate; 5 holes, one with sighting arm. Scale engraved along edge 0-100, numbered by 10; twelve divisions equals one inch. Attached to one side of plate is a circular brass box, containing a degree scale divided [0] - 360˚, numbered by 10˚, graduated to 30´, missing compass needle and cover

This instrument is attributed, along with Wh 1015, to Charles Whitwell due to the engraving (see G. Turner Elizabethan Instrument Makers).

Condition: fair; incomplete (compass needle and cover missing)

References

Events