Rittenhouse, Benjamin  Search this
MEASUREMENTS:
overall length: 14 3/4 in; 37.465 cm
needle: 5 3/4 in; 14.605 cm
overall in case: 3 1/2 in x 7 5/8 in x 16 1/4 in; 8.89 cm x 19.3675 cm x 41.275 cm
OBJECT NAME:
compass (surveyor's plain)
DESCRIPTION:
This is marked "BENJAMIN RITTENHOUSE" and seems to be a typical Benjamin Rittenhouse compass from the period 1785–1796. The face is beautifully engraved, and the graduations on the needle ring are done with great accuracy. The socket joint can be adjusted so that the compass is held rigidly in place. The signature is off–center, however, with scant room for the final E.
LOCATION:
Currently not on view
ID NUMBER:
PH.328412
ACCESSION NUMBER:
272468
CATALOG NUMBER:
328412
SEE MORE ITEMS IN:
Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
Measuring & Mapping
Surveying and Geodesy
DATA SOURCE:
National Museum of American History
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_747293

Record B. Rittenhouse Surveyor's Compass | Collections Search Center, Smithsonian Institution