$2,585
Brass Surveyor's Compass by Abner Dod, with 5-inch diameter silvered dial (rubbed in places) engraved A. Dod, Mendham , eight-point rose, slim blued-steel needle with clamp, needle ring divided 0-90 in four quadrants, inclinometer scale divided 0-60 twice and read via pointer set from the underside, brass socket mount, straight arm and one (of two) slide-on sights, lg. 14 in., in fitted wood field case with indistinct signature. Note: Abner Dod (1772 - 1847) came from a New Jersey family of skilled clock and watch makers, mathematical instrument makers and land surveyors. The father, Lebbeus Dod, had established an armory for the manufacture and repair of muskets during the Civil War. Three of the brothers - Abner, Daniel and S. Dod - are known to have made instruments, and Daniel went on to design an engine for the first transatlantic steamship, the Savannah .
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2005-05-03
