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The Magnapole 1920s brass nautical travel surveying compass

About the Item

Brass travel nautical surveying compass circa 1920, complete with original leather case, signed The Magnapole Patent 22598. Small compass used away from magnetic fields to verify the ship's course, complete with goniometric circle, and compass rose block. Good condition, slight chip in glass. Measures cm 5.3x2 -inches 2.1x0.7 The last photo is the gift box. Magnopole era il nome di alcune bussole a mano realizzate dalla ditta Short & Mason e di alcune bussole tascabili realizzate in collaborazione con la ditta americana Taylor. Thomas Watling Short and William James Mason founded the firm Short & Mason Ltd in 1875 at 40 Hatton Gardens, London. The first historical records of the use of magnetic directive force in Europe date back to the late sec. XII or early XIII and attribute the exploitation of the properties of the magnet to the Amalfitans. The gimbal made its first appearance around the middle of the sec. XVI. An exact description is given in the short compendium "De la esfera y de la arte de navegar," by Martin Cortés (1551), which gives precise guidelines for the construction of the compass. To the refinements of the instrument can largely be attributed the great discoveries of new lands, from the middle of the sec. XV onwards.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 0.7 in (1.78 cm)Diameter: 2.1 in (5.34 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1920
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Milan, IT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1020244359922

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