A rare Georgian mahogany cased compass, made in London by Dollond c.1790. The compass is signed by 'Dollond, London'. This type of wooden cased compass was produced from the middle of the 18th century to the early 19th century. This is a well made and substantial compass, with a large sized mahogany case (145mm x 150mm), silvered and engraved compass card, and English bar needle. There is transit lock, operated by a small pin and lever, which locks the needle when the lid is closed. The compass is in full working order and finds North well.
Dollond and Company: Dollond were a leading British maker of high quality scientific instruments during the 18th and the 19th centuries. They made telescopes, microscopes, compasses, sundials and other optical and scientific instruments. In 1750 Peter Dollond opened a small optical business in Vine Street, Hatton Garden, London, under his father's guidance. By 1752 The business was sufficiently successful that John Dollond, Peter's father, gave up silk weaving and went into partnership with his son in the optical business. In 1758 John Dollond obtained a patent on a compound achromatic lens for refracting telescopes. Although there was a dispute as to who had first invented the achromatic lens, Dollond certainly devised a quicker and simpler method of correcting the spherical aberration of lenses. In 1759 J. Dollond and Son opened a shop in the Strand, and in 1761 John Dollond was appointed optician to George III and the Duke of York. In 1766 Peter went into partnership with his younger brother, John. They went on to supply optical instruments for Captain Cook. In 1781 Peter Dollond began making bifocal spectacles. John Dollond died in 1804 and Peter Dollond took his nephew George Huggins into partnership; Huggins changed his name by licence to Dollond. The trading name of the business remained P. and J. Dollond. In 1819 George took over the company. In 1820 Peter and George were jointly made opticians to George IV. During the 1800s Dollond's sold the Camera Lucida, a drawing aid patented in 1806 by William Hyde Wollaston and manufactured by the Dollonds; and the Camera Obscura. In 1851 Dollond's were awarded a medal at the Great Exhibition for instruments for recording meteorological information on a strip of paper. In 1852 The younger George succeeded to the family business on his uncle's death; following the family tradition, he too adopted the surname Dollond. In 1866, when the second George Dollond died, the firm was taken over by his son, William (1834–1893). By 1871 William Dollond had become too ill to continue working and he sold the firm to J. R. Chant, a former employee, who retained the trading name of Dollond. During the early 20th century Dollonds sold film cameras, and in 1927 the firm was acquired by James Aitchison to become Dollond and Aitchison, after which it concentrated increasingly on prescription spectacles.
Condition:
In very good condition, and full working order. The compass points strongly to North. The wooden case is in very good condition, with a few marks and general signs of use. The glass, compass card, and bar needle are all in very good condition, with a few marks to the compass card. There is a small repair to a break in the brass ring above the glass. The transit lock is working well, locking the needle when the lid is closed. The lid closes well with strong hinges and is secured by twin '7' shaped clasps.
Dimensions: Case: 145mm x 150mm x 25mm, Dial: 130mm
