A Victorian morocco leather-cased pocket compass, dating from c.1870-1890. The compass has a brass case within a fitted morroco leather outer case, classic early Francis Barker hand drawn dial design, brass pivot, and slightly domed glass. Although unsigned and with no maker's marks, this is a very well-known Francis Barker design, further details of which can be found in Trade Mark London by Paul Crespel, available to view as a PDF at trademarklondon.com. It also features in Kornelia Takac's book Compass Chronicles.
Condition
The compass is in very good condition, full working order and finds North well. The leather case is in very good condition. The brass case, glass, and compass card are in very good condition.
Dimensions: 33mm diameter (leather case: 40mm)
Francis Barker & Son: were established in Clerkenwell, London in 1848, as a maker of compasses and scientific instruments. For the next 100 years the company was one of the most prominent British scientific instrument makers. Francis Barker was a master craftsman who produced a very wide range of compass designs over the years, supplying major retailers such as Negretti & Zambra, J. Lizars, C. W. Dixey, Casella, Dollond, and many others. Francis Barker died in 1875, but his company prospered until 1932, when it was taken over and became F. Barker & Son (1932). During WW2 the company was a major supplier to the British government, with their iconic Barker Mk III liquid prismatic service compass being standard issue to the armed forces. After WW2 the company changed hands several times, relocating to Edenbridge in Kent in 1961. The business is still based in Kent, and is now owned by Pyser Optics, who continue to produce the renowned Francis Barker M-73, widely acknowledged to be the world's finest prismatic compass.
