A miniature Singer's Patent compass, dating from 1867. This is a tiny example of a Singer's Patent, at just 20mm diameter - most brass cased Singer's were around 40-45mm. The compass has a mother of pearl card, jewelled pivot, brass box case, and bevelled glass. The compass card is hand-painted in the classic Singer's design, and marked under the pivot with the serial number '24063'. According to the detailed research done by compasscollector.com on the Singer's serial numbers, this dates the compass accurately to 1867. The use of the 'Singer's Patent' wording and serial number on the card also proves that it was made before the patent expired in 1868.
Samuel Berry Singer (1796 - c.1875) was a master mariner from Southampton. He patented his unique design in June 1861, although he had been working on it since 1853. Its high contrast compass card was intended to be much easier to read in low light than conventional compasses of the time, and was considered to be a significant innovation. It was tested for night use by Trinity House and the Royal Navy. David Livingstone, the celebrated Victorian explorer, used one of Singer's compasses and provided a testimonial in the Negretti & Zambra catalogue for 1864. The administration and licensing of Singer's design and the allocation of the patent serial numbers was handled by Negretti & Zambra. Although his compass was widely adopted by British scientific instrument makers during the second half of the 19th century, Singer himself did not benefit greatly from his invention. The patent lapsed in 1868 when he was unable to pay the stamp duty required for its renewal, and he ended his days living in poverty in Kincardine on the Firth of Forth. Versions of his design continued to be made until after the First World War. Further details of the history of the Singer's Patent compass can be found at the excellent compasscollector.com website, and in Compass Chronicles by Kornelia Takacs (Schiffer, 2010).
Condition:
In very good condition and full working order. The compass finds North very well. The compass card and glass are in very good condition. The brass case is in very good condition, with some wear and marks.
Dimensions: 20mm diameter x 5mm height
