A silver Francis Barker & Son ‘Pebble Lens' pocket compass c.1900, not hallmarked, but with the maker's mark 'B&S' stamped on the loop. This compass has a silver case and a finely balanced English Bar Needle, pivoting between the two magnifying lenses. The cardinal points are hand painted in red and black, set against a pale orange background. It comes complete with its original fitted morocco leather case.
The 'Pebble Lens' transparent compass design featured in Barker catalogues from the 1880s until the 1920s. In the catalogue for 1885 it was described as a ‘Cyclists Compass, for use with maps etc’. It was said to be ‘Invaluable to Cyclists, Captains, Military men, and others. Being transparent, the roads on the map are easily seen and the distance calculated. The pebble lens, being best optically worked, makes it a fair sized magnifier of good power, for reading and examining any small object’. By the time the 1907 catalogue was produced, this compass was being described as useful to ‘Aeronauts, Explorers, Motorists, and Yachtsmen’. The Pebble Lens compass was available in three sizes, the largest being 1.5 inches (38mm), with sterling silver, 18ct gold, or 'bronzed' finish cases.
Barker supplied the Pebble Lens unsigned to many well known scientific instrument retailers, including Negretti & Zambra, Dollond, and Casella. Barker also produced several other types of transparent compass - including the 'Combination Compass' that they made for Negretti & Zambra, which was similar to the Pebble Lens type, but in a heavy gilt brass case, and included an integral thermometer.
Further details of the Barker Silver Pebble Lens compass design can be found in Trade Mark London by Paul Crespel, available to view as a PDF at the trademarklondon.com website.
Condition
In very good condition, full working order and finds North well. The magnifying lenses are in very good condition, with some small, slight blemishes at the edges. The silver case and English bar needle are in very good condition. The leather case is in good condition, with general signs of wear, and some old repairs to the leather covering.
Dimensions: 38mm diameter (1.5 inches), 58mm inc. loop
Francis Barker & Son: were established in London in 1848, as a maker of compasses and scientific instruments. The company soon became recognised as one of the most important scientific instrument makers of the time. Francis Barker produced a very wide range of compass designs over the years, supplying major retailers such as Negretti & Zambra, J. Lizars, C. W. Dixey, Dollond, and many others. The company prospered until 1932, when it was taken over and became F. Barker & Son (1932). After WW2 the company changed hands several times and the name is now owned by Pyser Optics of Edenbridge in Kent. They continue to produce the renowned Barker M-73, widely acknowledged to be the world's finest prismatic compass.
