Heath & Co., Ltd. Sextant Box

sextant case

INSTRUMENTS - SEXTANTS
Heath & Co., Ltd.
circa 1920
wood; bronze
overall: 5 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 10 1/4 in.

Heath & Co., Ltd. sextant bowith trade label for Negus, NY; dated circa 1920 [ref. Willem Morzer Bruyns, July 2006]. Owned by Robert E. Todd, Paul Hammond (and used aboard 3-masted schooner yacht CAPITANA during Samuel Eliot Morison's "Harvard Expedition" to retrace Columbus's voyage), and Jariilo Walter (uncle of donor). Wooden box includes built in wooden compartments for various lenses and accessories; box includes patented latch that secures the sextant within the box, latch hooks into a carved out hole within the wooden handle and is unlocked when bronze button stamped 'PATENT' is pressed. Certifcate of examination from 'The "Hezzanith" Observatory Works' placed within frame on the interior of the box lid, plastic cover has yellowed; examination details read 'The Sextant No. 8767 of 7 inches radias named Heath & Co. Ltd., Crayford, London divided on Platina & gold with vernier showing 10" has been examined by the observatory. The shades and mirros are gound good. The telecopes are also satisfactory and the powers are for the monocle 4 linear and the erect 10 1/2, 5, 3, linear.'; examination continues on to detail corrections made and authorized by G.W. Heath, M.I.Mec.E., F.R.G.S. Flathead screwdriver and rope included in the box. Box opens by pressing two buttons on either side of the lid; bronze emblem reading 'Robert E. Tod' embedded into the middle of the lid, embossed label reading 'J. Walter added to the front edge of the lid later. Overall good condition. Overall: 5 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 10 1/4 in.

2005.48.2