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The elegant blued steel needle is also engraved with 'N' & 'S' gold letters for clarity, and sits under a glass crystal which is free of any damage. The only markings are the words Trade Mark London, arranged in a triangle above the North fleur de lis, and within the triangle is a combination of 3 letters and one symbol, F B & S. These are superimposed over each other to form the logo of Francis Barker & Son, and the S is reversed, showing this was made after the death of Francis Barker in 1875.
In 1826, Simms joined with Edward Troughton to form the famous partnership of Troughton & Simms, dating this compass to the early 19th century. Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Cinematograph Projectors, Arc Lamps, Epidiascopes, Photographic Lenses, Binoculars, Telescopes, Scientific and Optical Instruments including Autocollimating Goniometer and Optical Benches and Special Optical Systems. (Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. D.1692) [4]Herbert Walker was a surveyor in Queensland, Australia in the late 19th and early 20th century and amassed a collection of surveying photographs that are still displayed in the New South Wales Art Gallery today. A similar model appears in a 1919 Francis Barker catalogue, where its referred to as a ‘combined altitude instrument and prismatic compass’) He was also a personal friend and admirer of the final German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, having become acquainted in the early 1900s after he wrote favourabley of Wilhelm in his memoirs. (A Collection of books inscribed to Brigadier Wallscourt Hely-Hutchinson Waters, by Kaiser Wilhelm II were sold at auction in 2018) see photo of one example. However please note that over the years the base section of the mahogany case has warped slightly producing a gap between the lid & base, ( see photos) which although noticeable doesn't detract too much from what is a quite splendid Victorian compass with rare novelty value. A genuine antique compass with a traditional design, it comes with a modern velvet drawstring pouch for added protection.
After Andrew died the firm was run by his son T. R. Ross, and the lenses were engraved Ross, London. J. H. Dallmeyer, who had married Ross's second daughter, Hannah, inherited one third of his employer's large fortune and the telescope manufacturing portion of the business. On the underside is written faintley " W Lee. London Road Reading, Berks", there looks to be additional, illegible text written ( see photo). This brass bodied surveyors compass has a silvered dial with an outer ring scale divided into four quadrants and a steel needle pivoting on a gemstone bearing under a clean glass crystal. Constructed from bronzed brass, its engraved 'Angle of Sight Instrument, H.A. MK I, J. H. Steward Ltd, 1916, No 419'.The double broad arrow also shows it was later officially decommissioned for sale into the civilian market. This particular model is the M88 which is made from a lightweight yet robust aluminium alloy, and has 5 active self luminous tritium lights enabling full night and day operation. the production of cameras ended but the company continued for some time to sell Ross optical devices such as binoculars or enlarging lenses. A quality antique instrument measuring 75mm in diameter it comes in a leather case which is also in good condition with some repairs to the straps. The case has the number 254 imprinted along with some lettering, possibly of a previous owner but difficult to read.
This WW1 Verner's pattern MKVIII prismatic marching compass is made by Sampson Mordan, and is engraved 'S. Mordan & Co, 102376, 1918', it's also stamped with the British Army War department arrow on the underside of the compass body.Andrew Ross (1798–1859) founded his company in 1830; from 1840 he began producing camera lenses signed "A. Ross". During his lifetime, the company was one of the foremost lens manufacturers. The year after his death in 1859, his son-in-law John Henry Dallmeyer left the firm to establish his own optical company and the company was run by Ross's son, Thomas, and became known as Ross & Co. By the 1890s it was also making Zeiss and Goerz lenses under licence for sale in the UK and the British Empire. Ross patented a wide-angle lens design and Zeiss took this further to produce their EWA Protars. Before World War 1, Ross and Zeiss worked quite closely together, but at the outbreak of War the British Government put Ross in control of the newly opened Carl Zeiss binocular and optical factory in Mill Hill, London. Renamed Ross-Ensign Ltd; it produced classic 50s roll film cameras, like the Selfix andAutorange, which are still popular today with many collectors. In the mid-20th century, Ross continued to produce lenses, as well as binoculars, epidiascopes, etc. They had begun supplying lenses for Ensign cameras in the 1930s. After World War II Ross merged with Barnet Ensign, and the company later became Ross Ensign, lenses were also made for other companies such as MPP.
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