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navy sextant, mark II
navy sextant, mark II

navy sextant, mark II

Date1945
Inventory Number2003-1-0122
ClassificationSextant
Subject
    Maker David White Company 1895-present
    User United States Navy, Bureau of Ships 1940 - 1966
    User United States Navy founded 1775
    Cultural Region
      Place of Origin
        Dimensionssextant: 14 × 28.5 × 29 cm (5 1/2 × 11 1/4 × 11 7/16 in.)
        case: 13.5 × 28.3 × 29.5 cm (5 5/16 × 11 1/8 × 11 5/8 in.)
        Material
          Accessoriesterrestrial kepler telescope, screwdriver, key, horizon mirror, adjusting wrench
          DescriptionStandard navy sextant made of metal with a smooth black finish, a terrestrial kepler telescope and horizon mirror. It is missing the index and horizon shades.

          It comes with a wooden case, dabbed with grey paint, (case is tagged 2003-1-0122b).

          Dated Collimation Certificate present (2/1946).
          Signedon brass case label: David White Company on index arm: US NAVY, BU NAV, MARK II/30913-1945/ David White Co. Milwaukee, Wis.
          Curatorial RemarksQuarantined for possible pest infestation 09/06/03 Removed from quarantine 09/16/03 On exhibit Rm .251 11.19.03
          FunctionA video demonstration of a sextant was produced by the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture in association with the 2015 exhibit “Finding Our Way: Exploring Human Navigation” and is available on YouTube here.
          navy sextant, mark II
          navy sextant, mark II
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          Date: 1940
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          Date: 1820-1840
          Accessories: keystone mahogany box, telescope, eyepiece shade
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          George Adams (I)
          Date: 1770-1785
          Accessories: case; telescope; spare shade
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          Benjamin Messer
          Date: 1800-1820
          Accessories: Keystone mahogany box, telescope
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          Peter Dollond
          Date: circa 1794
          Object number: 0063
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          Date: circa 1838
          Accessories: shades with double tabs (4); shades with single tab (4); screwdriver and square key.
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          W. & S. Jones
          Date: 1797
          Object number: 0062
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          Henry Hughes & Son, Ltd.
          Date: 1900-1920
          Accessories: case
          Object number: 5314
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          AGFA ANSCO Corporation
          Date: circa 1943
          Accessories: square mahogany box, instructions, paper charts, battery case, telescope.
          Object number: 1996-1-0169
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          Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation
          Date: circa 1940
          Accessories: Square mahogany box, instructions, advertisement from Edmund Salvage Co., paper charts, battery case, spare prism, spare bubble chamber, spare counter, and spare eyepiece with eyeguard.
          Object number: 5265
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          Ebenezer Hoppé
          Date: circa 1809
          Accessories: On 6/23/98, a telescope was found (1998-1-1412) that may belong to part of this sextant.
          Object number: 5309
          ball recording sextant, mark I, model O
          ball recording sextant, mark I, model O
          Mergenthaler Linotype Company
          Date: 1944
          Accessories: rectangular box, telescopes (2)
          Object number: 1996-1-0021