Description: Surveyors compass, brass with folding sighting vanes, silvered face by W. & L. E. Gurley, brass tripod mount. Housed in original fitted mahogany case with maker's label reading, " W. & L.E. Gurley, Manufacturers of Civil Engineers' and Surveyors' Instruments, Troy, N.Y. , USA 1845. Comes with oak tripod stand with initials JDM. Box is 8 x 6.5 x 2". Tripod stand is 57" x 3".

History: Gurley Enterprise was established by William Gurley and Lewis E. Gurley in 1845, brothers who were both alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1885 Gurley started making Hydrologic equipment and in the early 1900s acquired many new fields including paper testing equipment and thermometers. During World War II Gurley won the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for their contribution to the war effort. In the 1950s the company started producing optical encoders. Teledyne Corporation acquired W. & L. E. Gurley in 1968. In 1993 Gurley was sold again and became Gurley Precision Instruments.

Provenance: N/A

Dimensions: Weight (Pounds & Ounces) = 9 | Height(in) = 57 | Width(in) = 8 | Depth(in) = 3

Size of Artwork(in): See description.

Artist Name: W and L E Gurley

Medium: Brass, silver , mahogany

Circa: Circa 1900

The instrument is working and like new retaining nearly all of its original lacquer. Tripod stand shows wear.