Frye and Shaw
1837-1845

The partnership of Frye & Shaw was formed by Addington D. Frye and Robert Ludlow Shaw and was located in New York City. Addington Davenport Frye was born in 1808, nothing else is known about his life. Robert Ludlow Shaw was born in New York City in 1813 he died in New York City October 23, 1876; he is buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York. He began his career working in New York with John H. Wheeler, who boasted that he was a "real Manufacturer" of mathematical instruments. In 1836, when Wheeler withdrew from business, Addington Frye and Robert Shaw took over his shop. Over the next several years, Frye and Shaw showed their surveying and navigational instruments at several exhibitions, and won several prizes.

In 1845, now in business on his own, Shaw announced that "Having had many years experience in the Manufacturing Line, he feels confident that he can produce as good an article of his own manufacture, and at as low prices, as has ever been made in any part of the world." He went on to say that, in manufacturing instruments, "no time or expense has been spared to enable him to compete, in point of accuracy, with the best manufacturers in Europe." Moreover, he had imported a large dividing engine based on the designs of Jesse Ramsden, "the same as is used by the London manufacturers, the accuracy of which has been subjected to the severest test, and proved to be correct." Shaw's product line included "Quadrants, Octants, Sextants, Circles, Astronomical Transits, Telescopes, Theodolites, Levels, and Surveyor's Compasses." In 1850 Shaw had $3,000 capital invested in his business; employed 11 workmen at $120 per month, spent $1,000 on materials, and produced goods worth $10,000.

Despite Shaw's claims, in design and production his instrument is less successful than those made by William J. Young. The horizontal circle is graduated every 30 minutes of arc, and read by opposite verniers to single minutes. The vertical arc is graduated every 30 minutes of arc, and read by vernier to single minutes.

New York City directory: 

1837-38 Frye & Shaw, mathematical instruments 222 Water.  New York State Business directory: 


1840 Listed on page 108, 1844-45 same.
Addington D. Frye was listed in the New York City directories as follows: 
1836-37 Frye, Addington D. naut. inst. 222 Water h. 33 Pike;  
1840-43 Frye & Shaw; 
1844-45 Frye, Addington D. math inst mkr 33 Pike; 
1845-46 Frye, Addington D. math inst mkr 33 Pike; 
1847-48 Frye, Addington D. late math inst mkr h. 33 Pike.

Robert Ludlow Shaw was listed in the New York City directories as follows:
1836-37 Shaw, Robert L.  math inst. 222 Water h. 144 Rivington; 
1837-45 Frye & Shaw math inst. 222 Water; 
1845-47 Shaw, Robert L. math inst. 222 Water h. 25 Hamilton; 
May 1, 1858 to May 1, 1867 Shaw, Robert L. 119 Beekman & 222 Water. 
1876-77 Shaw, Robert L. math inst. 110 Wall h. 38 W. 46th.