Young Solar Compasses

Pre-Civil War Young Solar Compasses

Young Solar Compasses Made from 1840 to 1852

Robert "Bob" Miller was a physicist, who passionately researched the history of mathematical instruments made in Pennsylvania. He was the pre-imminent authority on Burt's Solar Compasses, publishing "Burt's Solar Compass - The Development, Manufacture and Daily Usage" in 2010. Bob was also the authority on instruments made by William Young, publishing "Dating Young Instruments" in Rittenhouse, Journal of the American Scientific Instrument Enterprise, Vol 5, No. 1 at page 21 et seq.

Bob and my father, Bud Uzes, exchanged numerous calls and emails while Bob was authoring his Burt Solar Compass book. In 2005, Bob and Bud owned 4 of the 8 known pre-1853 Young Solar Compasses, and they compared every single detail of the four instruments. Bob also asked Bud to review his draft book various times for accuracy, and Bud was sending me drafts of the book and pics of the 4 early Young solar compasses all the time late in 2005. Bob was also communicating with the Smithsonian, which also owned a very early Young solar compass.

Bob's exhaustive research indicated that Young made a total of 48 Burt Solar Compasses from 1840 thru 1852:

1 in 1840
5 in 1841
23 in 1844 thru 1847
19 in 1848 thru 1852

Moreover, Bob concluded, and Bud agreed, that Young and Burt tweaked the design of the solar compasses a number of times during the early years of manufacturing. Listed below are just some of the changes.

The Four Major Signature Changes

The First Compass Made (formerly owned by Miller and now offered for sale by The Compleat Surveyor). Signed W. J. Young in the middle of the compass (Young only signed instruments "W J." thru 1840). The signature was hard to read - was essentially upside down. Tangent Screw Knob on the outside. Maximum variation movement for the compass box is +/- 15 degrees.

The Second Variation (owned by the Smithsonian). Signed Wm. J. Young in the middle of the compass (Young changed signature to "Wm. J." in 1841). Signature flipped so it could be read easily. Tangent Screw Knob on the inside, which covers up the Young signature but increases the number of degrees that the compass box can move for the variation scale (still +/- 15 degrees here). This solar compass is believed to date from 1841.

The Third Variation (formerly owned by The Compleat Surveyor). Since the Tangent Screw Knob covered up the signature on the Second Variation, Young and Burt moved the signature to the compass arm. Signed Wm. J. Young and Burt's Patent (on the other arm) running in line with the North and South arms of the solar compass. Bud estimated the date of this solar compass to be circa 1844 - 1847.

The Fourth Variation (formerly owned by Bob Miller and now offered for sale by The Compleat Surveyor). Signed Wm. J. Young and Burt's Patent (on the other arm) running perpendicular to the North and South arms of the solar compass. The compass box can now move +/- 20 degrees. Bob estimated the date of this compass to be circa 1848.

The Compass Box Change

1840 Solar Compass - Box Lid Not Removable

Circa 1841 Solar Compass- Box Lid Now Removable

Circa 1844 Solar Compass- Box Lid Removable

Circa 1848 Solar Compass- Box Lid Removable

The Solar Lens Shade

The First Solar Compass Has a Pivoting Shad

Circa 1841 Solar Compass is Missing its Shade, But Looks Like It Had A Pivoting Shade

Circa 1844 Solar Compass -Slide Shade

Circa 1848 Solar Compass- Slide Shade

Young Solar Compasses Made After 1852

Young added serial numbers to his instruments, including solar compasses, starting in 1853. Miller believed that Young made a batch of approximately 25 solar compasses in 1853 or so, and then did did not make any more for three or four years (until he sold off the batch of 25). Miller located eight pre-Civil War Young solar compasses with serial numbers indicating they were made between 1853 and 1860.

Young made a few changes to Burt's original solar compass design after 1852. According to Miller, Young was exploring ways to add telescopes to solar compasses in 1858, and asked William A Burt's for advice. Young also started adding tangent screws to the arcs in 1866 or so.

The chart below shows the approximate date of manufacturing for Young instruments made after 1852. This chart is pulled from Miller's article "Dating Young Instruments" in Rittenhouse, Journal of the American Scientific Instrument Enterprise, Vol 5, No. 1 at page 21 et seq.