This auction is for a beautiful antique surveyor's transit made by
Charles Hutchinson, of Boston, Mass, most likely around the late
1800's. It's a big instrument, standing about 13 inches tall, with a
lower plate about 8 inches in diameter, and a large compass, which
is 5 ½ inches in diameter. The scales in the compass are silvered,
and the face is blackened, with engraved direction lines and
letters. Although it didn't show well in the photos (see #9) the
name, city and S/N are engraved in longhand script. The needle works
smoothly, and the lifter works. There is a shallow, 1 inch long
scratch on the compass glass, but it's not really that noticeable.
The combination of dark and light elements makes for a striking
appearance. I haven't done enough research to date it for sure, but
the following paragraph from Skerritt's book about the "Smart
Collection of Antique Surveying Instruments", (p. 96) tells me I'm
pretty close in my guess:
"Frederick Walker Lincoln, Jr. (1817-1898) apprenticed under
Charles Gedney King until 1839 when he went into business for
himself. In 1858, he took on a partner, Charles C.
Hutchinson, who had been an apprentice, to whom he sold the
business in 1883. Mr. Lincoln was Mayor of Boston from 1857 to 1864.
Both Lincoln and Hutchinson acted as agents for W. & L. E.
Gurley. Surviving examples have both Gurley and either Lincoln or
Hutchinson names engraved on the compass face. Both also supplied
Gurley Manuals with their names stamped on the covers in gold."
Since the Gurley name is absent from this instrument, it may mean it
is an earlier example, before Hutchinson was acting as agent. Either
way, you know this is a high quality instrument.
One uncommon feature of this instrument is the vertical circle.
There is a thumbscrew lock, which allows the circle to be rotated
separately from the scope. Pictures #7 & #8 show it clearly.
They also show the one problem with this transit. Someone bumped the
fragile vertical scale, bending it slightly. It still moves smoothly
over most of its range, whether it's clamped with the scope movement
or not. The instrument is otherwise in excellent overall condition.
The optics are clear; not foggy or cloudy. The focus rack moves
smooth and free, with no roughness. The crosshairs are intact and
can be adjusted with the eyepiece. All the adjustments work
properly; everything moves smoothly, just as you would expect on a
fine instrument. All the level bubbles are intact. The dovetailed,
wood storage box is included. A previous owner attached a 4 inch
wide metal bracket on the outside of the box to strengthen it.
This is a beautiful instrument in excellent condition. You won't
be disappointed with this one. Email me if you have any questions,
and I'll try to answer them.
The Fine Print for Bidders-READ THIS: PLEASE
DO NOT USE EBAY'S "CHECKOUT" or "REQUEST TOTAL" FEATURE. I HAVE MY
OWN INVOICING SYSTEM, AND "CHECKOUT" CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH IT.
Let me contact you first, and then you can "reply" to my
email. I always send an end of auction email to the high bidder,
usually within a few hours of auction end. Please reply to the email
with your name and mailing address within 3 days of the auction end
to acknowledge your purchase, or risk losing your purchase rights.
IMPORTANT: If you have any questions, please e-mail me well
in advance. I have found that email messages don't always get
through the net. I respond to all messages within a day, so if you
get no response from me, try this alternate email address:
msartori@iname.com.
Payment in US funds; personal check, bank draft, or money order.
Shipping: Buyer to pay shipping on 40 pounds from zip
14052 in US lower 48 states. Bidders in other areas to pay handling
plus actual shipping costs.
Buyer responsible for insurance, if desired. Items will be
shipped immediately upon receipt of certified check or money order.
Personal checks will be accepted, but items may be held until check
clears. Thank you for your bids.
 
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