Useful Publications
When researching compasses there are many resources I use. The internet is good for tracking down publications and websites, but there are many other resources including museums, universities and national archives that will help you build your knowledge base.
The following list of books are publications from the library of books I have that I believe a collector would initially find useful. If you are looking for information, please contact me since I may well be able to suggest a suitable publication. In listing them I am neither endorsing or recommending them.
Antique Scientific Instruments by Gerard L’E Turner. Hardbound, 164 pages. ISBN 0 7137 0923 5
This covers much more than just compasses, including astronomy and time telling, navigational and surveying instruments. I have found it useful to understanding the context of the compass in relation to other instruments.
Compass Chronicles – A guide to the wide range of pocket compasses covering the period from the late 1700’s to the mid 1900’s by Kornelia Takacs – Hardbound 176 pages. ISBN : 978-0-7643-3396-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2009941780
This book is a welcome addition to the research material available in the market place. It concentrates on Pocket Compasses from around the world and is one of the most comprehensive and thorough publications on Pocket Compasses. There is certainly enough in the book to satisfy any collector who is interested in Pocket Compasses from the period late 1700’s to mid 1900’s.
Kornelia includes all the major Patents, looks at the origins of compasses from various countries and carefully explains the various styles of pocket compasses that have been available over the last 300 years. Kornelia even solves the mystery of what happened to Samuel Berry Singer of Singers Patent fame. Masses of illustrations, both colour photographs and original facsimiles of documents as well as extracts from original texts are included to help you understand the evolution of pocket compasses better. This has been well researched, drawing on the expertise of both collectors and experts around the world.
Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 by Gloria Clifton – Hardbound 331 pages. ISBN 0 302 00634 6
Dr Clifton was the Head of The Royal Observatory, at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. One of more useful reference books I have. It lists all the main instrument makers from 1550 to 1851 giving the types of instruments they made, where they worked, dates and family and business connections. To appreciate the extent of the research that has gone into this book there were in 1551 three scientific instrument makers whose names have been traced in the British Isles, by 1801 this had risen to 584 and by 1851 this was 837 of which 498 were in London. Whilst based on some very thorough research the book makes it quite clear that there is still much to be researched and understood.
The information is invaluable if you are serious about researching compass manufacturers and has helped me establish the history to many of my older compasses. Copies are generally available from specialist suppliers including the National Maritime Museum.
Latitude Hooks and Azimuth Rings by Dennis Fisher Softbound 166 Pages. ISBN 0-07-021120-5
If you are either inquisitive or even slightly practically inclined this is a must have. The book covers 18 instruments, everything from The Kamal to Astrolobe and Dry Card Compass. It not only has the plans for making these instruments but also explains their origins, shows how they are used and details the key parts. If navigation fascinates you and you want to make something in those long winter evenings, this is guaranteed to get you on the right track.
The Riddle of the Compass by Amir D Aczel Softbound, 178 pages. ISBN 0-15–600753-3
A very useful book that traces the origins of the compass, starting with the the Chinese use of the lodestone in feng shui through to the emergence of the compass in Amalfi sometime in the 12th Century.
There are certainly many other books to support my collection, as well as auction catalogues, brochures and original trade catalogues.
Useful Websites
These are links (in alphabetic order)that I personally find useful. In listing them I am neither endorsing or recommending them. You must make your own judgement as to whether they can be of use to you.
A retail site that researches it’s compasses well and has good quality compasses for sale.
National Geophysical Data Centre
This is a useful resource particularly if you have a compass which is marked with the declination and you want to estimate the year it was manufactured.
I discovered this site in 2007 and what a find, overflows with useful information and compass details.
An excellent site for compass collectors, useful source of reference material. Mainly deals in English compasses.
A good site for compass collectors with lots of useful information. Mainly English compasses.
Want to know about compasses made by Francis Barker & Son – well this is the site. Also available is a book available from the site on the history of Francis Barker & Son by Paul Crespel.
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