National Museum of American History
Equatorial Sextant
Burt, William A. · 1856
Patent model for William Austin Burt, new equatorial sextant, U.S. Patent 16,002 (1856). This instrument could apparently be used to take azimuths, altitude, and time with one observation, and thus enable one to easily obtain the position and bearing of a ship at sea. It was ingenious, but never found much of a market. Burt is better remembered for the solar compass that he introduced in the 1830s.
🔒
Order museum-quality prints
Sign in to order prints, canvas, and more of this work. Browsing and full-resolution downloads stay free.