Posted 13 years ago
propertygu…
(1 item)
I got this Ford compass about 10-13 years ago and have yet to get an accurate appraisal due to the cost. I had an antique dealer look at it and he said it was probably dated correctly from the look of things. He said the glass was probably lead, ring holding it in was common for the era, and the smell inside of it once glass was removed told the age. It has all brass latches etc, a #4 and Ford#1 on the inside henges. It also has a larger Ford stamping in the wood on top of it on the outside. If you notice the East and West is opposite from where they should be, maybe naval or nautical? The people I bought it from at a yard sale were old and they said a deceased family member brought it home from the war years ago (either WW1 or 2). I have done my own research on the maker W.& L.E Gurley several times over the years and have found some interesting facts but nothing concrete. I did find an article about Gurley doing some work in North Carolina for various companies with instruments including Ford but have never been able to locate it since and just my luck the printer was out of ink!! Ford did make airplanes soo?? I sent pics of it to the Benson Ford Museum and hilariously they found nothing and said it was possiblya replica..lol. I dont think they even looked into it from the sound of things. I truly believe I have a one of a kind item here!!! Any help is appreciated!!
Also to add...the elderly people I bought it from said their relative did fly plains in the war. I have seen similar compasses but NONE have been Ford. The Ford#1 on henges and production #4 are stamped in the brass henges. I dont belive at all this is one of those $50 kind I have seen in the past due to it being very rare and made for Ford. It may possibly be one of a kind??!!
Hi,
I collect Gurley and other maker's surveying instruments, such as transits, alidades, wye level, and vernier compasses. The reason the E is on the left and the W is on the right, is a surveying thing. All surveying compasses, even the ones on transits, are designed the same way. That allows the direct reading of the angle from North when you rotate the compass or instrument.
An example: If you are facing north and compass needle is on the N and you rotate the instrument 90° to the right, to point East, the compass card rotates with the instrument and the needle stays stationary. If the W was on the left, the needle would be indicating that you are facing W when you are facing E, hence the two being moved to opposite sides of the compass face to prevent incorrect readings being taken.
I spent my career in aviation and know that Ford built their Trimotors in the mid to late '20's, and possibly into the '30's. It's possible that the pilots were issued a personnel, handheld compass, but Gurley and other makers made handheld compasses just for that purpose, and I doubt if surveying compasses would have been used, for the fact that the E and W are reversed. It's not made the same way a navigation compass is made, nor are they used the same way.
Therefore, I do not think there's a connection between the compass and Ford's endeavors into aviation. Ford built a lot of buildings and had several surveyors on the payroll, so it's possible that your compass was simply something they bought a few dozen of, had a stamp made to impress the date and other nomenclature into the wood, including the Ford emblem. Like you said, it's a rare one.
It could also be a retirement gift from Ford to an employee. I've seen several similar items that were dated and embossed with a different company's logo than the maker of the item, and were given to retirees.
We'll probably never know exactly what it was for, but I think it's worth 2 to 3 times the normal price of a standard Gurley compass, especially in such pristine condition.
Good luck!