Description:
- Object ID: ALSA 2011.01.01
- Made by: Potter, Toronto, C.W.
- Model: Unknown
- Serial Number: Unknown
- Date Made: 1860 to 1867.
- Approximate size: 41.5 cm (l) X 17.5 cm (w) X 10 cm
- Accessories:Wooden carrying case in very poor condition, tripod (ALSA 2011.01.02) also in poor condition, an adopter for attaching the compass to the tripod, a compass needle, broken parts of the wooden case and about the provenance of the compass a CD and a one page narrative..
- Condition: poor
Commentary:
This compass would have been called a circumferentor, as it was made in Canada imn the 19th century. It has two level bubbles, a compass circle 14.5 cm in diameter, two verniers, two locking screws, one tangent screw and one folding short sight. The glass that covers the compass is missing. The tripod is 138 cm long and about 10 cm diameter at the base plate.
The CD is of a discussion/interview on January 21, 2011 with Ronald Burwash who donated the object by Lou Breton and Monoe Kinloch. . Ronald is the nephew of Edward Moore Jackson Burwash who purchased the compass and son of Adam Proctor Burwash who had custody of the compass at the time of his death. The compass was purchased for a geological trip to the north shore of Lake Athabasca.
The name on the compass is “Potter, Toronto C.W.”. The letters C.W. refers to Canada West, thus it was made prior to 1867.
iSource of Object: Donated by Dr. Ronald Allan McLean Burwash.
Notes: The Society has only one in their collection.
References: Visit article Circumferentors – Made in Canada before Confederation for additional information.
Description by: Entered by Ed Titanich, October 2, 2024. Gordon Olsson, November 5, 2025.