Page 30 - joa-may-23

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Mr. Appraiser – into the compass chamber for viewing the gimballed compass inside.
My husband and I have always been interested in seafaring antiques. We The compass is in a gimbal harness so as the ship moves over the waves,
have a brass sextant with ivory scales, folk-art sailor’s carvings, a large ship’s the compass is kept level giving an accurate reading.
wheel, etc. in our collection. We recently came across a ship’s binnacle for sale, Attached to the rear of the
and we would like to purchase it, but we do not know if it is complete and do Binnacle is a Brass tube that held
not know if we are getting a good deal. Can you please help ASAP as we are and preserved charts and maps so
afraid it will be gone before we pull the trigger and buy it. The fellow who they were not continuously
owns it lives on the shores of Lake Michigan and said it comes from a historical exposed to the elements. On the
Lake Michigan and great lakes shipping collection. He is asking $1,500 for it. front body of the binnacle’s upper
(I have attached a few pics.) right corner is an oil lamp to give
HELP in Michigan! light at night or during stormy
– MAM days. On the front body starting
Hello MAM and just below the hood is a brass serial
WOW!!! What a pin- number tag then below that a
nacle item to add to compass lock that when pushed in
any antique seafaring locks the gimble in place to hold
collection, even if it the compass stationery. Below this
was used on our great is a level gauge. To the left of the
Inland Seas, or lakes level gauge is a trap door that
as they are named. allows maintenance to the under-
People mistakenly side of the compass. Below
think because the 5 the level gauge is a large
great lakes have lake brass plate with KH over
monikers that they an arrow. This was the late
are placid calm bod- 1890s/early 1900s logo for
ies of water, but these the Kelvin Hughes binna-
lakes rival any great cle company of England.
ocean or sea body of Below the tag to the left
water regarding storms, rough water, and sunken ships. These waters have and right of center are two
been sailed by the fur traders in canoes to tall ships from the French and long trap doors that hold
Indian wars through the Civil War, then steamships from the 1860s to the magnets to help the mag-
early 1900s, and are still plied by some of the world’s largest ships carrying netic compass compensate
trade goods, Wood, iron ore, coal, and any other item that was used by for deviations caused by
people of the midwestern United States. This historic Ships Binnacle has iron on the ships; which
seen a few hard weather days on the great lakes. Thank you for sending the Leads to the focal point of the entire binnacle.
added pics for my review and description. The two red-painted iron balls on either side of the brass hood are
A Binnacle is a case in which the ship’s magnetic compass is housed known primarily as Binnacle Balls and they have a very distinctive
and is probably one of the most significantly engineered inventions in purpose. In the mid-1700s, magnetism was not understood very well, and
seafaring history as a compass is perhaps one of the most important tools binnacles were constructed using iron nails. These nails caused deviations
to a Seafarer. Binnacles come in all shapes and sizes from small all-brass in magnetic compass readings. Later, after figuring out what iron does to
boat binnacles to miniature-sized wooden and brass binnacles for yachts to magnetic compasses, more suitable construction methods were used. At
large-sized wooden and brass binnacles for large ships. the onset of using iron to build ships, it created even greater deviations in
compass readings. In 1854 John Grey of Liverpool England developed
the use of magnets in the binnacle to partially compensate and correct
compass readings and this was
further improved in the 1880s
by England’s Lord Kelvin by
adding two large iron spheres
on either side of the compass to
further compensate for the
deviation in compass readings.
Thereafter, the renamed
Kelvin’s Balls have been incor-
porated in practically every
binnacle design. Note that this
is the nickel tour of Binnacle
history.
It is nice to see a Binnacle in
the last state it was used with-
out restoration. More people
such as myself are learning to
Your Binnacle is the large ship size. It is approximately 55 3/4 inches leave antiques as we find them
tall and 20 1/2 inches front to back. This Binnacle comes in a wooden as this is the history of the
ribbed teak wood case and a brass dome hood with a removable top and
two doors that open and have smaller sliding viewing ports that let in light Continued on page 38

28 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles