English Wwii Era Nautical Maritime Salvage Ship Yacht Binnacle Compass by Sestral Henry Browne & Son

Description

A visually striking and most interesting small scale vintage WW2 era marine salvaged ship's binnacle pedestal with compass by Sestrel … more A visually striking and most interesting small scale vintage WW2 era marine salvaged ship's binnacle pedestal with compass by Sestrel Henry Browne & Son.

The beautifully aged heavily patinated polished gilt brass binnacle housing a high quality marine navigational instrument, having an enclosed brass bowl English Sestrel compass, set in liquid for reducing friction and rapidly damping oscillations, with Sestrel signed white compass card floating dial behind substantial brass bezeled protective glass, mounted on gimbaled suspension support, having a removable dome helmet with circular glass viewing port and brass hinged drop door fitted with sliding shades, affixed with lantern tube, retaining original pierced lid cover, with handled kerosene oil lamp included. Flanked by the iconic port and starboard red and green enameled cast iron quadrantal sphere "navigator's balls" also known as "Kelvin's balls" (see below), above cylindrical pedestal support, rising on heavy square solid brass base with four rounded finials, resting on sturdy bracket feet.

A rare, exceptional and highly sought after collectible, in addition to being a highly decorative, distinctly sculptural, and fascinating, it appeals to numerous groups of collectors, including nautical salvage, yachting, fine quality instrument, and more, this extraordinary example is also historically interesting as it relates to the second world war.

At the time, few other marine compass designs dampened nearly as well as the Sestral dead beat, leading to superior performance, accuracy and reliability and resulting in the Sestrel design being fitted to many Allied ships during WWII.

And during the largest conflict the world has ever seen, the English maker of Sestrel compasses shifted their nearly their sole focus to war time efforts, resulting in their compasses being used by both merchant and military ships, many of which played pivotal roles in the war.

- About The Maker:
Sestrel is a trade mark of Henry Browne & son, established in the second half of the 19th century, Henry Browne and son was an important English maker of high quality nautical navigation instruments, including yacht, ship, and boat magnetic compasses, inclinometers, sextants, etc.. later expanding into fine scientific instruments and aviation compasses, clocks and dials. The company made compasses for iconic aircraft, notably Spitfires, Tiger moths and Concord.

Henry Browne was born in Lewis, Sussex, England in 1842 and died in Barking in 1935. His company was a very well respected instrument maker that had been making and selling fine quality compasses, ship's clocks, inclinometers, sextants, and chandlery items for over 140 years.

It started in a factory in Brightlingsea, Essex and moved to Barking in 1929, and they had an office at 71 Leadenhall Street, London, which opened in 1947. By that time, their product line included Nautical Instruments, Compasses, Clocks, Binoculars, Telescopes, Thermometers, Sounding Apparatus, Aircraft Instruments, Signaling Equipment, Scientific Instruments, Meteorological Instruments, Barographs, Thermographs, Aneroid Barometers, Sextants, and Yacht Equipment.

The Trade Mark brand Sestrel was used on all their equipment.

The brand ‘Sestrel’ was an amalgam of the qualities their instruments embody: taking the two first letters of SEnsitive, STeady, RELiable.

Sestrel is in fact a name synonymous with quality and accuracy; this is evidenced by their rapid adaption into WWII vessels, as well as the sheer number of antique and vintage instruments still in use today.


- Interesting Additional Information / History:

The earliest hints of the use in Europe of instruments that harnessed magnetic force for navigational orientation date back to the late 12th century, mainly due to the knowledge brought by Arab merchants and navigators: we find hints of this in Alexander Neckam's work "De nominibus utensilium" and in the works of Guyot de Provins in which the magnet is referred to as the "sailor's companion." The inventory of a 13th-century Sicilian ship, the San Nicolo, also mentions the presence of a magnet and a "ligno compass" on board.

A highly important yet delicate instrument, a marine compass must always be high quality, accurate, reliable, and protected. One reason is that as a critical piece of navigational equipment the accuracy, reliability and functionality of a ship’s compass can literally mean the difference between life and death for a ship and her entire crew. Just a few degrees off in the open ocean can mean being lost at sea. So the compass’ accuracy must be maintained at the highest possible precision while at sea.

Early binnacle construction (mid-18th century) used iron nails, which were later discovered to cause magnetic deviations in compass readings. As the development of the compass and understanding of magnetism progressed, greater attention was given to binnacle construction to avoid compass disturbances caused by iron.

With the introduction of iron-clad ships in the 19th century, the magnetic deviation observed in compasses became significantly more severe. Various methods of compensation were sought, typically by arranging iron or magnetic objects near the binnacle were then developed, with inventor engingeer Lord Kelvin (British; 1824-1907) 1880s patented navigator's balls (also known as "Kelvin's balls"), incorporating two movable compensating spheres mounted on grooved brackets to either side of the binnacle in order to adjust the compasses magnetic deviation caused by the nearby ferrous materials and iron material used in the construction of the ship and did such a satisfactory job they were still in use nearly a century later.

Lighting and various covers were added to allow navigation at all times and in all a different conditions, with the oil burning lamp used to illuminate the compass face to facilitate reading it at night or in poor weather, as well as adjustable aperture shades being added to make reading the compass in sunlight easier and preventing glare.

- Dimensions: (approx)
20.25" High, 15.5" Wide, 8" Deep
(51.4 x 39.4 x 20.3 cm)

Signatures / Maker's Mark:
Compass face marked to interior "Sestral"

Condition Report:
Great original vintage condition with beautifully aged warm rich patina, stunning tonal variation, and lustrous sheen. Strong, sturdy, stable, structurally sound. Attractive appearance, retaining antique character and charm throughout, wear consistent with age, industrial use, handling, and exposure, including heavily patinated finish, scattered verdigris, oxidation and tarnish, possibe light scratches, minor errant dings, and dents, not thoroughly and accurately tested, nothing that detracts from the display but only adds to the authenticity, distinctive sculptural design, handsome warmth and rich historical depth that can only be acquired over long periods of time!

Provenance / Acquisition:
2017: A private Dallas, Texas estate acquired from highly reputable auction house Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas.
Fine & Decorative Arts featuring The Holiday Table Signature Auction catalog

2021: We acquired from previous owner consigning through reputable auction house Black Rock Galleries, Greenwich, Connecticut, with Dallas design district location, Dallas Curated Collection Of Amazing Antiques Auction catalog

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Having the ideal size and proportions for a variety of different decorative uses and interior styles, including as a elegantly refined and sophisticated chic Hamptons coastal tabletop or desk sculpture; fashioned as an electrified table lamp in a timeless Colonial lake house; as a New England cottage, coastal, or beach house modern focal point; traditional Nautical statue; or garner attention using it as a brilliant statement piece in a commercial seafood restaurant, tropical resort, hotel lobby, or ocean view bar and grill! less