www.AntiqBuyer.com Surveying Transits

including
Transits, Theodolites, Solar Instruments, Levels, Compasses, Alidades, Chains, Plumb Bobs, Etc.

I buy, sell, and deal in antique surveying instruments and related science and technology related Lietz Transit antiques. In addition to this informational website we operate www.Patented-Antiques.com where we conduct our surveying instrument and other antique sales. That antique sales website is one of the largest single owner antique sales websites on the internet, dealing in surveying related antiques and other tool and technology related antiques. If you are in the market to buy vintage and antique surveying instruments please visit that page.

If you have surveying instruments or other related tool & technology related antiques you would like to sell please visit that page to see how we conduct our consignment sales. If you would like to consign with us and have additional questions please see the FAQ page at either site or contact us.

Early Transits / Theodilites

This page deals primarily deal with Antique Surveying Transits discussing different makers & variations offered and relative values. Please visit the other specific pages on this site dealing with surveyor's compasses or surveying levels if that is what you have.

There is also additional information and past sales results for surveying instruments in the sales archives found in the right column if you are looking for values.

William Young of PA is credited with introducing the idea of a surveyors transit in the mid to early 1800's by Buff Transit incorporating features from the standard surveying compass in use during that period and surveying levels with scopes to create one instrument to meet the needs of a growing group of surveyors busy charting the opening new territories in America.

The first transits were referred to as theodilites, and because of the difficulty or primitive nature of the optics they did not have the ability to turn a full circle within the standards holding the scope. In other words the scope had to be longer than the height of the standards. This drawback was soon remedied with improvements to the science of optics and all makers began making instruments that could revolve in their standards so that he user could shoot behind him without rotating the entire instrument. Hence the definition or meaning of the term theodilites has changed over time with more precise instruments being called by that name later on.

Solar & Mining Transits

Surveyor's transits that have solar attachments, including scopes, or those equipped with auxiliary Gurley Solar Transit scopes used for mining, and those instruments that have other unusual patented or special use features are unusual and of special interest.

To the right is a solar transit w/ Burt patent solar attachment made by W. & L. E. Gurley. More info about this particular instrument can be found by visiting the Gurley past sales archives and reading a more detailed descriptions found there.

Different makers used different patented versions of solar attachments with some like the Burt pictured here, resembling tiny sextants. K & E or Keuffel & Esser, Leitz, Buff, and others utilized a smaller top mounted scope called the Saegmuller solar attachment. Another patented version that was a side mount scope is the Smith Patent solar attachment.

I have a page on our other site dealing with the history of surveying where I discuss solar instruments in a little more detail, and explain why they were created. This idea was also adaptable to compasses, and solar compasses are one of the most desirable of all surveying instruments that were produced.

Condition / Vintage

Antique surveying instruments in original undamaged condition are always worth more than those that are damaged or have seen extensive use and abuse. In general the earlier an instrument the more desirable it is, and those from the early to mid 1800's are becoming increasingly harder to find. Instruments from the the 1940's and later are typically later than what most collectors of surveying instruments are looking for and sell for considerably less than earlier models. Most later surveying instruments usually to casual users rather than collectors.

Antique surveying instruments come in a variety of finishes ranging from natural brass and clear or colored lacquer to painted surfaces usually found on later instruments. Some instruments have anodized finishes to help keep down the glare like the instrument to the left. Most later instruments have crinkle paint finishes in black or greens that are applied to the brass bodies. In general unless these later instruments have some unusual feature such as solar attachments, double scopes, or are a rare configuration or size, they are generally considered less collectible and hence less valuable.

Note that this transit has an adapter fitting on the top to accept a solar instrument. This transit is a K & E product, and its missing attachment would look like a smaller telescope rather than the sextant looking affair patented by Burt that Gurley used on the transit pictured above. That missing auxiliary scope accounts for half or more of the value of an instrument like this. They could be, or were typically ordered as an accessory explaining why many transits seem to be missing them.

Transit Types

Transits with 6" scopes or less are unusually small and harder to find. They are typically referred to as as Explorer or Expedition models. Instruments with 8" scopes are usually designated as Light Mountain or Preliminary transits. 10 -12 inch scopes can be called architects or engineers transits depending on features they exhibit like vernier scales and / or compasses beneath the scope. For example, architects using a transit on location would have little need for a compass and many are found without them. Instruments with small magnifiers positioned over the very fine verniers are referred to as theodilites today.

Just telling me you have a Gurley, Berger, Buff, Buff & Buff, K & E, Aloe, or a David White, etc. and giving me the serial number is not enough information to determine what it is you have.

Asking me what your transit is worth without seeing it would be like me asking you what my car is worth, without me telling you anything more about it then that it is a Toyota. In most cases it simply can not be done with so little information.

The list of surveying instrument makers whose pieces are of interest is extensive, and starts with such famous makers as Rittenhouse, who made instruments during George Washington's time, to the more well known and prolific makers like W. E. Gurley, Lietz, Buff, Berger, Heller & Brightly, Keuffel and Esser, Roach, Sala, or Queen & Co. to name just a few. There are numerous makers of surveying instruments that have normal given names that were in business for varying periods of time in the 19th century. The list of individual maker names is extensive and can not really be given here but there is interest in many of these lesser known makers and their instruments as well.

The surveying instruments described above are examples of the caliber, condition and quality of antique surveying instruments and equipment that I am primarily interested in and can help you sell.

If you have quality antique surveying instruments similar to those that you see on this page that you want to sell, please contact us at LCM@AntiqBuyer.com providing me with as many details as possible.

To see many examples of surveying instruments that we have sold in the past please see the relevant links in the right column.

To see examples of antique transits and other surveying instruments that we currently have for sale, please go to our sister site at www.Patented-Antiques.com and visit the sales pages you will find there.

Thank you!!
Larry & Carole

Larry & Carole Meeker * * * * * * * Internet Antique Dealers & Brokers	www.AntiqBuyer.com Contact Us LCM@AntiqBuyer.com 530-620-7019
Purveyors and Dealers of Americana / Patented & Mechanical Antiques