Mint 1909 Gurley Surveyor’s Transit & Case, Troy, NY w/Gradienter & History Docs
This beautiful optical instrument is a 1909 surveyor’s transit made by the Gurley company of Troy, NY. Gurley was one of
the premier international optical instrument makers of the 19th and 20th
centuries. They are still in business, although they stopped making surveying
instruments in 1980.
It has an unusual optional attachment called a Gradienter, which aided in
rapidly determining grades and distances. I have never seen this attachment on
an antique transit before.
It also comes with a 1999 letter from “Gurley Historical Services” indicating
age, model number, the original purchaser (Stoddard Bros. in Buffalo, NY on
9/16/1909) and several old catalog page copies which describe the technical
aspects of the transit.
Considering it is 115 years old, this transit is in near mint condition. All
the bubble levels are intact, the compass needle moves freely, all moving parts
swing properly without any binding, and the optics and crosshairs are good.
There is some tarnish on the exposed silvering on the elevation circle, which
is to be expected. The rest of the silvering is quite good, as shown in the photos. It appears it saw very little use.
It comes with the original fitted, dovetailed wooden case, with the original Gurley
labels inside. The instrument is about 16” tall and about 13” in length. The
wooden box measures 16” tall by 13” wide by 9” deep. Total weight of instrument and case is about 30 pounds.
This is a striking and rare example of true American craftmanship from a bygone
era. It’s beautiful in its workmanship and rich in its history.
**READ THIS**
Ask any questions BEFORE you bid or buy. I try to be very
accurate in my descriptions, but I can’t detail everything. If there is
something specific you are not sure of regarding condition or function, ASK
FIRST, because….
All sales are final; no returns. Examine
the photos closely - what you see is what you get!
Sorry,
but local pickup only near Buffalo, NY. A recent buyer had a friend in the Buffalo area who
picked up his purchase and held it for him. Hiring a shipping service like uShip
is another option. The box dimensions and total weight are shown above.
The condition of the instrument and case are shown in the photos. My responsibility for the item ends when the item is picked up. Any and all issues regarding shipping scheduling,
shipping cost, and damage is the buyer's responsibility. By purchasing this item, the buyer agrees to this statement of responsibility.
Thank you.