Sextant Collection (page 4)

PTOLEMY (2nd CENTURY A. D. ). Astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Alexandria
PTOLEMY (2nd CENTURY A.D.). Astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Alexandria. Ptolemy, guided by the muse of astronomy, using a quadrant to measure the altitude of the moon

ASTRONOMER, 1513. Arabian astronomers scanning the heavens. Woodcut from Macrobius In Somnium Scipionis, Venice, 1513

Ferdinand Magellan, 19th Century (engraving)
XJF884286 Ferdinand Magellan, 19th Century (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Ferdinand Magellan, 16th Century (engraving)
XJF884287 Ferdinand Magellan, 16th Century (engraving) by Thevet, Andre (1504-92); Private Collection; French, out of copyright

Sight and Smell (oil on canvas)
XIR61051 Sight and Smell (oil on canvas) by Brueghel, Jan the Elder (1568-1625); 175x263 cm; Prado, Madrid, Spain; Flemish, out of copyright

Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), detail from a map showing his system of planetary orbits
XCF266004 Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), detail from a map showing his system of planetary orbits, from The Celestial Atlas, or The Harmony of the Universe (Atlas coelestis seu harmonia macrocosmica) pub

The Wooden Midshipman on the lookout, illustration from Dombey and Son
KW259262 The Wooden Midshipman on the lookout, illustration from Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens (1812-70) first published 1848 (litho) by Browne

Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) landing in America, engraved by Theodor Galle (1571-1633)
XIR239763 Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) landing in America, engraved by Theodor Galle (1571-1633) (engraving) by Straet, Jan van der (Giovanni Stradano) (1523-1605) (after); Bibliotheque Nationale

Portrait of Ulrich Stampfer, 1540 (oil on panel)
XIR194757 Portrait of Ulrich Stampfer, 1540 (oil on panel) by Asper, Hans (1499-1571); Kunsthaus, Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss, out of copyright

Portrait of Nicolas Jarry, Pieter Willem van Megen, Mathias de Sallieth, Jacob Perkois, 1782

FY 1404 Takyuddin and other astronomers at the Galata observatory founded in 1557
XYL155434 FY 1404 Takyuddin and other astronomers at the Galata observatory founded in 1557 by Sultan Suleyman, from the Sehinsahname of Murad III, c.1581 (vellum) by Turkish School

Portrait of Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540-96) (engraving) (b / w photo)
XIR220436 Portrait of Sir Francis Drake (c.1540-96) (engraving) (b/w photo) by Vaughan, Robert (fl.1622-78); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France; English, out of copyright

Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) (engraving) (b / w photo)
XIR215539 Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) (engraving) (b/w photo) by Straet, Jan van der (Giovanni Stradano) (1523-1605) (after); Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris

The John Bacon Family, Arthur Devis, 1712-1787, British

CANNON, 16th CENTURY. Sighting a cannon in the 16th century: contemporary woodcut

ASTRONOMER, 1533. An astronomer using an astronomical sextant to measure the altitude of the sun and the height of a building. Woodcut, German, from Petrus Apianus Instrument-Buch, 1533

HALLEYs COMET, 1531. Contemporary English woodcut

ASTROLOGERS, 1513. Arabian astrologers scanning the heavens. Woodcut from Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius In Somnium Scipionis, Venice, 1513

JOHN H. SPEKE (1827-1864). English explorer. Photographed c1863, against a backdrop depicting Lake Victoria in Africa

AFFONSO de ALBUQUERQUE (1453-1515). Portuguese soldier and explorer. Woodcut, French, 16th century

ROALD AMUNDSEN (1872-1928). Amundsen on his 1911 expedition to the South Pole, using a sextant and artificial horizon to determine his position. Illustration from a contemporary English newspaper

ROALD AMUNDSEN (1872-1928). Norwegian polar explorer. Amundsen, on his 1911 expedition to the South Pole, using a sextant and artificial horizon to determine his position. English illustration, c1911

SURVEYOR, c1890. Portrait of a surveyor with tools. Photograph. c1890

MIDSHIPMAN, 1799. An English Midshipman with a sextant: aquatint, 1799, by Thomas Rowlandson

The Imperial Observatory at Peking, China. Line engraving, French, 1747, after an engraving from Le Comtes Voyage au
PEKING OBSERVATORY, 1698. The Imperial Observatory at Peking, China. Line engraving, French, 1747, after an engraving from Le Comtes Voyage au Chine, 1698

Contemporary English colored woodcut
HALLEYs COMET, 1531. Contemporary English colored woodcut

Use of sextant in navigation, 1583
Cartography, 16th century. Use of the sextant in navigation, 1583

Historic shot of ships captain using navigational equipment

Allegory of geometry, 16th century C017 / 6991
Allegory of geometry. 16th-century woodcut of an allegory on geometry, showing a woman holding a sextant and compass in her hands, facing a ship

19th Century sextant. Sextants are used to measure the position of celestial bodies to aid in navigation. They utilise the fact that the exact position in the sky of the Sun

ASTRONOMER, 1533. Astronomers using astronomical sextants to measure the altitude of the moon and the height of buildings. Woodcut, 1533

CONSTELLATION: HYDRA. Figuration of Hydra and adjacent constellations (Noctua, Corvus, Crater, Sextans Uraniae, Felis)
CONSTELLATION: HYDRA. Figuration of Hydra and adjacent constellations (Noctua, Corvus, Crater, Sextans Uraniae, Felis, Lupus, Centaurus, Antlia Pneumatica, Argo Navis, and Pyxis Nautica)

CARTOON: HAIRSTYLES, 1770s. Ridiculous Taste or the Ladies Absurdity. English cartoon engraving either by or after Matthew Darly, 1770s, satirizing trends in womens hairstyles

TYCHO BRAHEs SEXTANT. Engraving from his Astronomiae Instauratae Mechanica, Nuremberg, Germany, 1602

SAILOR, 18th CENTURY. Line engraving, American, late 18th century

NAVIGATOR, 19th CENTURY. A navigator: French engraving, 19th century

COLONIAL MARINER, 18th C. A colonial American mariner: line engraving, late 18th century

JOHANNES HEVELIUS (1611-1687). Polish astronomer. Hevelius and his wife, Elisabeth, observing the heavens. Copper engraving from Hevelius Machina coelestis, 1673

GREENWICH OBSERVATORY. A late 17th century engraving of the old observing-room at the Greenwich Observatory, England. Shown are the three original observers, John Flamsteed, the Astronomer Royal

Nautical Students 1930S
Young men, students at the London School of Engineering and navigation, learning how to take a bearing by sextant to find the position of a ship when out at sea. Date: 1930s

Imperial Astronomical Observatory, China
Imperial Astronomical Observatory, Beijing (Peking), China. This observatory was built during the Ming Dynasty (1442) to facilitate both astronomical purposes and seafaring navigation

An astronomical sextant designed by Tycho Brahe
An astronomical sextant designed and built by Tycho Brahe, the last of the great naked-eye astronomers. It was built in 1572, in the garden of a house in Augsberg, Germany

Astronomical sextant. Historical artwork of Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687) and his wife Elisabetha (1647-1693) observing with a sextant designed by Johannes in about 1658

Aviation monument commemorating the British Fairey F-3 seaplane that made the first flight across the South Atlantic from Lisbon, Portugal to Brazil, in March-June of 1922

Sextant, historical diagram. 17th Century woodcut illustration of a sextant. Published in Astronomiae instauratae progymnasmata by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1600)

Scientific equipment, historical artwork
Scientific equipment. Historical artwork of a range of equipment used for scientific measurements and drawings. At centre left is a hydrostatic balance

Woman looks through sextant on board a boat
A woman wearing shorts and a beanie hat peers through a sextant on the deck of a boat on the Norfolk Broads in the 1930s

Roald Amundsen calculating his position, South Pole, 1911
Illustration showing how the members of Roald Amundsens Antarctic Expedition of 1910-12 calculated their position, using a sextant and an artificial horizon; South Pole, 1911

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"Exploring the Arctic: The Greely Arctic Expedition at its farthest point North, 1884" In their quest for discovery and adventure, the members of the Greely Arctic Expedition pushed themselves to their limits. At a latitude of 81°29'N, they reached an unprecedented milestone in human exploration. With their trusty sextants in hand, these brave souls navigated through treacherous icy waters and unforgiving terrain. The Hydra Star Map guided them on their journey, revealing constellations that served as beacons in the vast expanse of the night sky. Created by Christian Wilhelm Allers, this intricate map was a testament to mankind's fascination with celestial navigation. A Hansen, first officer on the Knivsberg in 1898, relied heavily on his sextant during perilous voyages across uncharted seas. This essential tool allowed him to measure angles between heavenly bodies and determine his position with remarkable accuracy. Wood engravings from 1871 depict a navigator utilizing a sextant to calculate the angular distance between the moon and a star. This technique revolutionized maritime navigation by providing mariners with reliable means of determining longitude while out at sea. The Little Wooden Midshipman shop sign from c. 1750 proudly displayed a young sailor carrying a sextant—a symbol of skill and expertise required for making astronomical observations necessary for safe passage across oceans. Onboard Training Ship HMS Conway, future seafarers honed their skills using this indispensable instrument. Guided by experienced mentors, they learned how to align stars within Hydra constellations precisely—mastering both art and science simultaneously. Even Captain John Treasure Jones recognized its significance; his archive includes invaluable records documenting his reliance on this trusted companion throughout countless expeditions into uncharted territories. From ancient times until today, the sextant remains an enduring symbol of humanity's relentless pursuit of knowledge and exploration—the key that unlocks hidden secrets of the cosmos and guides us through uncharted waters.