Francis Barker Prismatic Compass c.1980 Wooden Compass The clasps

The clasps

Gamage became a limited company in 1897

and he ended his days living in poverty in Kincardine on the Firth of Forth

The ‘RGS’ type was often used by travellers and explorers around the turn of the century - Ernest Shackleton took several similar compasses with him on his expeditions to the antarctic

Francis Barker Prismatic Compass c.1980 Wooden Compass The claspsA Francis Barker prismatic compass, dating from c. 1980. This compass was listed as product No. 1404 in the 1982 edition of the Francis Barker catalogue. It was described as having an 'enamel finish aluminium alloy case, with adjustable prism for focusing'. The compass has a jewelled pivot, screw down transit lock, manual brake, height adjustable prism and sight, aluminium case, and aluminium compass card. Both the sight and the prism are removable.