c1835-45 Cased E & W G BLUNT – NAUTICAL MARITIME Ebony OCTANT – NEW YORK Maker

Description

CIRCA 1835 – 1845 CASED E. & G. W. BLUNT – NAUTICAL MARITIME EBONY FRAMED OCTANT –  NEW YORK MAKERS
In fine original dark GREEN step domed wood case with BRASS lock escrucian (lacking key).
Made of ebony and brass.
An example of an E. & G.W. Blunt octant is in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
It was Edmund March Blunt (1770-1862) who had founded a nautical bookstore in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1793 and soon expanded into nautical map and chart publishing. The Blunt firm was became famous for various editions of The American Coast Pilot beginning in 1796. In 1802, Blunt published the first edition of The New American Practical Navigator by Nathaniel Bowditch, which went on to become a popular instructional book in the use of instruments and using celestial bodies in ship navigation. It too was in 1802 that Blunt moved his shop to New York City. Here he published and sold nautical books and charts, and as well sold and repaired nautical instruments there. Blunt’s son, Edmund (1799-1866) became an assistant to Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler – and practiced conducting map surveys for the U.S. Coast Survey – with this work becoming contributed to his father’s publishing firm – who published results of these surveys.
It was in 1824, the younger Edmund and his brother George William Blunt (1802-1878), separate from their father – opened their own nautical supplies shop in New York, where they traded as E. & G.W. Blunt. They took over some of the publishing from their father’s firm, and produced for example an updated version of a chart map of Long Island Sound. The brothers also expanded into offering
navigational instruments under the E. & G.W. Blunt name.   The firm became Blunt &
Nichols in 1866. It was renamed Blunt & Co. in 1868, and in 1873
was purchased by Frederick Eckel.
Because of the crude early form of engraved letters found in the name plate, this octant dates between 1835 and 1845.  Block type was used later and the addition of “NEW YORK” was also stamped into the later name plates in block letters, all of which this example DOES NOT exhibit – because it is of the earlier form.
Wear consistent with age and use.  Please see all photos as they are part of the description.
One of the THREE (3) square filter frames that fold / flip out is slightly bent and thus the red filter is cracked but still all present.
ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE ENACTING A “BUY IT NOW.”  Sold “AS IS” as shown – NO RETURNS.
Readout scales all present and original and not cracked or chipped.   As well the crude early form BLUNT name plate is original, not cracked or chipped and is fully intact.
STANDARD SHIPPING,
HANDLING
& INSURANCE IS $50.00
for
US sales. Includes
15% EBAY/
PAYPAL SELLER’S SHIPPING
SURCHARGE FEE.
WE DO NOT SHIP BY UPS as they rip
open boxes insured at $100 or more
seeking to deny shipments containing
antiques. ALL SHIPMENTS NORMALLY
MADE THROUGH USPS – BUT WE
RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEND
BY FEDERAL EXPRESS GROUND
INSURED.  OVERSEAS  pay $90.00
on this for REGISTERED or
MINIMALLY INSURED air post
with safe signatured delivery
for easy foreign CUSTOMS
CLEARANCE.  CANADA is $70.00 and ASIA and AUSTRALIA is $145.00. GA STATE
residents must pay 8%
STATE SALES TAX.