Box of compasses and measuring instruments. England, second half of the 19th century

Box of compasses and measuring instruments. England, second half of the 19th century.
Belonged to Royal Navy officer Alan Burns Hacbrayne, as stated on the brass plate on the lid.
Steel, wood and bakelite instruments.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 3.5 x 21.5 x 14 cm.

This instrument case, of English manufacture, acquires a significant historical and personal value as it belonged to the Royal Navy officer Alan Burns Hacbrayne, as attested by the brass plate inlaid on its lid. Belonging to a British naval officer of the time underscores the vital nature of these instruments for navigation, cartography, naval engineering and military strategy in a period of intense maritime activity and technological advances.

The case features a solid wood core and a velvet-lined interior. The lower tray, removed and in the foreground, displays a panoply of finely crafted steel compasses and drawing lines, with bakelite and wood accents. The upper pull-out tray contains a variety of rulers and scales of different lengths and purposes, crafted in wood (probably boxwood or a fine-grained wood) with precise engravings.