NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Chasing Shackleton
From: Stan K
Date: 2014 Jan 18, 10:29 -0500
From: Stan K
Date: 2014 Jan 18, 10:29 -0500
Brad,
The only labels I see in the photo are for the watch and chronometer. Where is Worsley's name regarding the sextant?
Don't get me wrong. I am convinced that your sextant is a match for the one Worsley used on the Caird.
Stan
The only labels I see in the photo are for the watch and chronometer. Where is Worsley's name regarding the sextant?
Don't get me wrong. I am convinced that your sextant is a match for the one Worsley used on the Caird.
Stan
-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Morris <bradley.r.morris@gmail.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000@aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 18, 2014 1:07 am
Subject: [NavList] Re: Chasing Shackleton
From: Brad Morris <bradley.r.morris@gmail.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000@aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Jan 18, 2014 1:07 am
Subject: [NavList] Re: Chasing Shackleton
And the Flikr photo sextant
is the Heath Hezzanith. There's a high resolution photo which permits one to read the museum labels. I can see Frank Worsley's name right there and the details in the sextant which clearly align.
On Jan 18, 2014 12:22 AM, "Brad Morris" <bradley.r.morris---.com> wrote:
And George Huxtable's responseGeorge confirmed that the sextant in my image (that travels with the Caird) matches the sextant possessed by the James Caird Society. This was published by the founder of that society. George is careful to qualify their assertion of use that it is the sextant used by Worsley on the journey by stating the word "claimed". George always was admirably cautious!So if you believe the James Card Society, ( and the British Museum & the American Museum of Natural History who had to vet the display) then the sextant used is a Heath Hezzanith of the type shown.As to Hudson's sextant? That is very likely the sextant of the persons noted. Look carefully at the image I provided and it states that the (Heath Hezzanith) sextant was loaned to Worsley for the journey by Hudson. So careful now; additionally we have an image of Hudson's sextant and a statement that Hudson loaned a sextant to Worsley, from Seb's site. Does it state that it was "the" sextant? Specs-manship is now evident.So now we are down to the James Caird Society sextant and to the flickr photo sextant.
On Jan 17, 2014 11:00 PM, "Brad Morris" <bradley.r.morris---.com> wrote:Hi StanHere is the image of the Sextant that travels with the James Caird.The binoculars may be seen in the lower right hand corner standing eyepiece end up. The star scope is on the lower left. Up by the index mirror, you can see the stow location for the oddball scope.Its a dead on match.BradOn Jan 17, 2014 6:42 PM, "Stan K" <slk1000---.com> wrote:
Brad,
Comparing your photo to the on of Worsley holding the sextant, it is still hard to tell if they are the same scopes. However, comparing the relative sizes of the objective lens and the horizon shades, I'd say that it could very well be the same model.
As to whether the flickr photo is Worsley's sextant or not, the photo may be the same as the one at http://www.sebcoulthard.com/navigational-instruments.html. The caption reads "Sextant, pocket chronometer, and pocket watch used by Sir Ernest Shackleton & Frank Worsley during the voyage of the James Caird (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)". It also says
Instruments used by Shackleton & Worsley
‘Heath & Co.’ sextant (owned by Lt. Huberht Hudson, navigator onboard Endurance)
aboard the James Caird:
So you be the judge. Is it Hudson's sextant that was used aboard the Endurance, or was it used by Worsley aboard the James Caird? The only place where it says "Shackleton's Sextant and Chronograph" is with the flickr photo, which also omits mention of the watch. The sebcoulthard photo also mentions Worsley, so I suspect the flickr photo only says Shackleton because many more people are familiar with that name than with Worsley.
According to http://www.jamescairdsociety.com/, the Caird is normally preserved and exhibited at Dulwich College, but it has made the rounds. I can't find anything about the sextant being exhibited with it as a rule, even at the Dulwich College site, although when the Caird was at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, "To the stern of the Caird, in a glass case, was the sextant used by Frank Worsley in his incredible navigational feat."
Stan
-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Morris <Bradley.R.Morris---.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000---.com>
Sent: Fri, Jan 17, 2014 3:40 pm
Subject: [NavList] Re: Chasing Shackleton
Hi StanHere is the sextant with the requested star scope mounted. The optics on this create an erect (non-inverting) image. They are, IMHO, spectacular optics.One must be careful with the online image of "Shackleton's Sextant". He was indeed a licensed master and undoubtedly had his own sextant. In my opinion, it would be somewhat ridiculous if Shackleton did not possess a sextant. However, and this is the important distinction, Worsley was the navigator on the expedition, not Shackleton.. So when the display says "Sir Shackleton's Sextant" it is not Worsley's sextant! Worsley's sextant is exhibited with the James Caird.Brad
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