This belongs to a friend who acquired it awhile back from someone associated with the University of Nebraska. Apparently it was used in the civil engineering course. This sketching case could be secured to one arm while sketching with the other such as when on horseback.
Thats Nice!! And Neat!!
That looks like Wild Bill himself on the horse.
Very Interesting item.
I had never ever heard of such an instrument much less saw one. It seems to have been made up for route survey work with the long roll of paper. A small crew could lay out quite a few miles and with an inclinometer also get rough route grades, much more important to the RR than alignment. An advance crew or crews could lay out alternative routes, leave the strip maps with the engineers who could choose the best route and put a full crew on the survey and stakeout. These would be more or less straight line diagrams, with angle point angles not necessarily to scale, just properly recorded forward and back bearings. Distances can be by horse paces or stadia.
The letters on the case, would that be University of Nebraska or Nevada, Civil Engineering Department?
Paul in PA
J. Penry, post: 386304, member: 321 wrote: This belongs to a friend who acquired it awhile back from someone associated with the University of Nebraska. Apparently it was used in the civil engineering course. This sketching case could be secured to one arm while sketching with the other such as when on horseback.
That is a fantastic piece of history! Nice find!
J. Penry, post: 386304, member: 321 wrote: This belongs to a friend who acquired it awhile back from someone associated with the University of Nebraska. Apparently it was used in the civil engineering course. This sketching case could be secured to one arm while sketching with the other such as when on horseback.
I sent your post to Bill Skerritt and here is his reply:
Gurley made three different sketching cases : the Army, Batson, and Fiala. They are quite beautiful when in nice condition.
Jim Vianna
