A lady at the title company found this in an attic. I'm leaning toward an alidade, but I've never seen one with a vertical barrel. It also appears to have motions and a window to read the horizontal circle, but it appears to be froze up.
Anyway, what the hell is this?
As near as I can tell, it's an Everest Type Theodolite.
:good: :good: :good:
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Typing class 9th grade!
Maybe some kind of sextant???
After further research and inspection, it has three letters A-C. On the "C" side it is stamped 284 and 1870, presumably the date. The pictures of the Everest Theodolites that were manufactured, that I can find pictures of, are after 1875. It is between the range of 1826 and 1922 as the company changed it's name in 1922 to Cook Troughton and Simms.
I've never seen one of these before.
It is a late 19th or early 20th century Everest pattern theodolite in poor condition. Missing parts, oxidation...a remnant.
The central stand, instead of Standards like current day Theodolites and Transits, is indicative of an alidade variant. B-)