The Compleat Surveyor

My dad, Bud Uzes, loved surveying history, instruments and books. He authored Chaining the Land (in 1977) and the Illustrated Price Guide to Antique Surveying Instruments and Books (in 1980). In 1995 I created The Compleat Surveyor business to help him in his never-ending quest to find more old instruments and books, and I’m still buying and selling old surveying instruments, catalogues and books.

I’ve built a large website dedicated to the history of surveying. While the website list the books and instruments I’m currently offering for sale, the website also is a depository of a great deal of surveying history. You can find a great number of old surveying textbooks and instruments catalogues in PDF form on my website, for example. You will also find a large listing of American instrument makers, with a particular focus on some of the most important makers, like the Rittenhouses, the Chandlees, and the Gurley firm.