Cased George IV Altazimuth Theodolite by Alexander Adie of Edinburgh

For sale, a cased George IV altazimuth theodolite by Alexander Adie of Edinburgh.

This rare example is comprised of a horizontal five-inch divided circle which is coarse adjusted by hand and then finely adjusted by means of a knurled brass knob attached to top. The centre contains an expertly engraved and silvered compass with a small brass cam to the side of the case, to hold or release the movement. Two sides of the outer edge of the base are also provided with glass bubble levels housed in a protective brass cases.

Two brass A frame type struts either side of the compass provide support for the semi-circular divided arc which is operated similarly for coarse adjustment and then fine adjusted via a brass knob attached to the A frame. The arc is further completed with a ten-inch telescope and attached glass level, again housed in a protective brass sleeve.

Below the horizontal base is attached a brass shaft for fixing to a tripod.

The model bears great similarity to a double telescope example I have previously sold by Miller & Adie, Alexander Adie’s earlier partnership. The design first appeared in George Adams Junior’s publication, “Geometrical and Graphical Essays” in 1791 relating to design improvements made by Jesse Ramsden. John Miller had also previously worked under George Adams Senior and so this particular design would have been passed from Adams to Miller and presumably taught to Adie.

This example is also interesting for its singular engraved signature stating “Adie Edinburgh”. The majority of Adie instruments are marked to Adie & Son in recognition of the multi generational involvement. Instruments marked solely to Adie (Edinburgh) may be recognised as belonging to the twenty year period between the partnership of Miller & Adie (to 1815) and the creation of Adie & Son in 1835. Examples of this period are surprisingly rare.

The firm of Miller & Adie was the original firm that gave birth to the Adie dynasty of famous scientific instrument makers that dominated Nineteenth century instrument making. It began in 1776 with the celebrated Edinburgh scientific instrument maker John Miller (1746-1815). The son of an Edinburgh turner, Miller was apprenticed (or simply worked) under the world-renowned maker George Adams and eventually returned to Edinburgh from London in 1769. He is listed as trading from various Edinburgh addresses from 1775 and received early commissions from the physician Dr James Lind.

In 1776, Lind left Edinburgh but by that time, Miller’s reputation had already grown to such an extent that he had begun equipping the classroom and laboratories of Edinburgh University on behalf of John Robinson, who had recently been appointed to the Chair of Natural Philosophy there.

Four years prior to this date, Miller’s sister Betty had married John Adie, a printer and proprietor of The Edinburgh Evening Courant. The pair had two sons with the second (Alexander Adie) being born in January 1775 just three months after his father’s early death. Betty died shortly after, leaving John Miller’s father (also John) to look after and adopt the young Alexander. Originally employed as a stocking maker, the death of his remaining old brother in 1787 finally led Alexander to the employment that would culminate in a partnership with his uncle.

From 1789, Adie (1775 – 1858) began his apprenticeship with Miller and by 1803, a partnership was agreed which traded at various addresses on South Bridge & Nicholson Street. This early period accompanied a boom in surveying activities in Scotland and theodolites, levels and measuring chains featured heavily in their advertising.

Miller & Adie continued to trade until 1822 (although Miller had died by 1815) whereafter the business was renamed solely to Alexander Adie. By this point, Adie was himself an accomplished maker with a focus on meteorological instruments