October Legends and Americana Ending November 14th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/15/2015
Hand-held Bearing Compass, 8.25” long, 3.5” diameter at the face with floating (in water) directional card. Held as one would hold a flashlight with a flashlight-like lighting system that illuminates the dial from within. In working condition with two new "C" Batteries included. The compass card, with directions and 360 marked degrees, is imprinted “WEEMS SYSTEM OF NAVIGATION, INC.” and “ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND.” Fine condition, save slight oxidation on metal parts consistent with exposure to salt water.
Included is the original 9” tall wooden box with metal latch, a 5” x 5” square base and 5” x 5” x 1.5” square lid cover. Marked with black marker in block letters on one side of the box: “DELICATE / INSTRUMENT,” on the bottom of the box: “SALVAGE / DEPARTMENT,” and on the top of the lid, “SALVAGE DEPT.” Partial label affixed on the top of the lid: “TT-CHAPMAN & SCOTT CORPORATION” with an even smaller “HAP” on the bottom of the box.
Printed in red ink in block letters on the underside of the lid: “Weems Hand / Held Bearing / Compass.” Affixed onto one side is a 2.25” x 1.5” label on which is typed: “Ernest Hemingway / P.O. Box 406 / Key West, Fla.”
Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corporation was a marine salvage company that recovered a ship’s cargo, or other property, after a shipwreck.
Ernest Hemingway owned a 38-foot fishing boat named “Pilar” which he acquired in April 1934 from Wheeler Shipbuilding, Brooklyn, New York. He regularly fished off the boat in the waters of Key West, Florida.
Lt. Cdr. Philip Van Horn Weems, U.S. Navy, improved navigational instruments and broadened the applications of his methods and found someone to manufacturer. He published numerous articles and taught navigation at the Naval Academy in the 1920s. Weems went on to establish his own school in Annapolis to teach The Weems System of Navigation. Charles Lindbergh studied with Weems before attempting his trans-Atlantic flight. Admiral Byrd, a classmate of Weems at the Naval Academy, came to Weems for instruction before setting out for the North Pole.
This hand-held bearing compass was found by Ernest Hemingway's widow Mary when she was cleaning out his belongings from the storeroom at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Florida, in 1962. The same source offered Hemingway's typewriter, also found in the store room, at Christie's in 2011. Comes with letter of authenticity from University Archives.
This lot has a Reserve Price that has not been met.