1800s English Brass and Mahogany Waywizer / Perambulator / Surveyor's Wheel

A striking early to mid-19th century British brass and mahogany waywiser, perambulator, or surveyor's wheel. The brass wheel connects to a dial that measures distances in miles, furlongs, poles, and yards. The brass apparatus is mounted on a polished mahogany wand with a finely engraved heart-shaped handle.

The Waywizer

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the waywizer (or surveyor's wheel) emerged as an indispensable tool. Its origins can be traced to earlier devices, but it was in this period that it was more systematically employed for detailed land surveying, especially with westward expansion and urban development in the United States and European colonial endeavors. The precision it offered in distance measurements made it particularly valuable for delineating property boundaries, planning infrastructure like roads and railways, and mapping newly explored territories. As a testament to its importance, many renowned surveyors and explorers, including Lewis and Clark during their famed expedition, utilized the waywizer as a crucial part of their toolkit. The tool's design evolved over these two centuries, incorporating ever more refined materials and mechanisms, reflecting the era's broader technological advancements.

Dating

This piece is curiously undated and unattributed. We have dated it to the mid-19th century, based on similar tools in museum collections, but it could be early 19th century. The overall style, and the use of 'furlongs' and 'poles' suggest British origins. We note similar pieces in the collections of the Smithsonian and the British Museum.