Surveying and Engineering Antiques

Brief history of surveying instruments

Topography, as a science that studies the principles and procedures associated with the graphic representation of the earth's surface, has a history that dates back to ancient times. Already the ancient Romans, in order to build their canals and aqueducts, used topographic devices for leveling, such as the so-called dioptra, a leveling instrument predecessor of today's theodolite. The first square was also built by the Roman engineer Vitruvius, using the fundamentals of the Pythagorean theorem. Later, the Arab civilization developed the astrolabe, while the use of the compass spread.

Between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, important advances took place, such as the introduction of the theodolite-compass or the appearance of the surveyor's chain, until in 1720 the first proper theodolite, which had four leveling screws, was perfected by Jonathan Sisson. These ancient theodolites coincided with the appearance of the first goniometers in the 18th century. In the 19th century the split-image rangefinders appeared and at the beginning of the 20th century the invar stay or horizontal sight. In 1936, the first distance meter was manufactured in the former Soviet Union, and throughout the 20th century it evolved into the microwave and laser distance meters. Thus, a large part of the antique surveying equipment that can be found today comes precisely from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Topographic antiques for collection

Surveyors and other construction professionals (engineers, architects, quantity surveyors...), as well as all those who wish to start or expand a collection on topographic antiques, antique topographic levels or antique engineering apparatus, should not miss this fascinating section on Topographic and Engineering Antiques, where you will find all kinds of antiques related to surveying and engineering of any branch. These are antique topographic devices that are in perfect state of conservation and operation, preserving all their original period parts in optimal conditions of use.

Main antique topographical instruments

In this fascinating section, interested parties will be able to find any kind of antique topographic apparatus, highlighting among others the following:

- Antique theodolites. They are measuring instruments of mechanical-optical nature with which to measure various types of angles (vertical and horizontal) with high precision.

- Antique theodolites.

- Ancient topographic levels. Their main purpose is to measure unevenness between points located at different heights.

- Ancient topographic gauges. It is an instrument used for the measurement of angles in surveying works.

- Antique pantographs. Mostly used for copying, enlarging or reducing drawings mechanically.

- Antique inclinometers. Used to measure the inclination of a plane with respect to the earth's surface.

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