Antique of the Week: English Sextant

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community’s points of pride.  Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week, we’re featuring an English sextant, circa 1944. Sandra Ellington, the proprietor of , said that the sextant helps sailors measure the curvature of the earth while they navigate. They are named sextant because the arc at the bottom is one-sixth of a circle, according to Clipper Light.

The sextant includes a telescope, two mirrors (an index mirror on the top and a horizontal mirror) to reflect the light, shades to cover bright light, a moving arm to adjust the index mirror, and a micrometer to make minute adjustments.

This particular sextant was owned by Henry Hughes & Son Ltd. It was created by Marine Instruments Ltd. in London, England.

The sextant is on sale for $1,300 at Onslow Square, located at 4125-4131 Howard Ave. Ellington can be reached at 301-530-9393.