A Brass Landing Compass in Original Box by Henry Hughes, London.

This is a 7 cm in diameter, standing, prismatic compass in its original fitted wood case. The compass was used for 'swinging' or compensating, an aircraft or ships magnetic compass. Because the aircrafts and ships were made of metal, calibration was needed from the outside, on land, so that the onboard compass will be completely accurate. The North is marked by a Fleur de Lis. Below is the crown hallmark of Kelvin & Hughes. The compass has a fully functional circular spirit level, an aluminum and wood stand. The inner part of the box is lined with green felt and is built to exactly fit the compass and base. The box has two line cracks which have not pierced through. Henry Hughes & Sons was founded in 1838 in London as a maker of chronographic and scientific instruments. William Thomson (1824-1907), of Scotland, designed in 1876 accurate compasses for metal ships. In 1892, Thompson became Baron Kelvin of Larges. In 1947, the scientific instrument manufacturing firms of Henry Hughes & Son Ltd, London, England, and Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland, came together to form Kelvin & Hughes Ltd. Kelvin & Hughes Ltd developed various marine radar and echo sounders, supplying the Ministry of Transport, and later Defense. The firm was liquidated in 1966.