Description

A mining compass mounted on a brass square protractor and signed “Rochette jeune au griffon Quai de l’horloge à Paris”, ei Jean Jacques Rochette, but with a retail label from Magnien (who occupied the shop at 75 Quai de l’Horloge from 1822 until ca. 1830, which was the site of Gaspard Rochette’s shop).

The compass can be removed from the protractor and used on a mining stand as a gimbaled compass.

Instruments signed or with a trade card by Magnien are quite rare.

“The first name of Magnien is not yet known. He described himself on a trade label as the student and successor of Gaspard Rochette (see Figure 12). The 1820 and 1822 editions of Almanach du Commerce de Paris, show him at 47 Quai de l’Horloge, and the 1823 edition has him at 75 Quai de l’Horloge (Gaspard’s former shop). Magnien earned a silver medal at an exposition in 1829, with his address still at 75 Quai de l’Horloge. The 1833 Almanach du Commerce de Paris has an optician named Huette at 75 Quai de l’Horloge, and Magnien is absent from that and subsequent editions. The 1835 edition described Huette as “successeur de Maynien (sic)”. Magnien was also absent from the 1817 edition, implying that he was working for Gaspard Rochette at that time. Charles Chevalier mantioned Magnien twice in his 1835 Notes Rectificatives pour Servir à l’Histoire des Microscopes, stating that Magnien produced microscope lenses for Achille Trecourt (who later produced microscopes in collaboration with Georges Oberhaeuser).” (Brian Stevenson, the microscopist :  ttps://microscopist.net/Rochette.html).

The instrument is in good condition, preserved in its original box.

The instrument measures 22,8×11,7cm