map meter – Three Points of the Compass

Map measure of the month: Munn’s Map Measurer and Compass

Produced by a London jeweller specifically for cyclists in the 1890s, this little fob instrument bought together two useful functions

map measurer

Map measure of the month: ADAC Kilometerzähler

This month's example is a fun little measure made especially for use with road atlases produced by the ADAC breakdown service

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Map measure of the month: the Corriere dei Piccoli chilometrometro

This months measure was a gift with one of the most successful of Italian comics. It is cheap, is simple to make and, most importantly, introduced children to the wonderful world of maps and working with them.

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Map measure of the month: Ecobra pocket dividers

This month's map measure is from a German firm that manufactured almost exclusively for one of the largest US importers of drawing and surveying instruments.

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Map measure of the month: Henri Chatelain’s twenty-five inch to one mile measure

This month's measure is a bit of an oddity. It is made specifically for large scale maps and measures at 25.344" scale, also known as twenty-five inch to one mile. It was primarily used by governmental organisations, landowners, estate agents, solicitors, and those engaged in land management.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Krasnogorsk Mechanical Works curvimeter

During World War II many a Russian officer would have been issued one of these map measures. Made at Krasnogorskiy Mechanicheskiy Zavod, production of the KMZ curvimeter continued into the Cold War era with little change in design

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Map measure of the month: Sakurai two-sided curvimeter

This Japanese made curvimeter provides greater capability than their simpler one-sided instrument. The 'kilby-meter' demonstrates good design, coupled with immaculate manufacture.

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Uittokalusto O.Y. Karttamittari

This months measure is a simple brass 'Karttamittari' produced and sold by Uittokalusto O.Y. Finnish word 'kartta', from Swedish 'karta', meaning map. Finnish word 'mittari', from meter/gauge/indicator, or device for measuring.

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Map measure of the month: HC Universal, with compass and ‘reading glass’

This month's map measure is an intriguing HC Universal curvimetre, with compass and magnifier. But is it a good combination?

map measurer

Map measure of the month: Elliott Brothers opisometer

Elliott Brothers were one of the foremost instrument makers of the 19th and 20th centuries. The two opisometers looked here are prime examples of their craft