On Display
Geomancy is the art of successfully orienting buildings. The Chinese geomantic system is known as feng shui. In Chinese thought, feng shui is a system of good and evil influence in the natural surroundings, which needs to be taken into consideration
The first Chinese record of a mariner's compass dates from the 12th century, some 100 years before its introduction in the Mediterranean. Though a knowledge of magnetism in China is supposed to date back to early times, the compass was never highly
Admiralty steerring compass, with a 6 1/2 inch diameter dry card, for smaller vessels, mid-19th century.
Wooden log-ship, in the form of a fish, early 19th century.
Mariners compass by Joseph Roux of Marseilles c1775. The magnet and card have been offset (20deg. W) for the local variation, and the card is marked with the names of local winds
Cross-staff, marked "Hamon a St. Malo 1687". The staff is original but the crosses are conjectural replicas.
Wooden framed sextant by Cassela, London, in fitted wooden case. 19th Century
Conjectural model, built by George H. Lanchester, of a Chinese "South pointing chariot", operated by differential gearing. (c1950)
A rigged model of the largest ship of its day, the Great Eastern.
Rigged, part cut-away model of the "Santa Maria", c. 1492. Scale 1:20. This model is based on the replica built by the Spanish Government in 1892, with some subsequent modifications.
Model of the famous quadruple-screw steamer launched in 1906.
