made in Edinburgh

Clinometer

A clinometer is a surveying instrument used for measuring the angle of inclination. This brass example was designed by physician and amateur scientist Dr James Lind and made around 1770 by John Miller, a scientific instrument maker based in Edinburgh.

The instrument comes in a wooden carrying box, and is assembled and its stand screwed into the top of the lid to form a base. The instrument can then be levelled, using a bubble level. Readings are taken through the sight, measuring the angle from the horizon.

James Lind (1736-1812) was one of John Miller's patrons. He had a strong interest in astronomy. His letters to Lord Loudoun provided the main descriptive source for the early phase of Miller's Edinburgh business.

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Online ID:	000-100-104-758-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland T.1974.L.12
Date:	Around 1770 c. 1770
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Who:	James Lind (Maker) John Miller (Maker)
Where:	Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh
Event:
Description:	Brass clinometer, designed by James Lind and made by John Miller, Edinburgh, c. 1770
References:	Clarke, T.N., Morrison-Low, A.D. & Simpson, A.D.C. Brass & glass scientific instrument making workshops in Scotland as illustrated by instruments from the Arthur Frank Collection at the Royal Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh: NMS, 1989. pp 27,29,55 Described and illustrated in Ewing, A., The Synopsis of Practical Mathematics. Edinburgh: 1771, pp v-vi
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