Click photos to enlarge.

Wye Level

Catalogue number:
PH*337071

Inscriptions:
"Balbreck ainé, Bvd Montparnasse, 81. Paris" and "P 2048" and "Canal de Panama"

Dimensions:
telescope 15 inches long

Discussion:

This level was used by the French engineers who laid out the Panama Canal in the 1880s. It is made of nickel-plated brass, and has a striding level rather than a hanging level. Maximilien Balbreck began in business in Paris in 1854. He produced instruments for surveying, geodesy, and astronomy, and won awards at several international exhibitions. By 1878 he was trading as Balbreck ainé (Balbreck the elder), and by 1893 he was trading as Balbreck ainé et fils (Balbreck the elder and son).

Further Information:

Level