Physical description
Beam balance (gold scales) made by Oertling - London. The balance is in a case made of mahogany and fully glassed, it has two draws. The brass scales are built into the case. The maker's name is present on the base of the scale. There is a brass knob that fits in the front to make adjustment to the scales and also on either side of the exterior case to set the top of the scales. There are two front draw, the left one is missing the drawer knob.
Subjects
- mining,
- equipment,
- scale,
- ludwig oertling (1818-1893) was born near hamburg and gained his apprenticeship in instrument-making with his brother johann. he immigrated to london in 1840,
- where he joined instrument-maker and assayer george makins (1815-1893). oertling collaborated with makins and built his first balance,
- which was "a twin-column assay type with a light lattice beam". by 1851,
- the year of the great international exhibition of the works of all nations,
- oertling had established his own instrument-making business,
- employed five instrument-makers,
- and by 1861,
- ten staff were engaged in designing and making instruments,
- principally analytical balances. oertling's first twin-column beam balance was the prototype for all oertling assay balances that were produced during the next century and exported to the british colonies: australia,
- new zealand,
- canada,
- south africa and india,
- to europe and america.
