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Yes, I agree with Geoffrey that Henry Halboth successfully identified this as a Plath sextant.

Ed, you suggested a Simex or similar "Tamaya-like". I disagree with that on some features of the shape of the frame and the index arm around the micrometer which has a distinctive angled shape on the Tamayas and their numerous off-brand cousins. Geoffrey pointed out that Simex sextants appeared much too late for the date of the photo. That would, however, leave a loophole for an earlier Tamaya model from which the Simex models were directly derived (almost exactly so). But the general shape of the instrument still rules that out, I would say.

I'm attaching below a photo of me (I know that hand like the back of my own hand!) holding a nice Plath sextant from c.1950-55 which many of you have seen before, and some of you have used to take sights. This is one of the instruments in the teaching collection at the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport. I use this photo frequently in classes, which is why it may look familiar to some of you. I'm also attaching a comparison close-up, modified a bit for contrast, from one of the photos that Don Seltzer posted. Apart from the obvious difference in the scope, they seem to be very nearly identical. It's at least a close match.

Frank Reed

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