Drawing instruments and compasses Cornelius Knudsen. Denmark, second half of the 19th century.

Set of two boxes of drawing instruments and compasses CORNELIUS KNUDSEN. Denmark, second half of the 19th century.
Steel, brass and wood.
Complete.
Boxes with signature plates.
In its wooden box lined in leather-like cloth with wear.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 2 x 21 x 9 cm (larger).

Complete set of technical drawing instruments in its original case. Among the preserved brass and steel instruments, some of them with wooden handles, various types of compasses (rod, precision, articulated arms), extenders, mechanical pencils and interchangeable parts can be identified.

This set represents a piece of technical heritage, not only for its quality of manufacture and completeness, but also as a material testimony to the rise of technical drawing as a fundamental discipline in engineering, architecture and technical education of the time.

Cornelius Knudsen was a manufacturer of scientific instruments based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company gained international fame and its instruments were used on several polar expeditions. The company was founded on March 10, 1838 by Jens Cornelius Knudsen (1807-1879). At first, the company was based in Gråbrødretorv, but in 1845 it moved to a building on the corner of Købmagergade and Løvstræde. Knudsen's son, Theodor Valdemar Cornelius Knudsen (1844-), served as a cadet on the corvette Heimdal in 1860. He befriended Prince William, later George I of Greece, who also served as a cadet on the ship. Back ashore, he initially worked in his father's workshop and then attended classes at the College of Technology. He ran the family business from 1870 and continued it alone after his father's death. On May 27, 1884, he changed his surname to Cornelius-Knudsen. From 1895, the company was headquartered at Købmagergade 15. The old building was replaced by a new Domus Optica in 1946-1947. The product range covered optical, navigation and surveying instruments, planimeters and telegraph equipment.