Hi Delia,

I hope this message finds you well. I recently submitted an item for appraisal which was identified as a heliostat. However, after further research and inspection, I believe this identification was made in error. I’d appreciate it if the appraisal could be reviewed and corrected accordingly, or alternatively, withdrawn if misclassification cannot be resolved. I want to ensure the documentation is accurate for historical and resale purposes.

This item is a 19th-century telegraph register, stamped “A.S. Chubbuck, Maker, Utica”, a known figure in early American telegraph manufacturing. These devices were not sundials or heliostats, but rather electromechanical instruments integral to 19th-century telegraph systems. Everything about the form and function of the device in question aligns with a telegraph register and conflicts with the characteristics of a heliostat. Key points to support a reappraisal:
   •   Maker’s Mark and Provenance: The item is clearly stamped “A.S. Chubbuck, Maker, Utica”. As shown above, A.S. Chubbuck (Arinaldo, continuing Samuel Chubbuck’s business) was a known telegraph instrument manufacturer in the mid-1800s . Heliostat , by contrast, were not part of Chubbuck’s known product line. The presence of his name strongly ties the object to telegraphy. Notably, an official Smithsonian catalog entry for a similar register uses that exact inscription to identify it as a Morse telegraph register.
I believe this is Chubbuck register mechanism (without its base), and partial circular frame.
Samuel W. Chubbuck (and later his son Arinaldo S. Chubbuck) are credited with producing “the first telegraphic instruments ever manufactured” and “subsequently [making] thousands of them” . Chubbuck supplied complete Morse register equipment for early lines such as the Washington–Baltimore line of 1844 and for the Montreal Telegraph Company . These accounts from telegraph history confirm that any device bearing the Chubbuck name (especially as seen in the photos) was almost certainly made for telegraph use, not for astronomy or timekeeping. In fact, the Chubbuck name is well known in telegraphy circles – his keys, relays, and registers were highly regarded by operators . The maker’s mark “A.S. Chubbuck – Utica” itself is a strong indicator of telegraph apparatus; Chubbuck’s shop in Utica, NY specialized in telegraphic and scientific instruments .

Robin,
Thank you for your notes. Can you please provide me with a link to another similar Chubbock telegraph register as I couldn't find one in my research for this appraisal.
Thanks,
Delia

Hi Delia,

Thank you for your response and for taking the time to look into the piece. I wanted to follow up with a bit more context and a few reference links.

This piece came directly from a descendant of A.S. Chubbuck, which is why I believe it may be a prototype, workshop model, or a partially disassembled telegraph register or scientific communication instrument—rather than a heliostat.

It’s stamped “A.S. Chubbuck, Maker, Utica”, and while I haven’t found an exact match, here are a few links to similar Chubbuck instruments for comparison:
   •   Science Museum Group – Telegraph Register by A.S. Chubbuck
   •   Smithsonian – Chubbuck’s Early Telegraph Equipment
   •   The Telegraph Office – Chubbuck Register Example

As you can see, the construction, dials, and engraved markings are very similar, though mine may be missing its base or outer housing.

Please let me know if this helps or if you need any additional photos. I appreciate your time and expertise!

Best,
Robin

Robin,
While those weren't links (website addresses) per se, they got me onto a different track, which I'm now researching. It makes a difference in the value if I know if this is complete or incomplete, or where in the patent process this might have ended - do you have ANY documentation from the Chubbuck family member you acquired this from to support either scenario?
You noted concerns over this appraisal being withdrawn; I notice the status of this is PUBLIC - while I'm doing additional research on comparables, can you change the status to PRIVATE? If you aren't able to do that, please let me know so I can ask our IT support department to make the change (I can't do it on my end).
Thanks,
Delia

Hi Delia,
Glad to hear the info I provided helped shift your research direction—even if they weren’t “links,” they clearly got the job done. I try to be thorough when submitting items, especially when provenance is involved.

I don’t have any additional documentation from the family—what I’ve shared is all that was available to me when I acquired the piece. Hopefully that’s still helpful in your continued research.

As for the status, I wasn’t aware it was public. I tried to change it myself but can’t . So I will need to have IT helps to change it to private.

Best,

Robin

Robin,
I've put in the request to IT and will finish researching this over the next couple of days (it takes awhile to follow leads.
Delia