The sextant stand consists of an anodized brass column on a tripod stand with three milled levelling screws, for mounting a sextant. The counterbalanced swinging mount can be locked into the desired position by milled screws. All screws are covered with leather for protection of the skin in Polar regions.

The stand is contained in a rectangular fitted wooden box with an inscription in paint on the lid, ‘Discovery 1925 Admiralty H.O. [broad arrow] 21’. The lid contains a trade label for Cary, Porter Ltd, 7 Pall Mall, London.

The instrument was used on Captain Robert Scott’s National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04 in the RSS ‘Discovery’ and apparently remained on board when it was the Boy Scouts Association headquarters from 1936 to 1954.

The broad arrow and initials ‘HO’ indicate that the instrument belonged to Hydrographic Office of the Royal Navy.