The Osborne Collection of Herman Melville Materials on loan to Special Collections and Archives contains approximately 65 items related to noted author Herman Melville. The collection includes documents, published materials, art prints, and other items covering Melville and seven generations of his family. Item number one, located in box one of the collections, is Melville’s pocket compass. Melville set sail in 1839 on the first of his many voyages, which continued through 1844 and inspired many of his later works. The compass serves as a physical reminder of his time at sea and the works they inspired.