Accession No

6707

Brief Description

Breech section of Northumberland telescope (and parts), by Troughton and Simms, English, 1833

Origin

England; London

Maker

Troughton and Simms

Class

astronomy

Earliest Date

1833

Latest Date

1914

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass)

Dimensions

Telescope part: diameter; 330, height; 300mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated by an individual in 4/2019. Originally part of the Institute of Astrology's Northumberland Telescope which was commissioned in 1833. This particular part was made by the London company Troughton and Simms sometime after this (they became partners in 1826 and the company became Troughton and Simms Ltd. in 1915).

Inscription

Troughton and Simms, London

Description Notes

Breech section of Northumberland telescope (and parts), by Troughton and Simms, English, 1833.

Brass circular section of the eye-end of the telescope. Consists of a circular lid shaped end, with sixteen holes around its outer edge for screws. These screw holes are spaced evenly in pairs around the outer rim.

On the main flat end of the section of telescope are four smaller screw holes where something circular was once attached. To the right of these screw holes are two brass knobs on threaded screws.

In the centre of this end of the telescope is a circular metal disc, it has a silver rim around it on which is marked from 10 to 360 in denominations of ten. There are two Vernier scales mounted on either side of the rim in-front of continuous thread that runs the entire diameter of the dial above it.

The column the eyepiece would have been attached to projects from the centre of this raised disc and has a thumb screw on the side (attached with 4 screws of which two are missing).

From the base projects a smaller circular tube that would have been inside the barrel of the telescope.

There is also a bag of small parts with this object. The bag contains 11 washers, 14 screws, 4 smaller screws, a bracket with two screw holes, an old thumb screw and long handle with a bracket at one end and a cogwheel.

References

Events