Description
William Thomas Pinck (1824-1898) was born in Chichester, and lived in Quorndon, Leicestershire during the 1850s. He was a schoolmaster. In 1858 he was asked by the Committee of the Working Men's Institute, or the Mutual Improvement Society, to ''help and encourage the Society by giving a Lecture or two upon some Scientific subject." This manuscript detailed his notes and thoughts regarding the request and the later lectures on astronomy. The choice of astronomy, specifically the Donati's Comet, was noted, "... I determine to recede their request, and to once let myself to work up a lecture or two on the Science of Astronomy - a subject then likely to interest as the Splendid Comet/Donati's of 1858 was at their time engaging public attention[.]" In later pages he also noted that he constructed an orrery (as advertised in one of the two handbills) and used "laye Diagrams" to illustrate the topic. His lectures were widely welcomed and much crowd attended, "[t]he room was once again crowded, the audience... greatest interest in the subject..."

The Working Men's Institute, or the Mutual Improvement Society, was first a movement of uniting working men and was dated as early as post-Napoleonic War. The movement was also not limited in the UK, but across Europe. The purpose of the Society is to provide instruction on elementary and other subjects. This is the reason why Pinck was asked to give lecture on astronomy.

The Royal Museums Greenwich own copies of diagrams on astronomy and comets published by The Working Men's Institute. At least one could be among the ones used by Pinck in his lectures in 1858.
10/11/2022
Created by: Guey-Mei Hsu on 10/11/2022