Accession No
1085
Brief Description
refracting telescope, by Dollond, English, 1800 (c)
Origin
England; London
Maker
Dollond
Class
astronomy; optical
Earliest Date
1800
Latest Date
1800
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass); glass; wood (mahogany)
Dimensions
l (barrel) 1090 mm; aperture 68 mm; box length 1154mm; breadth 203mm; height 118mm
Special Collection
Provenance
On loan from St. John’s College, University of Cambridge from 08/1951.
Inscription
DOLLOND LONDON
St John’s Coll.
Camb.
ST JOHNS COLLEGE (on each of 4 eyepieces)
Description Notes
Brass refracting telescope. Barrel, achromatic object glass in threaded brass cell, push fit cover. Finder. Focus by rack and pinion moving eyepiece. Screw fit eyestop. Tube secured by 2 knurled screws to altazimuth mount, two slow motions moved by turned wooden handles. Clamp and releasing screw for altitude motion, clamp on stand for azimuth. Pillar and folding tripod stand with cabriole feet. 2 telescopic stays.
Fitted mahogany box, 3 additional eyepieces, 5 eyepiece filters, 1 brass ring, 1 screw fit cover for eye end.
References
Events
Description
Although this telescope is not signed on its main body, its close resemblance to Wh.1087 shows it to be one from the Dollond workshop. It was probably bought in about 1800, for use in the St. John’s College observatory, and remained in the college until it was loaned to the Whipple Museum in 1951.
The telescope has an altazimuth mounting which allows movements in both the vertical and horizontal plane. A small sighting telescope mounted above the main barrel allows the object for study to be located quickly, after which careful small adjustments can be made to centre the object in the field of view of the main telescope. The mahogany case contains additional eyepieces and filters to protect the eye when viewing the sun.
12/05/2014
Created by: [From ‘Main Gallery Large Objects in the Whipple collection’ booklet] on 12/05/2014
FM:39915
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