November 5, 2010 #107 – John A. Brashear Optics – Part 3

If you looked at Part 1, you will have learned about many of the accomplishment and honors John Brashear received for his astronomical and scientific accomplishments. In this post I would like to include a paper titled, “The Production of Optical Surfaces” he presented to thirty-third meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1885. It described a new method of producing precision optical surfaces, and was a major improvement at this stage of optical production.

 
As was mentioned in an earlier post, the procurement of optical quality glass was the province of glass makers in Europe. This November, 1909 article in "The Optical Review" addresses this problem.

This December, 1909 article in "The Optical Review" addresses the strides that American Companies were making by this date.

Clear Sky - Rich

November 4, 2010 #106 – John A. Brashear Optics – Part 2

My historical documents search found a copy of the 1906, “Catalogue – Optical, Physical, Astrophysical and Astronomical Instruments – John A. Brashear CO., LTD. – Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.”. If you would like to see the entire 56 pages, it can be found on Google Books as a (pdf) file. It’s interesting to check the cost of good optics in that era, actually not a lot more than fine instruments cost today when you take into account inflation of the currency.

If you like to read old telescope catalogs like I do then here are a few pages for your reading pleasure. (Click to Enlarge)

Clear Sky - Rich

November 3, 2010 #105 – John A. Brashear Optics – Part 1

When you were looking to obtain a quality optical instrument in the 1800’s or early 1900’s, one of the major manufacturers was John A. Brashear. He was born in November 1840, got a look through a telescope when he was eight, and was then taught a love of astronomy by his maternal grandfather as he grew up. He served a mechanical apprenticeship graduating in 1860. He then spent the next twenty one years working as a master mill wright in a series of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Roller Mills. He fell in love with Phoebe Stewart and married her in 1862. Thus began a story of an inspiring love between two people, of astronomy, and an odyssey of lens making which later led to a life of scientific achievement, and one of Americas foremost companies producing astronomical telescopes and ancillary instruments.

The following history was published in the 1910-11, “McClures’s Magazine – Vol. XXXVI”.

(Click to enlarge)

Clear Sky - Rich