Details
DRAPER, Henry (1837-1882). On the Contruction of a Silvered Glass Telescope, Fifteen and a Half Inches in Aperture, and its Use in Celestrial Photography. Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution, 1864.
4o (325 x 240 mm). Illustrations in text. (Remnants of glue from bookseller's or library label on title-page, last leaf repaired, some minor soiling and offsetting from illustrations.) Later library cloth (rubbed). Provenance: Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory (stamp on title-page); Smithsonian Institution Libraries (withdrawl stamp on title-page).
FIRST EDITION of the standard work on telescope making. During the 1860's, Draper began experimenting with silvered-glass mirrors after conceiving of the idea of combining photography and astronomy. In 1863, he began taking photographs of the moon, the sun, and the planets, which were 1¼ inches in diameter, but could be expanded to three feet. They were the best photographs taken of the moon up to that time, so at the request of Joseph Henry, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, he wrote this work.
[With:]
DRAPER. On the Construction of a Silvered Glass Telescope, Fifteen and a Half Inches in Aperture, and its Use in Celestial Photography. -- RITCHEY, George W. (1864-1945). On the Modern Reflecting Telescope and the Making and Testing of Optical Mirrors. Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution, 1904.
4o. On full-page illustration and 13 plates, numerous illustrations in text. Later library cloth, original front wrapper adhered to front cover (worn, some staining). Provenance: withdrawl stamp on front free endpaper.
The 1904 reprint of Draper's significant work on the telescope, bound with Ritchey's work on the modern reflecting telescope. (2)
4
FIRST EDITION of the standard work on telescope making. During the 1860's, Draper began experimenting with silvered-glass mirrors after conceiving of the idea of combining photography and astronomy. In 1863, he began taking photographs of the moon, the sun, and the planets, which were 1¼ inches in diameter, but could be expanded to three feet. They were the best photographs taken of the moon up to that time, so at the request of Joseph Henry, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, he wrote this work.
[With:]
DRAPER. On the Construction of a Silvered Glass Telescope, Fifteen and a Half Inches in Aperture, and its Use in Celestial Photography. -- RITCHEY, George W. (1864-1945). On the Modern Reflecting Telescope and the Making and Testing of Optical Mirrors. Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution, 1904.
4
The 1904 reprint of Draper's significant work on the telescope, bound with Ritchey's work on the modern reflecting telescope. (2)