RE: [Utah-astronomy] Photos of Pratt's Dollond telescope
Bob Moore asked,
I am very interested in researching early telescopes and the projects they were used for in Utah in the 1800s, any sources you would suggest I go to - Bob
Bob, Give me a few days to assemble what I have gathered so far and I'll get you a digital care package. Mostly they will be annotated links to annual reports of the Coast Survey from the 1800s at: http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/cgs/data_rescue_cgs_annual_reports.html See the Report of 1869 at 49-50 for a description of Coast Survey officer George W. Dean setting up the Meridian House. There are a number of the related reports that explain the Coast Survey's implementation of the then cutting edge German technique of telegraphic chronography that they were using to astronomically determine latitude and longitude of major cities in the West. I'll get together a list of the relevant reports and cites in secondary books like Hirschfield's "Parallax" and "Latitude". The Church History Museum was very helpful in getting me a copy of an obscure 2003 article by Church historian and U. history professor Dale Beecher: Dale Beecher, The Pioneering Instruments of Orson Pratt, The Journal of the American Scientific Instrument Enterprise, Vol. 17, #58: 107-117, Rittenhouse Publ. I'll have to scan that one to get you a copy. Beecher says the Coast Survey Wurdeman portable transit scope (no. 19) was in the Church's collection (in 2003). IMHO, the Wurdeman is the real jewel in their collection. If you have any pull with This Is The Place Monument, I'd appreciate it. Steve Shepard with TITPM has a clipping and research folder that the Church history department prepared on the Meridian House. It formed the basis of the Heritage park's reconstruction. Steve initially was open to me reviewing and copying materials out of the folder, but I have not been able to get him to commit for a specific sit-down. Although the Park is probably busy with the reopening, any helpful prodding at the park to get Steve to finish up with me would be appreciated. Finally, I am trying to get copies of two plates from the Coast Survey Reports - Plates 28 and 29 to the 1866 Report. Unlike the reports, the appended plate drawings are not internet distributed. One is a schematic of the Wurdeman portable transit scope, a second is a drawing of the Coast Survey's standard zenith telescope mentioned in the 1869 report and described in the 1866 report. - Kurt _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net
Kurt That would be awesome! Bob Bob Moore Commerce CRG - Salt Lake City office 175 East 400 South, Suite 700 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Direct: 801-303-5418 Main: 801-322-2000 Fax: 801-322-2040 BMoore@commercecrg.com www.commercecrg.com -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces+bmoore=commercecrg.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+bmoore=commercecrg.com@mailman.xmission.c om] On Behalf Of Kurt Fisher Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 12:00 AM To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Photos of Pratt's Dollond telescope Bob Moore asked,
I am very interested in researching early telescopes and the projects they were used for in Utah in the 1800s, any sources you would suggest I go to - Bob
Bob, Give me a few days to assemble what I have gathered so far and I'll get you a digital care package. Mostly they will be annotated links to annual reports of the Coast Survey from the 1800s at: http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/cgs/data_rescue_cgs_annual_reports.html See the Report of 1869 at 49-50 for a description of Coast Survey officer George W. Dean setting up the Meridian House. There are a number of the related reports that explain the Coast Survey's implementation of the then cutting edge German technique of telegraphic chronography that they were using to astronomically determine latitude and longitude of major cities in the West. I'll get together a list of the relevant reports and cites in secondary books like Hirschfield's "Parallax" and "Latitude". The Church History Museum was very helpful in getting me a copy of an obscure 2003 article by Church historian and U. history professor Dale Beecher: Dale Beecher, The Pioneering Instruments of Orson Pratt, The Journal of the American Scientific Instrument Enterprise, Vol. 17, #58: 107-117, Rittenhouse Publ. I'll have to scan that one to get you a copy. Beecher says the Coast Survey Wurdeman portable transit scope (no. 19) was in the Church's collection (in 2003). IMHO, the Wurdeman is the real jewel in their collection. If you have any pull with This Is The Place Monument, I'd appreciate it. Steve Shepard with TITPM has a clipping and research folder that the Church history department prepared on the Meridian House. It formed the basis of the Heritage park's reconstruction. Steve initially was open to me reviewing and copying materials out of the folder, but I have not been able to get him to commit for a specific sit-down. Although the Park is probably busy with the reopening, any helpful prodding at the park to get Steve to finish up with me would be appreciated. Finally, I am trying to get copies of two plates from the Coast Survey Reports - Plates 28 and 29 to the 1866 Report. Unlike the reports, the appended plate drawings are not internet distributed. One is a schematic of the Wurdeman portable transit scope, a second is a drawing of the Coast Survey's standard zenith telescope mentioned in the 1869 report and described in the 1866 report. - Kurt _______________________________________________ Sent via CSolutions - http://www.csolutions.net _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
participants (2)
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Bob Moore -
Kurt Fisher