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Brass Gregorian refractor telescope circa 1750 attributed to James Short

About the Item

Antique mid-18th-century brass Gregorian refractor telescope, almost certainly made by James Short (1710-1768). Good condition, replaced eyepiece and missing lens, lathe rebuilt the two washers that attach the telescope to the base. Measures 78x54 cm - inches 30.7x21.2, focal diameter cm 11.5 - inches 4.5. It is an instrument equipped with two concave mirrors the primary mirror collects light and converges it toward a focus placed in front of the secondary mirror; in turn the secondary mirror returns light to the primary mirror, which bears a hole containing the eyepiece in its center. In 18th-century London there were numerous instrument makers making telescopes. The best known was Scotsman James Short for his skill in casting and polishing by hand the pair of metal mirrors that formed the optical parts of his telescopes. His skill was so well recognized that his telescopes were purchased by most European and American astronomical observatories. The Gregory telescope is named after its creator, Englishman James Gregory (1638-1675), who described it in his 1663 work Optica Promota: it thus predates Newton's 1668 telescope. It is an ancient astronomical instrument consisting of two concave mirrors: the primary mirror collects the light and converges it toward a focus placed in front of the secondary mirror; in turn, the secondary mirror brings the light back to the primary mirror, which bears a hole containing the eyepiece in the center: the resulting image is straight, as opposed to the way Newtonian telescopes produce an upside-down image. For this reason, Gregorian telescopes are also suitable for terrestrial observations.

Dimensions:
Height: 21.2 in (53.85 cm)Diameter: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass
Period:
Mid-18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1750
Condition:
Repaired: The missing optics were replaced and the two washers that attach the telelescope to the base were turned. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1020242126142

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