Scientific Instrument Society

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 1986 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society

For Table of Contents, i~e inside back cover.

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Dr. Jon Darius c/o Science Museum London SW7 2DD United Kingdom

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Executive Committee

Gerard Turner, Chairman Alan Stimson, Vice-Chairman Howard Dawes, Executive Secretary Trevor Waterman, Meetings Secretary Bnan Brass, Treasurer Jeremy Collins Jon Darius John Dennett Alan Miller Carole Stott David Weston

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Ion Darius

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Collections: Cabinets and Curios relevant one for our purposes, is Greenwich harbours both cabinet and pinpointed by A.V. Simcock in his curio collections - e.g., from the The dispersal of two collections of essay "A Dodo in the Ark" in Robert T. Barberini family in the 17th century scientific instruments in the past few Gunther and the Old Ashmolean (to be •nd from G.H. Gabb in the 20th. months- part of the Frank collection •t reviewed in the next issue of the Sotheby's Bond Street and part of the Bu//etin): "Interest in collecting Historically, then, collections which Zallinger cabinet •t Christie's South antique scientific instruments... have not been dispersed for whatever Kensington - invites comment on the emerged with the rise of • European reason can and do serve as nuclei for some of our greatest museums. But more general question. Should concept of 'industrial art' during the many newer museums, especially collections carefully assembled by • Industrial Revolution, and the discerning collector over many years consequent establishment of museum though not exclusively outside be kept intact? Are there reliable collections of 'applied •It' whose role Europe, spring up without the benefit of such collections; after all, with funds criteria for such a decision? Or does it was to educate and broaden the minds and discernment one can build up • not really matter so long as the of designers and craftsmen." The very creditable collection through individual instruments are well obvious example, •gain in Oxford, is gradual acquisition on the open preserved? the collection of Lewis Evans: offered market. So we return to the initial to Oxford in 1922, it became the The urge to collect instruments has at question, slightly refrained: does it foundation stone for the Museum of least four roots, one generic and three matter whether collections of the History of Science (MHSO). This historical. The generic impetus stems instruments are dispersed since in the superb collection was further from nothing less than the primitive fullness of time roughly equivalent enhanced by the addition of 153 hoarding instinct, one which is for that collections can be re-assembled? matter not unique to Homo sapiens. instruments donated by J.A. Billmeir The first historical roots reach back to in 1957 (among others). By way of an answer, let us return to the Renaissance when "royal Simcock's useful distinction between There is another, and quite different, cabinets', and subsequently "cabinets instruments as archaeology and approach to 19th- and 20th-century instruments as relics of industrial art. of curiosities", came into vogue. For instrument collecting although cabinet read collection, be it of art or The key justification for cohesion over superficially it fits Simcock's precious stones or exotic flora or curios dispersal must surely be that the description just •s well. This archaeological evidence not be - in some cases all of these and more. alternative approach Simcock qualifies destroyed. A collection of fossils - as archaeology, and he sees Robert however discerning, voluminous, well The initial function of the cabinet at Gunther, first curator of the MHSO, in documented - cannot hold an the hands of the Medici princes or the this light. He contrasts Evans and archaeologist's candle to • cache of Elector of Saxony, as Gerard Turner Gunther, respectively, •s "the collector related bones found in siha in the tells us in • concise and inform•tire whose hunting ground is the sale- OIduv•i Gorge. It is historical sacrilege essay in Ann•Is o[5cience (voi. 41, p. room and the archaeologist whose to scatter instruments whose context 165 [1984]), was self-advertisement, hunting ground is the laboratory and and content could of themselves together with intellectual and aesthetic the college cupboard." So on the one further "the study of the Archaeology satisfaction. But the purpose of the hand we have collections of objets of Science", in Gunther's words. Non- cabinet of curiosities, or d'•rt, sacred relics, even curios; on the arbitrary relationships arise between "wunderkammer", was rather other, of apparatus assembled in the the scientist and his laboratory different: it culled the fruits of context of the research laboratory. equipment (consider Michael Faraday exploration and experiment to exhibit and his electrical experiments •t the items of wonder and rarity, whether The great merit of both types of collection in stimulating the Royal Institution, the Curie Museum wrought by nature or by man. One in Paris or the Rbntgenmuseum in example, the "closet of rarities" of the foundation of museums is undeniable. For "archaeological" collections we Remscheid), the lecturer and his Tradesc•nts father and son, led to the teaching apparatus (e.g., the Natural founding of the Ashmolean Museum would expect universities to provide the right environment, witness the Philosophy Class Collection at the in Oxford in 1683; a later one collected Royal Museum of Scotland •s by Sir Hans Sloane, to that of the Apparatus Collection derived from the Philosophy Chamber •t Harvard, the employed by Robison, Forbes and Tait British Museum in 1759. Even •t this at the University of Edinburgh), the early stage • few scientific instruments teaching instruments collated by William Swan at St. Andrews, the institution and its sui generis found their way into cabinets, such as instruments (the astronomical instru- the "shtety', • Russian abacus, among combined material of the Physics Department and the Natuurkundig ments at the Beijing Observatory Tradescant's rarities and also the constructed for K'ang Hsi in the 1670s Countess of Westmorland's magnet. Gezelschap •t Utrecht, the Garland collection •t V•nderbilt, the teaching under the guidance of Ferdinand The few surviving historical cabinets VerblesS, SJ). Similarly, the are invaluable to the historian of collection •t Pavia. "Sacred relic" collections have also instigated preservation of 18th-century cabinets science: first and foremost the Van reveals historical information from the M•rum collection at Teyler's Museum museums; the 105 instruments of Franti~k Fi•la, for instance, which in ensemble which cannot be inferred in Haarlem but also the George 111 from the individual constituents. collection at the Science Museum, 1908 launched the National Technical museum in Prague. Naturally, many Hauch's cabinet at Sore Akademi and Collectors' motives •re manifold: are hybrids: Cambridge owes the the apparatus •t the Catholic Seminary conservation and analysis for the contents of its museum to the of Kremsmunster inter adia. It is scholar, the diversion of bygone dispiriting to reflect on the many munificence of R.S. Whipple, who instruments for • modern practitioner cabinets long since sold and scattered, presented his collection of early (doctors make avid collectors of notably those of Bonnier de la Mosson instruments to the University in 1944, medical instruments), the sheer but also to the transfer of apparatus in 1745 and of the Fad of Bute in 1793. pie•sure of collecting. Start a from various scientific departments. collection, wrote Balzac in Le Cousin The other historical root, the most The National Maritime Museum, Pons, and you will enjoy the coin of

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) happiness in ~inall change (or words to virtually to the lees. The nectar was antique microscopes in Mi~pe~, that effect). The archaeologist of sold for scrap years ago (see "Market- vol. 34, p. 345 [19821). Furthermore, .~lence will nevertheless learn little place" in this Bulletin). instruments of potential archaeo- "-,,m .uch aggregations. To see the logical interest may be intrinsically cr:',~t ~ ,,liect~on at Ssr John Findlay sold The issue is not really so simple as the uncolIectable, as in the case of an '-~ >,,:hcbv's m I~hI-62 and the Linton above argument implies. On the one explorer or a roving scientist. Co',!e,hon by the Nouveau Drouot in hand, collections with little or no :~ "~ ,~av have been painful to some "archaeological" significance have The most potent argument for the ~ar,~le ~, but no :rretrivable harm was escaped dissemination through instrumental diaspora is finally the ~d,~ted on the hi~to~" of science. outright donation to a willing museum commercial market. Just as leaves from ,Moreuver, the catalogues of these Ithe Landau collection at the Louvres), a psaltery fetch far more than the uncut collections record such historical through the terms of bequests and tome could command, instruments evidence as a future investigator is legacies (the Wellcome Collection of tend to be worth more individually hkelv to want ) I would argue that the medical instruments - although its than collectively. Collectors may have a piecemeal sale of the Frank collection, very magnitude makes it a special natural desire to see their corpus of not en bhR" as he had dearly wanted, is case), or through the determination of instruments, assembled with such no more reprehensible. (The "Frank the vendor (the Malassis collection of devotion and tenacity, enshrined in Collection" is in any case something of mathematical instruments, now at IBM perpetuity. Market forces, however, a misnomer since great chunks of it in New York). On the other hand, there thrive on impermanence and have already been hived off, notably to are exceptions to the rule as ever, such dominate the arBuments of the Royal Scottish Museum as it was as the microscope collection of Sir archaeologist and curio collector alike. then.) Breaking up the Zallinger Frank Crisp whose sale Gunther called cabinet would count as a mortal sin "an international calamity" (see the had it not already been reduced article by Jane lnsley on collectors of ]on Dar/us

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Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) Silvio Bedini: First Honorary Member

Silvio Bedini has been associated with Museum of American History (in the histbry of scientific instruments 1981). This has allowed him to publish f since he joined the Smithsonian more book-length works: Thomas V Institution, Washington, D.C. as Jefferson and his Copying Machines Curator of Mechanical and Civil (1984); At the Sign of the Compass and Engineering in 1961. From this period Quadrant: The Life and Times of come three of his many books: The Anthony Lamb (1984); and Clockwork Scent of Time (1963), on oriental Cosmos: Bernard Facini and the incense clocks; Early American Farnese Planisferoiogio (1985). He is Scientific Instruments and their currently working on the Vatican and Makers (1964); Mechanical Universe science, and also on a biography of (1966) on de Dondi's astrarium or Giuseppi Campani, the seventeenth- clock, written in conjunction with century Roman optical instrument Francis Maddison. From 1965 to 1973 maker, and has another book, Thomas he was Assistant Director, National Jefferson, Statesman of Science, in Museum of History and Technology, press for 1987. Apart from the major and from 1973 to 1978, Deputy Director. works mentioned above, he has While an administrator, Silvio written 61 papers and 15 chapters in managed to continue his remarkable books. output of learned papers, monographs, All this makes him an undoubted and books, including The Life of world leader in the history of scientific Benjamin Banneker (1972) on an instruments, and therefore an ideal eighteenth-century surveyor, and choice to become the first Honorary Thinkers and Tinkers: Early American Member of the Scientific Instrument Dr. Silvio A. Bedini, first Honorary Men of Science (1975), an impressive Society. Member of the Scientific Instrument volume (522 pp.) and a pioneering Society. Photograph taken 1986 by work. With the acquisition by the Gerard Turner Richard Hofmeister, Smithsonian Smithsonian of a large number of Institution. books from the Burndy Library, Silvio was able to leave the office for the study by becoming Keeper of Rare See the review of Thomas Jefferson and Books in 1978, a post he continues to his Copying Machines/n this issue - hold at what became the National Editor.

A Note on the Life of Hilkiah Bedford Anthony Turner, Le Mesnil-Le-Roi, France

In common with many other It is a melancholy reflection upon the removed to London and settled there instrument makers of his period, little historiography of instrument making as a stationer in the early part of the is known about the 17th-century that even at the time when Taylor and seventeenth century." Loomes were writing, a good deal of maker Hilkiah Bedford beyond the few The source of this information was information about Bedford was facts summarized by E.G.R. Taylor and John Nichols4, who was in fact slightly Brian Loomes. l On the basis of the already available in standard printed more detailed. The Quaker meagre information available to her, sources. It is an even more melancholy grandfather, also named Hilkiah, reflection, however, that what was Taylor ascribed to Bedford the dates of moved to London between 1600 and available in the most obvious source, f/.1660-1680 and the relatively few 1625, and married a daughter of the Dictionary of Nationad Biography, instruments by him that survive are William Platt of Highgate. The latter usually placed in this period. 2 None of was also largely wrong. There is in fact founded a scholarship at St John's no entry on the instrument maker them is dated, but they are well and College, Cambridge, and the third Hilkiah Bedford in the DNB, but there clearly engraved, representative of the Hilkiah Bedford was its first holder in high standard of execution prevailing is one3 on his son of the same name 1679. among the better London makers in who lived from 1663 to 1724 and was a this period. However, in the absence of noted non-juring churchman. The first But the account of Hilkiah Bedford the basic information about Bedford such few lines of the entry give some younger's ancestry given by Nichols as the name of his master, his company, interesting information about his and the DNB is almost entirely wrong. or his associates, the instruments are family and so about the instrument- There were only two Hilkiah difficult to locate precisely in the maker. "Hilkiah Bedford (jr)... was Bedford's, not three; and it was the context of contemporary London born in Hosier Lane, near West elder of the two who came from instrument making. The purpose of Smithfield, where his father was a Lincolnshire to London to be the present note is to bring together mathematical instrument maker. The apprenticed to a member of the some basic biographical information family originally came from Sibsey, Stationers' Company. The true facts about Bedford as a contribution near Boston in Lincolnshire, whence may be ascertained from entries in the towards this larger context. Hilkiah's grandfather, a Quaker, Stationers' Company register of

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) ,:~,prentlces~; trom a document year, Robert Jole was bound to him as b) Universal equinoctial ring dial, d,q.'o~lted by Hilkiah Bedford the an apprentice, t: In 1662, Bedford National Maritime Museum, . ,,,::'germ St John's College archives, received a second apprentice when Greenwich. ,,.-;at~!tshtng the pedigree and kinship William Yorke was bound to him. ts c) Dialling scale, the Science ,.~ o.tlham Platt, and thus his own In the following year his son Hiikiah Museum, London. ~.~-=;v s ciatm to be considered as the younger was born on 23 July 1663. d) Gunter quadrant and !. utlder s km~: and from other sources. By this time his reputation was nocturnal, the Time Museum, I:om these ,t appears that Hilkiah beginning to be established. It was to Rockford, Illinois. Bedford the instrument maker was Bedford that John Collins turned on 3. By J.H. Overton. It is curious to t~ound apprentice on 3 August 1046 to the death of Henry Sutton (noted then note that while Taylor missed the the noted maker John Thompson of as later as one of the finest craftsmen of information in the DNB article, t toster Lane." Since the normal age at his day) to complete some engraving the anonymous indexer(s) of an which an apprenticeship began was that Sutton had begun in 1665 (ref.19). inventory of the Navigation and 14 we can mfer that Bedford was With the destruction of his premises in Astronomy ColJections in the probably horn ca. 1634. Hilkiah's the fire of the following year, however, National Maritime Museum, tather°s name was Thomas, not Bedford moved to Fleet Street, and it Greenwich, 3 vols. (Greenwich, Htlkiah, and he was described as a was here that he continued for the rest n.d. [ca. 1971/2]) found the article gentleman. He was a substantial land- of his life. On 24 February 1667/68, but failed to read it, ascribing the owner m Lincolnshire and was one of Bedford was admitted together with dates of the churchman son to the the undertakers for the enclosure of the several other instrument makers instrument-maker father. East and West Fenn to the north of (though perhaps not entirely 4. John Nichols, Literary Anecdotes Boston. He died on 2 May 1655 about a voluntarily) as a Brother of the of the Eighteenth Century..., 10 year after Hilkiah had gained his Clockmakers' Company. 2° Since on vols. (London, 1812-1816), page i, freedom in the Stationers' Company this occasion he was one of four "who 167n. on 27 June 1654. Even then, however, in their judgements dissent from 5. D.F. McKenzie, Stationers" Bedford continued to live in Hosier taking an oath", "1 we may wonder if he Company Apprentices, 16#1-1700 Lane, either in the house of John was not a Quaker like his father. On 15 (Oxford Bibliographical Society, Thompson or in another dwelling, for April 1668 he took part in a search of N.S. XVII), Oxford, 1974. Hilkiah Bedford the younger in his shops for sub-standard instruments, 6. Printed in J.E.B. Mayor, attestation states firmly that the "said several being found. 2" Three Admissions to the College of St. Hiikiah Bedford ...lived before the apprentices were turned over to John the Evangelist in the fire of London in Hosier Lane, within Bedford in the Clockmakers' University of Cambridge, Part 11, the Parish of St. Sepulchre. And being Company, Richard Abbott 23 on 1 June July 1665 - July 1715 (Cambridge, burnt out there lived afterwards in 1668, James Bentwicke 2 June 1671, and 1893), pp. lix-lxi. Fleet Street..."~ Anthony Billingshurst 1 July 1672 (ref. 7. McKenzie, op. or, p. 164. For For Hflktah Bedford's place of work, 24). Since "one or two Thompson see Taylor, op. cit., no. two addresses are known: "At the clocks...including a bracket clock and 121, p. 200; see too H.R Calvert, Signe of the Globe near Holborn- a lantern clock" are said to be known 2s "Thompson of Hosier Lane, condmt "~ and "In Fleet Street near by him, it would seem that he took Instrument-makers of the Fetter Lane End") e It is possible that advantage of his freedom of a new seventeenth Century", isis 26, 50- the first of these is the address at which trade. 52 (1936). Bedford worked in Hosier Lane. After this little more is heard of 8. Mayor, op. cir., p.lx. This must Holborn Conduit, built in 1408 and Bedford. in a letter of 16 July 1672 to raise the possibility that Bedford removed in 1746, stood at the iunction James Gregory, John Collins continued as a free journeyman of Holborn, Snow Hill, Cock Lane, and mentioned that Bedford had made a with Thompson, in which case he Caw Hdl) t Smce Hosier Lane is pantograph at a price of £3 (ref.26); and would probably not have signed immediately next on the right after when his son was admitted as a sizar (a his instruments. Cock Lane, going north along Caw student paying reduced fees) at St 9. [Sotheby & Co.] Catalogue Of Hill, tt mav not unreasonably be John's College, Cambridge in 1679, 5cientitic lnstruments. . . Watches described as "near Holborn Hilkiah the elder was described in the ... and Clocks... which will be Conduit". 12 "The GLOBEnearHolborn college registers as "Mathematici- sold by Auction .... 23 June 1969, Conduit parish of St Sepulchre" was mechamct• .,, .27 Three years later, on 21 lot 34, p. 11. The address is on an indeed burnt down in the fire of 1666 September 1682, his wife died. She was instruction pamphlet (re/. 13), when it was held bv Roger followed by Hilkiah himself on 6 May accompanying a universal Reeve from Tobell Aylmer) 4 l'f it was 1689. Both were buried in the church of equinoctial ring dial. here that Bedford had his workshop, as St Dunstan-in-the-West, Fleet Street. 28 I0. William Oughtred, The seems likely, then he must have been a Description and Use of the Double sub-tenant. At all events, it seems clear References and Notes Horizontal Dyal/... p. 19 in Henry that instruments signed from this yon Etten, Mathematical address may be dated before 1666, 1. E.CR. Taylor, The Mathematical Recreations... (London, 1674). while those carrying the Fleet Street Practitioners of Tudor and Early 11. It is shown on many 17th- and address are to be dated later. For Stuart England (Cambridge, 1954), 18th-century London maps. See Bedford's precise location in Fleet no. 284, pp. 247-248; Brian for example those by Dankerts (ca. Street there seems to be no clear Loomes, The Early Clockmakers of 1633), Newcourt (1658), Hollar (London, 1981), p. information, I~ and it Is probable that Great Britain (1666), Strype (1720) reproduced 85. here too he rented premises. in Philippa Glanviile, 2. These include London in Maps (London, 1972), plates 7,9,11 On 1 April 1656, Hilkiah Bedford a) Universal equinoctial ring dial, roamed Ma~ Gardiner "about the age and 24. Museum of the History of 12. There is of course the possibility of 14 years "l~ and on 1 June of the same Science, Oxford. that Hiikiah Bedford the younger

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) conflated two different work- Lillywhite, op. cit., pp. 241-242, Instrument-making Trade, 1550- places of his father since they were this information does not help to 1830: the Grocers' and in the same locality, one being in fix the location. Chades Danley Clockmakers' Companies", Hosier Lane, the other nearer the was a cane-seller at whose shop Anmds o[Science 36, 1-34 (1979), Conduit. This issue, however, is two horizontal sundials were esp. pp. 13 and 27. impossible to decide, and does not seized as faulty during a 21. Atkins & Overall,op. cat.,p. 113. affect the argument. Clockmakers' Company search 21 22. Ibid.,p. 236. 13. Bryant Lillywhite, London February 1671/2. See Samuel 23. Possibly the instrument maker Signs... from the Earliest Times Elliott Atkins & William Henry whom Robert Hooke consulted to about the mid-nineteenth Overall, Some Account of the about a proportional compass; Century (London, 1972), no. 7147. Worshipful Company of taylor, op. cat.,no. 389, p. 271. See 14. Ibid. Clockmakers of the City of too Henry W. Robinson & Walter 15. Bedford is not listed among the London (London, 1881), p. 237. Adams (eds.),The Diary of Roberf ratepayers of either Fleet Street or 16. Mayor, op. cat., p.lx. Hooke... 1672-1680 (London, Fetter Lane between 1665 and 1680 17. McKenzie, op. cat., p.ll, where 1935), pp. 241,243. (Assessment & Inhabitants lists, Jole is described as son of 24. Brown, op. cat., p. 27; Charles 1661-1680, Guildhall Ms. 2969, Christopher deceased, of Stratton Edward Atkins (ed.), Register of vols, 2,3,4) and there is no volume Margaret, Wiltshire. Free 6 June Apprentices of the Worship~! for 168|-1689. I am grateful to Dr. 1664, he was to become a notable Company of Clockmakers of the L. Rahman for her help in maker and was enrolled in the City of London ...1631 ...to examining these records. Loomes, Clockmakers' Company at the ...1931 (London, 1932), pp. 1, 23 op. cat., p. 85, cites a description of same time as Bedford. For a brief and 27. Bedford's work place as "not far notice see Taylor, op. tit., no.334, 25. Loomes, op. cat., p. 85. from Charles Danley at the p. 260. 26. Herbert Westren Turnbull (ed.), Grape", his source being "the few 18. 6 June 1662, free 1669. McKenzie, James Gregory Tercentenary odd sheets preserved in the p.ll. Volume... (London, 1939), p. 239. Clockmakers' Company archives 19. Taylor, op. cit.,p. 248. The instrument was probably of the 'walks', i.e. a collection sheet 20. For suggestions that the intended for James Gregory, but showing who paid what as membership was probably in the event he cancelled the order subscriptions" (personal commu- enforced, see Samuel Elliott (ibid., p. 241). nication to the author, 24 May Atkins & William Henry Overall, 27. Mayor, op. c/t.,p. 75. 1984). Since the Grape does not op. cat., p. 114; Joyce Brown, 28. Ibid.,p. Ix. appear as a sign in Fleet Street in "Guild Organisation and the

Theft of Instruments in Rome: An Update

Silvio A. Bedini, Smithsonian Institution

Background window, through which the thieves Osservatorio's collection originally formed part of several 17th- and early During the night of 21-22 May 1984, as had apparently made their exit. The theft was reported to the Italianpress, 18th-century collections in Rome. a thunderstorm raged over the city of Included were instruments /tom the Rome, thieves broke into the and subsequently in the Bulletin (No.4, p.18), where it was noted that cabinet of curiosities of Virgilio Spada Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma • later deposited in the Biblioteca Museo Copernicano and stole a large among the lost treasures were the famous medieval "albion" of Richard Vallicelliana, from the Museo Chigiana number of the antique scientific of Cardinal Flavio Chigi, from the instruments on display in exhibition of Wallingford, a Runic calendar,and a copy of Copernicus's De Museo Kircheriano established by the cases and in storage, as well as a Revolutionibus, but in fact none of Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher in selection of rare books. All the these was among the lost items. The the Coliegio Romano and from other evidence suggests that the selection police did not release a listing of the sources. A large part of the collection was methodical and not random, items stolen, and none has been consists of instruments assembled requiring a previous survey with available until the present time. The from early astronomical observatories guidance from a knowledgeable following is the first listing issued. of Rome that became defunct. These source, and the theft appears to have were first brought together in the been commissioned. In November 1984 the Italian police observatory of the Collegio Romano by recovered a number of the stolen Entry was made on Sunday shortly Dr. Arthur Wolynski between 1873 and instruments, consisting of the past midnight, well after the 1877 and were supplemented with telescopes, sextants, several sundials caretaker's last tour of inspection at additions made by the observatory and almost all of the microscopes. 19:30. The thieves forced open a director Pietro Tacchini after However, 85 instruments, including shutter and entered through a Wolynski's death. Among the early the armillary spheres, astrolabes, window. The theft was not discovered Roman observatories from which numerous sundials, globes and until the following morning when the instruments and books were acquired miscellaneous others are stiU among caretaker noticed a ladder, usually by Wolynski, Tacchini and their the missing. locked in one of the museum's rooms, successors were those at the Trinit~ dei lying outside against a first-floor The instruments and books of the Monti established by Lesueur and

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (l~6) 5 |acqmec at Santa Maria in Vallicella number. The listing prepared for the Ernst Zinner, Deutsche und (now the Chlesa Nuova) established in police and now provided by Professor Niededandische Astronomiache lo~3, at Santa Mana degli Angeli in Via Pietro Giannone, director of the lnstrumente des 11.-18. ]ahrhunderOj de~ l.ucchesi founded by Bianchini, in Osservatorio, has been supplemented (Munich: C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuch- the Palazzo Caetani. and at the with additional data from the original handlung, 1956). Coileglo Romano founded by inventories and other sources. Note Gunther, Robert T., Astrolabes of the t -.i u~,eppe Calandre[li. t~at in the descriptions of some Wodd (Oxford: Oxford University sundials the adjective "vertical" may Press, 1932), 2 vols. In the early twentieth century the in fact refer to various forms other than ollecttons ,ere assembled to form the "horizontal'. Comments within Museo Copernicano e Astronomico, parentheses appear on the list which was made part of the submitted; comments in brackets are astronomical observatory on the the writer's. Note that the list given Campidoglio At some time between here covers only those instruments not lq35 and 1938 the Museo was yet recovered as of 1 March 1986. transferred to the Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma on Monte Any information about these Mario. Although inventories were instruments which may assist in their maintained and have survived, too recovery should be forwarded often the entries lack sufficient promptly to information for positive identification. Professor Pietro Giannone, Director There are some exceptions: for the Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma Spada collect.on of some 40 Via del Parco Mellini, 84 instruments transferred from the 00136 Roma, Italia Vallicelliana in 1886, for example, (Tel. 347-058) additional records exist in the Biblioteca. References Inventories of instruments in the Stolen Instruments collection of the Osservatorio Stolen perpetual calendar (see listing). The number appearing at the left is the Astronomico di Roma, 19th c., Ms. Photographed in Rome in June 1975 by one originally assigned in the 19th- L.A Mayer, Islamic Astrolabists and Roderick and Madge Webster of the century, inventories; the s~ond their Works (Geneva: Albert Kundig, Adler Planetarium and reproduced number is the present catalogue 1956). here with their kind permission. in~entory Numbers Instrument

4461 104 Angle measurer, by Butteffield, Paris. 43q2 24 Armiilary sphere, with wooden base. bb6 25 Armillary sphere, 17th c., brass tripod pedestal. 4266 26 ArmiHary sphere, brass. 3c~3 27 Armiilary sphere, by Adam Heroldt, 1649. b65 28 Armillary sphere, 17th c., brass tripod pedestal. 4414 149 Astrolabe, Latin, brass, 21cm. 094 150 Astrolabe, Arabic, Morocco, 1543, made by Abu-al-Hasan and lbnabd-Alla-Mohammad, son of Muhammad ai-Azdi; brass, dia. 18.5 cm, 0.07 cm thick, 5 plates for latitudes 21 =, 24 °, 30°, 31° , 32° , 33° , 34°, 35°, 37~; lacks original alidade and horse. Mayer, p. 42: "Masters Abu-aI-Hasan 'All and Abu 'Abdallah Muhammad, sons of Mohammad aI-Azdi.., in 950 (1543/4) made (sana'ahu) an astrolabe under the supervision of the faqih Abu 'AbdalIah Muhammad as-Saghir b. al-Hajj." 691 151 Astrolabe, Arabic, saphea, brass, 14th c., 9.8 cm. 155 Astrolabe, 16th c, 17cm. 3091 156 Astrolabe, 17th c., brass, 11.6 cm. Inscribed "Sum Francisci d'Espafia anno 1692" (?), partly erased. 1546 167 Astrolabe, ltal ian, 16th c., brass, 28.5 cm, made for latitudes 43 ° and 40e. 690 165 Astrolabe, Arabic, saphea, 14th c., brass, dia. 18.5 cm, single indicator. 6oAII 166 Astrolabe, Arabic, azaphea, by Mohammad son of Futuh al-Homain, Seville, 1216, brass, 21.3 cm, 2.5 mm thick, lacking alidade. Mayer, p.65: "ln 613 (1216/7) he (Muhammad b. Fattuh) made (sana'a) in Seville..." 2173 168 Astrolabe, Arabic, 16th c., brass, 11.6 cm. (Composed of parts of 3 diverse astrolabes; believed to be Persian.) 56 Globe, celestial, by Mario Cartaro, 16th c. 4389 6 Globe, celestial, 16th c., with base. 4143 13 Globe, celestial, by Georg Mattheus Seutter, 18th c. 4061 16 Globe, celestial, by Georg Mattheus Seutter, 18th c. 4403 17 Globe, celestial, by Matte(3 Viani, Venice, 18th c., wooden base. 3972 18 Globe, celestial, by I. Alessandri & Scattaglia, Venice, 1784. 664 37 Globe, celestial, 16th c., made by Frangois De Mongenet, bronze tripod pedestal. 3954 38 Globe, celestial, by Franfois De Mongenet, 16th c. 41 Globe, celestial, by Padre Giovanni M. Cassini, C.R.S., 1792. 3968 45 Globe, celestial, by Peter Pianc, Amsterdam, 1625 (Peter Plancius, 1552-1622).

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1966) Inventory Numbers Instrument 4063 46 Globe, celestial, by Hond, 1615 (Henricus Hondius, 1587-1638). 178 Globe, of Mars, by Bertau. 2414 11 Globe, terrestrial, by Georg Mattheus Seutter, 18th c., cardboard, small. Zinner, pp. 176, 535. 4143 12 Globe, terrestrial, by Georg Mattheus Seutter, 18th c. 2417 20 Globe, terrestrial, by Matteo Viani, Venice, cardboard, 18th c. 3953 43 Globe, terrestrial, by Franfois De Mongenet, 16th c. 646 42 Globe, terrestrial, by Mario Cartaro, 1577, small. 4462 73 Graphometer, 1747, brass. 4423274 Clepsydra, Murano glass and ivory, height 7cm. 3966 275 Clepsydra, ancient, 4 receptacles. 3967 287 Clepsydra, mounted in wood. 667 84 Compasses, for marine charts, brass, 17th c., 14.5 cm. 667 85 Compasses, for marine charts, brass, 17th c., 13.5 cm. 2413 86 Compasses, brass, and iron, 23.5 cm. 2O64 99 Compasses, elliptical. 4142 129 Goniometer, Ferrara, brass. 1520 132 Micrometer, barometrical, by Cappel (Copel or Capel), walnut base. 2406 - Microscope, modem (19th c.), used. 1455 - Solar microscope, by Dollond, London. 660 101 Model, press 'ad arganetto', chiseled iron and wood, 325 mm dia. 2800268 Octant, wood mounted in brass. 668 143 Perpetual calendar"for all the planets', with Gothic inscriptions, 17th c., brass, 20 cm. ("May be an equatorium.') 2088 74 Semi-circle, by Lusuerg, graduated, brass. 2089 89 5quadro mobile (mobile square), brass. 1416 144 Sundial, vertical, brass, with walnut base. 2004 158 Sundial, Santiago, Chile, 1755. 685 159 Sundial, universal, with brass sights, 17th c., 9 cm. (~May be Rojas astrolabe.') 948 160 Sundial, vertical, 18th c., with lunar calendar, I0 cm. ('May be nocturnal and solar quadrant.') 631 161 Sundial, universal, in form of a circle, silver. 2087 162 Sundial, vertical, 18th c., brass, 6 cm. (~May be nocturnal and solar quadrant.') 1544 163 Sundial, vertical, ~Joh. Wilhelm Knittl fecit Praga 1701% Zinner, p. 414. ['May be ring or equatorial dial'.] 2O9O 164 Sundial, universal with calendar, 18th c. 2102 175 Sundial, vertical, with level and compass, brass. 997 276 Sundial, by Andreas Vogler, 17th c. 643 277 Sundial, equinoctial, with compass, brass, walnut base covered with velvet. 4067 279 Sundial, by Louis Chapotot, Paris, brass. 2399 280 Sundial, horizontal, by Andreas Vogler, 17th c., with compass, brass. 1492 281 Sundial, by"W. Watkins, James Street, London'. brass, shagreen case. 285 Sundial, vertical, "Roma, 1582". 644290 Sundial, Amsterdam, 1625, gilt face, walnut base covered with blue velvet. 674 295 Sundial, equinoctial, by John Allen, London, 17th c., gilt bronze. 634 296 Sundial, horizontal, brass, 19 × 19 cm, with inscription of G.S. Bergstrand, 1877. 2398 298 Sundial, horizontal, by Butterfield, Paris, brass. 641 300 Sundial, ivory, cover only. 445911 301 Sundial, wood, 5.5 x 8.5 cm. 669302 Sundial, cylindrical, "Roma, 1584", with windrose, height 6.5 cm, dia. 5.5 cm, ivorycase. 627 303 Sundial, horizontal, with calendar and windrose. 638 304 Sundial, horizontal, with calendar and windrose. 671 306 Sundial, horizontal and vertical, Italian, 16th c., ivory case, height 6.5 crn. 2397 307 Sundial, horizontal and vertical, Italian, 17th c., without lunar disc, ivory case. 633 310 Sundial, universal, Polish, with compass and wooden case. 672 311 Sundial, vertical with spherical surface, wood, 17th c. 670 312 Sundial, horizontal, 1584, with compass, ivory case lacking cover. 4457 313 Sundial, 1632, ivory, 6 × 7 cm. 2416 314 Sundial, horizontal, 1604, with windrose. 642 315 Sundial, horizontal, signed "Charles Bloud", Dieppe, 17th c., with calendar and compass, ivory and metal. 1413 316 Sundial, horizontal, signed Leonhard Miller, 1642, ivory. Zinner, p. 449. (May be four-sided.) 640 317 Sundial, horizontal, with calendar and compass, ivory and metal. 4724 319 Sundial, Chinese. 336 Sundial, ivory. Cover only. Zinner, p. 562. 362 Telescope, by James Chapman, London, mahogany tube. Latino Orsini, Trattato del Radio/_at/no (Rome, 1586), 17.5 x 12 cm.

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1966) Meeting at the Whipple Museum

Brief Report Powell, who probably was one of six Place, 4 Euston Square and finally 170 children and was born on 21 Euston Road. The meeting of the Scientific November 1798. The last surviving So far as the firm's workforce is lz,.rrument boc,etv held 14 September member of the firm was Thomas concerned, the partnership was ','~,',~ ,:t the Wh,pple Museum, Powell, who died in 1925. There is only founded in 1841. By 1861 it was .,,.i,r~d~e. ~onsisted of two papers in one person recorded as working in the employing two men and two boys. :~,..~,.rn=ng and an informal tour of firm throughout its entire life who did Later censuses record three workmen, !1,,. Museum plus some not bear the name of one of the three until the factory was closed. ,lcn~o~lstrations In the afternoon. families concerned - namely Powell, ~lelo~ I summanze the tirst lecture by Lealand and De Wilde. He was C. The firm seems to have boasted four or Davtd "toung John Mfllburn has Perry, who seems to have been taken five workers at most times. An supphed h=s own abstract of the paper on as a workman as a result of replying appropriate wage in about 1840 would he presented on the instrument to an advertisement in 1891; he stayed be £I/10/0 per week. A No. 1 makers of Fleet Street. until the closure of the firm's premises microscope stand might take 600 hours Stephen Edell ten years later to make and was priced at £42; with accessories the total cost could exceed Twmeham, Sussex Study of census and other records has £I00. provided a wealth of information which space does not allow to be The firm seems finally to have failed The Firm of Powell and recorded here. The firm carried on its for lack of demand for its products. Lealand activities in Somers Town, St. Pancras, "These days they prefer motor cars and and the families lived at various flying machines to microscopes." Powell and Lealand, famous for their addresses in the area. The main microscopes and accessories, was a business address was a building David Young family firm. it was founded by Hugh known at different times as 4 Seymour Solihull, WestMidlands

Instrument Makers of Fleet Street from Archival Sources

The exhibition in 1985 at the Whipple Hannah Adams, continued the Ratebooks of St. Bride's show that the Museum, "Science and Profit in 18th- business herself for about a year (1795- Adams family home was at the Century. London" (see review, Bulletin 6), and during that period held the southern end of Shoe Lane. The No. 6, p20) feature the products of appointment of Mathematical registers of this parish show that fifteen London instrument makers of Instrument Maker to the King, George senior was baptised in April that period My paper at the September possibly the only woman to do so, but 1709, and was the 3rd in a family of symposium described how some towards the end of 1796 Dudley Adams nine children, most of whom died in personal details could be obtained (youngest of at least 13 children of infancy. His actual birth date is not about these men from manuscript George senior) took over both the Fleet recorded, but the year 1709 (rather than sources such as wills, parish registers, Street shop and the royal appointment. the "1704" usually quoted) agrees with ratebooks, vestry minutes etc., using He had already been appointed his age at death, given in the burial the Adams family by way of example. Globemaker to the King in his own registers in 1772 as 63, and means that Working backwards from the will of right in 1794, during his brother's he was apprenticed in 1724 at the usual George Adams iunior, who died in lifetime. age of 14-15. 1795, l traced the family back to the Joyce Brown's work on the archives of parents of George Adams senior at the the Grocers' Company (published by A newspaper report reveals that Morris died in May 1725 as a result of beginning of the 18th century. George the Science Museum in 1979) had being thrown by his horse, and iunior's will left specific bequests of shown that when George Adams (surprisingly) that despite being a several thousand pounds, and also senior was apprenticed in 1724 he was liveryman of the Loriners' Company showed that he owned a copyhold described as the son of Morris Adams, he was a cook by trade. A manuscript country, estate in Essex and was part- Citizen and Loriner The Loriners' owner of another in Surrey. The Essex records are far from complete, but they list of parish officers of St. Bride's estate came to him on his marriage to reveal that Morris was a liveryman, confirms this. His widow Mary died in Hannah Marsham in 1774. George indicating a certain status in the 1732, so when George senior gained Adams senior, who died in October business world, and also that he died his Freedom in October 1733 both his 1772, owned a small estate at Langley in 1725, when George senior was in the parents were dead, and he had Marish in Buckinghamshire, as well as first year of his apprenticeship. Morris inherited whatever possessions the freehold of 60 Fleet Street. These did not make a will, but "Admons." Morris may have had. did not pass to George junior He was were granted to his widow Mary in still an apprentice when his father The St. Bride's ratebooks show that at June 1725. The records of Michaelmas, 1734, George senior made his will in March 1772, so he Administrations are quite short but (George senior) left most of his started occupying some small they contain one vital piece of premises in Fleet Street, 4 doors east of possessions in trust to his wife Ann information; namely, the parish where Shoe Lane. This event marks the start (nee Dudley) for her lifetime, and to his Morris was living, which turned out to of the Adams instrument making children only if they survived her. be St. Bride's, Fleet Street. As there are business, which continued in Fleet George junior did not; his mother Ann about 120 parishes in the City of Street (at various addresses) until was George senior's second wife and London, not counting Westminster Dudley abandoned it about 1819. In was a lot younger than her husband. and the suburbs, without this newspaper advertisements, George This led to a difficult family situation information an individual could be when George junior died. His widow, almost impossible to find. senior identified his first address as "near the Castle T~,vern". At

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1966) midsummer 1738 he moved to larger move, to what later became 60 Beet Whipple Museum exhibition had premises a little further east, on the Street. (The street was numbered in premises them, and Michael "Comer of Racquet Court". In 1747 he July 1766.) This was in the parish of St. Crawforth's computerized "Project served as Senior Churchwarden of St. Dunstan's in the West, so the later Simon" (see BuiJetm No.3, p.15; No.4, Bride's, the most important parish history of the family is in the archives p.17) has produced a list of between 60 office; the Churchwarden of St. of that parish. and 70 men who worked in Fleet Street Bride's, the most important parish or its vicinity from the earliest times to office; the churchwardens' accounts The sequence of entries in the 1820. for this year contain about 400 entries rat•books of a particular area can be in his hand, with income and used to locate people quite precisely in expenditure totals of nearly £2000. A the pre-directory period, Fleet Street fire in February 1757 nearly put him being a good example. Six of the fifteen John Millbum out of business and obliged him to instrument makers featured in the A ylesbury, Bucks

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Bullefih of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 9

.~,m,ag q - . FLEET STREET and its environs in the mld-18th Century

~, azce ry Fe t ter Shoe Fleet Lane Lane Lane Market I I I I

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Above is an enlargement of part of a map of the Ward. of FRrring~on Without, published in 1755. The numbers refer to a key to the names of Courts etc. ! they are not house numbers, which were allocated in this street in July 1766. 21. Racquet Co~. 22.Peterborough Court. 27.Hind Court. 28.Bolt Court. 29.Johnson's C~. 31.Red Lion Court. 32.Crane Court. 62.1nner Temple Lane. 63. Hercules Pillar Alley. 64. Falcon Court. 67. Mitre Court. 68. Ram Alley. 69.Bolt & Tun Inn. 82.Hanging Sword Court. 83.White Lion Court.

FLEET STREET PARISHES

! CITY t CITY OF LONDON - WARD OF FARRINGDON WITHOUT OF WESTMINSTER i PARISH OF ST.DUNSTAN'S % PARISH OF ST.BRIDE'S IN THE WEST ! I New Street , Fleet 8 Division ~ Precinct ', Precinct a Division , ,

q • I , I % Salisbury Court % ~ % Precinct

em L ~ THE TEMPLE P • •

10 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1086) Henry Barrow, Instrument Maker

John T Stock, Departmentof Chemistry, University of Connecticut

One of the unsolved mysteries of the most eminent opticians in London for construction. Things went better after search for historic scientific ability, punctuality, and unim- Everest left Calcutta. A major instruments is the whereabouts of a peachable integrity...,o. accomplishment was the complete rather special balance. It was the At this time Barrow, who had a wife renovation of the 36-inch theodolite principal balance used in re- and six children, was reported to be originally made by William Cary establishing the British standards of living in Lambeth Road, which runs (1759-1825). The work was so extensive weights and measures after their through Lambeth and Southwark 4b. that the instrument is often referred to destruction by fire in 1834. We know as the Barrow theodolite. It is now in that "a balance of extreme delicacy The Rate Books for 1829 and 1830 of both of these London boroughs were the collection at Dehra Dun, and was procured from Mr. Barrow" was temporarily exhibited in the Science involved. This instrument had a beam exhaustively searched in the sections that cover Lambeth Road and its Museum a few years ago ("Science in length of approximately 15 inches and India" exhibition). could carry a kilogram in each pan. numerous offshoots. These attempts to Despite much searching, this balance, find the location of Barrow's home In the Latter part of 1837, Barrow was were completely unsuccessful. His important both in instrumental and in called up-country to join Everest at residence may also have contained his socio-economic history, has not yet Kaliana. However, Barrow was soon been found. It is inconceivable that workshop. He had a small observatory unhappy again. "After 3 months' this balance should have been on the roof, stocked with instruments experience I am convinced of its utter of his own making 'b. Everest had been destroyed, unless by enemy action hopelessness, though in Calcutta, with given the authority to find an during either of the two WoHd Wars. the conveniences.., there obtainable, instrument maker. On 27 January, there would be no great difficulty ''b. The "Mr. Barrow" in question is Henry 1830, there was a resolution that "Mr. However, Barrow was ordered to Barrow (1790-1870), who acquired the Barrow be appointed to the situationof remain •t Kaliana, to reconstruct instrument-making business of Mathematical Instrument Maker under astronomical circles to Everest's Thomas Charles Robinson soon after the Surveyor General of India [i.e.,of design. Returning in March 1838 from Robinson's death in 1841. At first, the Everest]"~'. A further resolution of 24 the making of baseline measurements, new owner used the title "Robinson & February authorized Barrow to Everest was deeply disappointed by Barrow", but later on he signed provide the necessary tools, at an the lack of progress. For a time, Barrow instruments with his own name. estimated cost of £220/15s (ref.5b). submitted to close direction and things Balances made by Barrow followed went well. Towards the end of August, Searches in the general archives of the Robinson's general design, with his application for leave to meet his India Office for letters or other certain minor improvements. A son in Calcutta was refused. The documentation bearing Barrow's "Robinson & Barrow" 10~-inch beam refusal was not surprising because the address were also unsuccessful. Then balance is in the Whipple Science instrument work was unfinished. it was realized that Barrow must have Museum, Cambridge (Fig. 1), and a Thereafter, the falling-out between signed some form of contract or closely similar one that was in actual Everest and Barrow became almost covenant. Fortunately, Deed of day-to-day use until at least 1970 is in complete. Everest officially reported Covenant 7692 is stillretained by the the Science Museum, London. I Barrow for impertinence and Legal Department of the India Office. examined and described both balances ungovernable temper. He went so far This Deed gives Barrow's address as 3 several years ago (refs. 2 and 3). as to order Barrow to communicate Brighton PLace, New Kent Road. His only in writing: "You are prohibited to It is possible that Barrow was residence in Brighton Place was soon commence any verbal discussion with apprenticed either to Dollond or to confirmed by a search of the relevant me in the workshop, or elsewhere until Troughton. Certainly, Barrow was sections of the Southwark Rate Books. invited by me to do SO,,,b. doing work for these famous Figure 2, taken from a map in use in instrument makers before 1829. Barrow's time, indicates where he Incompatibility of temperament was Barrow was known to William lived. Subsequently, railway lines that not the only cause of trouble. Barrow Richardson of the Royal Observatory, bridge New Kent Road were built, as had a poor opinion, which he did not Greenwich. At that time, Richardson indicated by the broken-line addition hide, of Everest's ideas on instrument was working with the then Captain to the map. Several tallhouses, behind design. In fairness, it must be said that George Everest (1790-1866), who had the modem shops and adjacent to the Everest had great success with his temporarily left India in 1825 for a five- railway, can stillbe seen. It is possible instruments. Barrow refused to year period of leave and study in that Barrow occupied one of these cooperate in the dividing of the circles, England. Concerned with the Great houses. and looked only for a means of escape Trigonometrical Survey of India, Barrow arrived in Calcutta in October from Everest's close control. Finally, Everest fully realized the problems of 1830, and sent remittances home until Everest sent Barrow •way, to be instrument damage. Sending to his family joined him in the following officiallydischarged on 19 April 1839, England for repair was • tedious May. His second son, then not seven the day of arrival back in Calcutta. business in those days. Everest was years old, died in October 1832. A Barrow leftfor England soon after. convinced of the need to have • first- further bereavement was the death of class instrument maker at hand in Barrow's movements immediately Mrs. Barrow in November 1834. India. When Richardson introduced after his return to England have not yet Barrow to Everest in January 1829, Professional problems must have been traced. However, he wrote to the Everest thought that he had his man. ~I arisen soon after Barrow began his Astronomer Royal on 30 August 1842 found him [Barrow] an intelligent, work in Calcutta. As • master from Robinson's old address, 38 clever person, one of the principal craftsman, he outspokenly resented Devonshire Street, offering balances workers for the trade. His character Everest's frequent visits to the and other instruments made by stood exceedingly high with the workshop over details of design and Robinson 2. The letter announces that

BuUetinoftheSdentific~tSociety No. 9 (19e6) 11 the business will be carried on under the name of Robinson & Barrow. Another letter shows that this address was ~,tfll besng used the following May. However, the entry ~n the 1845 London Post Office Directory ~s "Robinson & Barrow . . 2(', Oxenden St." From 1850 to I~e,4. the [hrectory entries read lh, nrv Barrow & Co." or "Henry Barrow" The 18o5 D~rectorv shows that another instrument maker, T. Owen, had taken over the Oxenden Street premises Barrow spent his last years m Sussex and, in 1870, died at West field 4". Qmte a number of examples of Barrow's workmanship are readily available for inspection. Several of his Fig.l Balance by Robinson & Barrow. compasses and related items are in the Courtesy of the Whipple National Maritime Museum at Museum, Cambridge. Greenwich. The "Robinson & Barrow" s~gnature appears on a dip circle in the Science Museum, as well as on the balances referred to earlier. Other Barrow |nstruments in the Science Museum include theodolites, actmometers and a small telescope that was acquired as recently as ]984. One of the act|nometers is shown in Fig. 3. A dip circle dating from around 1860 is in the Smithsonian Institution. Because of the prominence of British instrument making and the excellence of Barrow's work, there are doubtless instruments made by him in various other locations. But his historic ...... _ -,:~ . ~ ~ ~.~. • - , .--'-~- / I • :'~A~, balance remains to be found. /,.. This work was carried out under the Fellowship Programme of the Science Museum. References 1. W.H. Miller, Philosophical Transactions 146, 753 (1956). 2. J.T. Stock, Chemistry in Britain 7, 385 (1971). 3. J.T. Stock, Analytical Chemistry Fig.2 Map showin 8 location of Henry 45, 974A (1973). Barrow's 1830premises. 4. R.H. Phillimore (ed.), "Historical Records of the Survey of India" (Dehra Dun, India, 1958), Vol. 4, (a) p. 122; (b) p. 418; (c) p. 419. 5. Minutes of the Committee of Correspondence, East India Company, D/13, (a), p. 1055; (b), p. 1112.

II Fig.3 Actinometer by Henry Barrow. J His signature, the date #14 March 1848" and his hand- written calibration data are on a label attached to the back of the instrument. Courtesy of the Science Museum, London. J

12 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) Van der Bildt Telescope in Teyler's Museum

Gerard Turner, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford Telescope Design The Teyler's Museum, Haarlem, was With the Gregorian (concave small Description of telescope very fortunate in being able to acquire mirror) the image is upright; so this is Reflecting telescope: Gregorian and in 1984 an eighteenth -century useful for looking at the landscape and Cassegrain; ca. 1760. Signed on the equally convenient when viewing the reflecting telescope of unusual eyepiece mount: "J. VAN DER BILDT construction. Made by the famous Moon. The Cassegrain (convex small FRANEKER". Length of barrel 630, Franeker firm of Van der Bildt, it has mirror) gives an inverted image, which with extension collar 780, diameter alternative optics so that it can be used does not matter when looking at 115; length of eyep,~eces 95, 49; height planets and stars but is not suitable for in the Gregorian form or in the to pivot 420; speculum diameter 108, looking at the landscape. The Cassegrain form of the reflecting focal length 670; box 755 x 280 x 150. All Cassegrain gives a very slightly telescope. Both of these designs date measurements are in millimetres. from the seventeenth century, and are sharper image when compared with similar to each other. The Gregorian the Gregorian, but the instruments The construction is of brass, with reflector employs a large mirror as the would have to be most skilfuUy made primary and secondary mirrors of light-gathering objective, which is for this difference to be detectable. speculum metal. The body tube, with made of speculum metal (an alloy of Despite the small disparity, some its seam soldered, is mounted on a copper and tin) ground and polished to astronomers used the Cassegrain pillar with a folding tripod foot, and a concave parabolic surface. In the case design on occasion. The difference in there are horizontal and vertical of the small-diameter instruments, the the optics is such that the Gregorian motions (i.e., an altazimuth more easily made spherical surface is a requires a longer tube than the mounting). These motions are closer and adequate approximation to Cassegrain, because the small mirror provided with quick-release catches the parabolic surface. This primary has to be placed further away from the and there will have been long handles mirror reflects the light in a converging objective. In the case of the Van der with keys, now missing (but the box beam onto a secondary metal mirror Bildt telescope described here, the shows that these handles existed). A that is situated at the top end of a difference in length is provided for by brass dust-cap is push-fitted into the cylindrical tube, the large primary adding an extension collar to the main end of the barrel, and an extension being at the bottom end. The barrel of the telescope (Figure I). collar (length 150 ram) is fitted when secondary mirror is so mounted that it the Gregorian optics are being used. Jan van der Bildt (1709-1791) was a See Figure 1. There is a screw-in dust- can be moved to focus the image. This burgher of Franeker, a university town secondary mirror is ground and excluder to replace the eyepiece for in Friesland, who made clocks and storage. The sighting telescope is non- polishcd to be concave in the case of telescopes. By 1750 he was famous for the Gregorian design, and convex in adjustable, and is fitted with disk dust- his telescopes,and the excitement over caps that swivel. Focusing is by a knob the Cassegrain design. With both the Transits of Venus of 1761 and 1769 forms, the light is sent down the tube and short screw on the outside of the will have ensured more business for barrel, with a bar on the inside to a again, but this time it passes through a him. Van der Bildt'stelescopes are very hole made in the middle of the primary holder for the secondary mounts at the similar in appearance to those object end (the screw is a replacement mirror, where it is collected by the produced in London by his for the bent original0 which is lenses in the eyepiece. contemporary, James Short (1710- preserved). The reflecting telescope was invented 1768). to improve on the sharpness of the image produced by telescopes that used lenses only. Until there was greater knowledge of optical glass and of lens systems, the glass objective lenses gave an image that had coloured edges, red or blue. This made the fine detail of distant objects difficult to see. It was well known that unlike a lens a mirror reflected all colours to exactly the same focal point; so from Edinburgh James Gregory in 1663 proposed a mirror telescope with a concave secondary, while in France Cassegrain in 1672 proposed a similar one but with a convex secondary. Isaac Newton, in England, proposed a mirror telescope with a small fiat mirror that sent the rays to an eyepiece at right angles to the barrel of the telescope. The Newtonian became popular for very large telescopes used by astronomers, and the Gregorian form was used in the smaller, portable telescopes favoured by the amateur. Two features distinguish the use of the Fig.1 Van der BiMt telescope in Gregorian from the Cassegrain design. Gregorian configuration.

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 13 Fhe two eyepieces are I-fuyghenian, into the focusing arrangement inside FRANEKER". Length 135 ram; and the outer sleeves have a notch to fit the barrel. This bracket is so long micrometer box 82 X 68 X 37 ram. over pros on the body The shorter because it is part of the Gregorian flength 4q. diameter 27 ram) has a system which requires the extension Constructed in brass, this Huyghenian ~crew-on protector over the field lens collar. The whole is contained in a telescopic eyepiece is equipped with a l'he eve aperture is about 1 mm. The shaped tin-plate box. Another tin- filar micrometer (Figure 2). The outer longer (length q5, diameter 26 ram) has plate box (77 x 78 x 120 ram) holds sleeve has a notch that locates over a an eve aperture of about 1 ram, and a three convex secondary mirrors pin. The aperture at the eye end is -,crew-on cap over the eve lens {diameters 21, 32, 38 ram) of different about I ram, and there is a screw-on brass mount containing a deep-red The primary mirror is held against powers, each on an L-shaped bracket (length of each 78 ram). glass shade. A screw-on dust-cap three lugs by a spring ring (probably protects the field lens. The micrometer bronzel between ,t and the eyepiece The telescope and accessories pack consists of a fixed and a movable wire, mount. The m~rror has been cast in a into a mahogany box with one grip of with a screw turned by wheel with a smooth mould from speculum metal oak with green baize on the edge. A pointer over a scale 0-40 divided by alloy, with a step cut in the rim. The second grip is missing. The grip has ones. Under the dial plate is a disk, back of the central hole has a bevel cast four small holes at the upper edge for viewed through an aperture, which m it (diameter 108~ of central hole, 24; handles (missing). counts the revolutions of the pointer. thickness 17 mm). This scale is also 0-40 by ones. The concave secondary mirror Description of micrometer tdtameter 32 ram) is on an L-shaped Eyepiece micrometer for a telescope; bracket (length 237 ram) that dovetails ca. 1760. Signed: "J. VAN DER BILDT

Fig.2 Eyepwce micrometer.

14 Bulletin of the Scientific lnstrument Society No. 9 (1986) Book Reviews

Thomas Jeffenmn and his CopyinS researched and elegantly written book Eyes Right: The Story of Dollond & Machines b7 Silvio A. 8edinL takes the reader through the various Aitchison, Opticians, 1750-1895 by University Press of Virginia: copying presses that attempted to Hugh Barry-Kin& Quiller Press: Charlottesville, 1984, xvi 4. 240 pp., emulate Wart's intentions. He also London, 1986, 264 pp., illustrated, illustrated, US $20.00. covers mechanical copying devices £12-95. Having for some years been employed utilizing the pantograph principle, for it was the work of an American design The author of this well-produced book in a library, ! have noted that fewer and is a full-time social and industrial fewer students (of any age and for a perspective copying machine by the mechanician John Isaac Hawkins, historian. The title refers to the owl discipline) sit down to read books and logo adopted by the DolIond & journal articles. Gone are the days as developed and marketed by and in ! collaboration with the artist Charles Aitchison Group Ltd., and its when the reader, finding something of publication was timed to coincide with particular interest, would put pen to Wilison Peale, that produced the "polygraph". This device was the Group's restructuring. The latter paper and make a careful digest of the has seen, inter a//a, the opening at text for future reference. Today, with enthusiastically embraced by the civil engineer Benjamin Latrobe, who Yardley, near Birmingham, of Eyeland, seemingly little thought about the real Europe's first drive-in optical usefulness of what frequently appears introduced it to no less a personage than Thomas Jefferson, then President department store, and the inception of to have been skimmed through quite newly-designed exteriors and cursorily, students just walk over to the of the United States. Jefferson was an immediate convert, and subsequently interiors for the Group's branches nearest photocopier and for a few tens throughout Great Britain. These of pence make a facsimile copy, used the polygraph, in one form or another, to make copies of the majority branches, it is claimed, offer a hopefully to read and mull over in the complete ophthalmic service second to future. Naturally, there is a saving in of his business and private correspondence. none in scope, efficiency and time and in the drudgery of convenience. This service embraces transcription, though ! wonder if that Historians, though they may at times sight-testing, the prescribing of ocular gain is worth the loss of the skill of struggle to read the faint and indistinct corrections and the dispensing of condensing others' work into the products of a poorly maintained suitable appliances (contact lenses, summary which brings back to the copying instrument, owe a great debt spectacles), essential social functions assiduous reader the whole substance of gratitude to the relatively few late which, in a lower commercial key, of what has been read. Of course, there 18th- and early 19th-century men who continue to be carried out by are frequently occasions when what is maintained the total integrity of the innumerable qualified opticians in needed for the record is a reliable copy, archives by retaining facsimile copies private practice. and I do not condemn the invention for of what was intended to be dispersed being more abused than used. The to destinations across the globe. The basic philosophy underlying typewriter and carbon paper released Bedini's careful and detailed recent Group developments is whole generations of clerks from the exposition of the various copying outlined in Parts Ill (1951-1980) and IV slavery of making copies of a wide machine designs that were tried out in (1980-1985). We learn how DoIlond & range of papers, from the everyday the 19th century supports the view that Aitchison, a public company, survived letter to the legal document - to say no single instrument, however take-overs first by Television Wales nothing of the radically improved mechanically ingenious, ever worked and the West, and then by Slater accuracy of transmission. Silvio with the ease and perfection that Walker. For many years the company Bedini's recent study is more than just would have allowed market not only provided an ophthalmic a monograph dealing with Thomas domination. Indeed the simple screw service, but also sold binoculars, Jefferson's interest in, and press, in which the specially prepared cameras and photographic materials in development and use of, a letter ink used to write the originals their many branches and showrooms. copying machine, for the net is cast provided a transferred image on thin [n 1970, for a price of £I0 million, it wide, embracing a whole range of tissue, was the single device which became a wholly owned subsidiary of devices which attempted to meet a had long-term success. Gallaher Ltd., and soon grew into desideratum first expressed by Britain's largest ophthalmic multiple I have no hesitation in recommending William Petty in the mid-17th century group, with chains of stores in Italy this book to members of the Scientific as an "instrument for writing many and Spain and 460 branches in Great Instrument Society. Buy it and read it; copies of the same thing at once". Britain. you will enjoy every chapter. Make Jefferson was keenly aware of the need copious notes and abstracts of the parts This "in-house" Group history is for multiple copies of unique and that particularly interest you. Do not probably of little interest to members irreplaceable documents. As a student photocopy, even within the generous of the Scientific Instrument Society. at Williamsburg he had noted the poor terms of the Copyright Act, unless and Sections of it read like a series of physical condition of the formal until you can, from memory, give company director's reports. One is legislative documents kept in the local homage to the pioneers who paved the impressed, however, by the Group's record office. As a young man he lost way for the photo-facsimile copier that enterprise, financial success, and all his personal papers when his family is responsible for the mountain of adaptability to changes brought about home burnt to the ground. Only ten paper that threatens to engulf us all. by the passing of the Health and Social years later, in 1780, the young Security Act of 1984. The large-scale David Bryden Governor of Virginia saw his own and manufacture, supply and fitting of Science Museum Library the State's records lost at the hands of contact lenses and spectacles is London the colonial army. It is not surprising, undoubtedly a most lucrative then, to find that on hearing, through business. Benjamin Franklin, of the letter- Strictly speaking, optical appliances copying press patented by James Watt worn on the face cannot be classed as in 1780, Jefferson wanted to own and scientific instruments, although visual use one himself. Bedini's carefully aids held in the hand, like a reading

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No, 9 (1986) 15 glass, are scientific instruments of Dollond had lost much of its earlier shock. Among factual errors are the sorts. The text makes passing reference prestige. By then the time-honoured following: Newton did not ascribe to a non-contact tonometer, auto- hand skills and trial-and-error chromatic aberration entirely to the visual field screener, auto-refractor, methods of the old master craftsmen inability of a glass lens to "split up ophthalmoscopes, retinoscopes and had largely given way to machine white light into its component parts other instruments used in sight- production. There was no longer need perfectly", nor did he establish that testmng; some of them are made by for an outpouring of military and naval "dispersion depends on the quality of Hamblin Instruments Ltd., a member telescopes. Instead, camera and the refracting surface'. One half of a of the Group. spectroscope joined microscope and divided object-glass micrometer did astronomical telescope to form new not slide laterally "in front of the Parts ! (1720-1820) and 11 (1821-1950) fields of optical enquiry. Changes in other", nor was the device "sold in are based on a manuscript by Bryan the design of large graduated large numbers to navigators'. The Bevan who researched archival instruments, together with a more caption to an illustration of Cookson's material on the Dollond family "with frequent use of bronze castings and the floating zenith telescope states that the greatest erudition and principles of unit construction, caused this instrument was made by DolIond. thoroughness'. Members of the the complex brass instruments of even In fact it has an object glass by Cooke & Society will here encounter familiar a master craftsman like Edward Sons and was originally set up at matenal, especially in Part I where we Troughton to be outdated in his own Cambridge in 1900. We are told that find outlined the discovery of the lifetime. Struve's Dollond transit instrument achromatic lens by Hall, the claims by "revealed many stars with comets", Euler and Khngenstierna that object Even so, Dollond & Co., in its several branches and under the control of that Caroline Herschel was in the habit glasses can be made free from of sweeping for comets with her chromatic and spherical aberration, certain former employees, continued to market pocket telescopes, field brother's 40-foot reflector, and that and the experiments which led John "one day she caught one"! We are told Dollond eventually to market glasses, spectacles and eyeglasses. The company reached its nadir during the also that William Herschel "built achromatic telescopes. We read how himself a 40-foot reflector with a John's son Peter, trading at Exeter early 1920s: it produced binoculars in a magnifying power of 370 and with it Exchange off the Strand, acquired a factory at Maidenhead but also sold discovered two more satellites of patent for the sole manufacture of the gramophones, records, and even perambulators. Saturn, a new planet Uranus, and new telescopes, prosecuted opticians formulated the first theories of the who defied the patent, and assisted by James Aitchison, owner of several physical constitution of the sun and his brother John, opened a new retail optical establishments, acquired moon." William Smyth's Bedford workshop and showroom at 59 St. DoIlond & Co. in 1926. Before then be observatory is said to have contained Paul's Churchyard. There the Dollonds sold field glasses made to his own an achromatic reflector of 8~ feet focal produced several fine triple object- design, acquired a virtual monopoly of length made by Christopher (sic) glasses and sold a wide variety of surplus optical war stores, and tested Tulle),. The description of Maskelyne's scientific instruments. eyesight by a system which, according modified Dollond optical micrometer Peter was an astute business man. He to a newspaper advertisement in 1898 is incorrect, a quotation from Gilbert secured the best batches of optical (one of many), was "the most perfect in White's The Natural History of glass, took advantage of the existence". He called himself an Selbourne makes nonsense because an "periscopic" spectacle lens invented "oculist optician" but, like other shop- essential part of it is missing, and the by Wollaston (but reduced the based practitioners of the time, had no statement that Peter and his brother requisite meniscus surface curvatures) formal medical or scientific training. were responsible for the word and during the Napoleonic wars met Presumably he based his examination telescope nullifies all the scholarly the great demand for naval and techniques on information in texts like researches of the late E. Rosen into the military telescopes. His nephew and Donders' Anomalies (1860) and origin of that name. successor, George Huggins, later Landolt's Manual (1879). At all events, known as George Doilond, had a lower he joined others in attempts to raise In-text source references are rare, and business profile. He and his workmen the status of opticians through training the relatively short bibliography produced several relatively large facilities and certification schemes. (listing books and documents astronomical telescopes, but then so Thanks partly to these and other consulted by Bryan Bevan) is not did Troughton, Cary, Tulley and others. activities, the old over-the-counter and arranged in alphabetical order. Several customer-selection methods used by entries carry no publication dates, and The text claims that George was a watchmakers, jewellers and important sources like Kitchiner's founder member of the Astronomical dispensing chemists gradually gave Economy of the Eyes and the three Society of London, but his name and way to the inception of modern volumes of Greenwich Observatory that of Sir John Wrottesley (p. 97) are refraction techniques. (1975) are omitted. More useful is the not included on the list of persons who adequate index, a chronological table An unfortunate feature of the book is met on 12 January 1820 and resolved and a section which gives the locations the misleading and often inaccurate unanimously to form the Society. Nor of extant letters, papers and pamphlets do I find evidence for the claim that nature of the Dollond sections. This is written by the Dollonds; some of this unexpected in a text designed because of his connections with material is in the Dollond Museum at primarily to advertise the long and royalty, he could confidently apply for Yardley. In summary, the book is an successful career of a Group whose a royal charter for the Society. That attractive and clever piece of business is centred on applied optics. responsibility was undertaken by advertising, but its misinterpretations South, elected president in 1829, who Incorrect names like John Airy, Sir and factual errors indicate that its George Airey, Claivault, Dolland, attended the levee in 1830 when the authors were not fully in control of George Hodson, Monsieur Struve, King became the Society's patron. their subject. Christopher Tuiley and Tom Young, In 1871, when William, George's son and double stars like "Aquilae" and Henry C. King and successor, retired, the House of "Geminorium" come as a bit of a Amersham, Bucks.

16 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) Exhibition Reviews

The Gentleman Collector contained in its original packing case inevitable pair of library globes. Burshley House, Stamford, Lincoln- complete with unprocessed wool shire until 5 October (except 6 surround, the various moving parts Amongst the items not covered by the September); illustrated catalogue £1-00 being wedged with sponges. Attached term "instruments" are a Ho]tzapffel postpaid. to the case are the carrier's lathe, a small collection of Napoleonic instructions: "Change at Bedford". prisoner-of-war work purported to be Burghley House, more famous for its from the Norman Cross Prison near horse trials than for its scientific Russel had been commissioned by the Peterborough, and similarly a small instruments, is the setting for a small Tenth Earl of Exeter (Burghley, 1793- collectionof artefactssupposed to have exhibition entitled "The Gentleman 1809) to paint various family portraits, belonged to Sir Isaac Newton - these Collector". This exhibition consists of and one assumes that he took this are not part of the Burgh[ey House some 30 items, 15 of which may be opportunity to sell one of his collection. classified as instruments (using the selenographs. Another very unusual nomenclature of the salerooms), the perhaps unique, item is the "Hewlings This is an enjoyable exhibition, well others being paintings, docks, models patent Land Surveyor", ca. 1799, displayed and set out, a]though the etc. together with the necessary uninitiated could be misled by the attachments and instruction books presence of planetarium accessories in Set in parkland adjacent to the Great which enabled land surveying to be the same display case as the North Road (A1) and Stamford, the carried out without the use of more selenograph. The opportunity to see house lies in an area probably familiar traditional methods (i.e.,waywiser or instruments never before displayed to Isaac Newton, William Stukeley and chain measures). and stillin their original home is not a possibly Jonathan Sisson. Indeed, a common occurence; combined with reference in Edward Saul's book of Included amongst the more esoteric viewing the house, it makes a pleasant 1735 ("...gentlemen in Lincolnshire, instruments are a double-barelled air trip out. to deal with Mr. Jonathan Sisson, pump by George Adams junior, mathematical instrument maker at the recorded in the Burghley Day Book of Admission to the house is £2-90 corner of Beaufort Buildings, in the 24 January 1795 ("George Adams for an (children £1-60) including access to the Strand, London; that he is their Air Pump etc. £37-0-0"); a mahogany exhibition. A small, illustrated countryman, and eminent for his great pulley frame by "J.B. Hass, London" catalogue is available from Burghley skill...") could lead one to believe that all the pulleys and weights being House priced at £I-00 including Burghley House abounds with modern replacements; a planetarium postage. Opening hours are 11:00 to instruments by Sisson. Not so! by W. & S. Jones; a rare double writing 17:00 daily until October 1986. machine patented by Marc Isambard However, there is a very nice Brunel on II April 1799; a "Nairne's "selenograph" by John Russell, RA, Patent Medico ElectricalMachine" (see recently discovered in the atticand still John Dennett Bulletin No.8, p.18); and of course, the Lincoln Multiple writing machine m brass and mahogany designed by Sir Marc lsambard Brunel and patented in 1799

. . ' D t

Orrery in brass by W. & S. Jones, [ate 18th century.

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 17 The Social History of the Smith greets the visitor at the head of research and field settings that have Microscope the spiral staircase. The eye is then lingered half-remembered from drawn to the glorious array of "brass obscure editions of Hogg, Carpenter, Whipple Museum of the Histo~ of and glass" - an old term of affection for Nachet et al. Scwnce, Cambridge until 12 December instruments amongst members of the The catalogue of the Whipple Museum 198o, illustrated catalogue £1-50 (by Quekett Microscope Club. l~St £1-65 in UK). Microscope Collection has been The cabinet devoted to published simultaneously and The Whipple Museum continues its microtechnique is of particular note: a effortlessly assumes indispensable series of annual exhibitions with an remarkable cased set of six numbered reference status, being compre- out,,,tanding review of the microscope interlocking lenses form a complex hensively illustrated in monochrome m its social and historical context. The optical equation in compound with essential indexes and cross- Museum is able to illustrate this achromatic objective research - it is references. almost certainly from the workshops of progression with microscopes Appropriately, Dr. Nuttall quotes the Schiek or Plossl, ca. 1840, and exclusively from its own collections English optician Andrew Ross circa from the 17th to the 20th centuries. symbolizes unerring dedication to 1850: "The last 15 years have sufficed to image resolution and enhancement. Through their perspicacity the elevate the Compound Microscope to founders and curators past and present The accompanying exhibition the position of being the most of the Whipple have created an catalogue consists of three separate important instrument ever bestowed immensely rich perspective. essays: "Microscopy and the Amateur" by Art upon the investigators of Within the confines of the upper by Olivia Brown; "Microscopy and Nature." gallery Jim Bennett and his assistant Medicine" by Dr. Stella Butler; Microscopists All! Hear Ye! - seldom Olivia Brown have created - with "Microscopy and Public Health" by will the Mind be so well wracked and contemporary engravings, photo- Dr. R.H. Nuttall. The three themes are the Eye so thoroughly pinioned. graphs, books and advertisements - a skilfuily interwoven in the displays. harmonious parallel of macrocosm to The catalogue at long last assembles for microcosm. Charles Darwin's own immediate reference many tantalising compound monocular microscope, ca. images of the microscopes and their Stuart Talbot 1840, by the London maker James practitioners in all their exhibition, London

Queries

Canes and Quadrants Unknown Observatory it seems. I wonder whether this About 15 years ago a descriptive leaflet Can any member of the Scientific telescope could have been built in by George Adams senior entitled The Instrument Society help me identify anticipation of the previous apparition Geometrical Walking Cane was listed the observatory, the event and the of Halley's Comet. in a bookseller's catalogue. If anyone persons photographed? The pompous- knows the current location of this, i looking gentleman in front looks Jeremy Collins would be glad to have details. The proud of the reflector he has built, or so Marcham, Oxon. device itself was presumably similar to the '*pace-stick" used by sergeants- major to mark out ceremonial parades. Also, does any museum or private collector have an example of Adams' "Sea Quadrant" of the mariner's bow type, in which the index arm is held horizontal, as described and illustrated in his tract of 1748? lts introduction in September 1748 led to charges of plagiansm from Benjamin Cole senior, whose own instrument of virtually identical design had been introduced in June that year. One of Cole's quadrants of this type is in the Science Museum (inv. no. 1923-477). John R. Miilbum A ylesbury, Bucks.

18 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) Markree Castle Observatory indifferently at either end and the Manila. The "comet seeker" telescope I have for some time been looking into circle could be read by eight by Ertel is there at present. It is a eady astronomical observatories in microscopes. beautiful instrument in brass, with a Ireland and in particular have been The instrument remained at Markree mahogany tube and setting circles in silver on brass, and it weighs 80 lb. The trying to locate the whereabouts of a until at least 1912, and perhaps even a director of the observatory has very famous telescope set up at decade later, when it was dismantled. dismantled it in anticipation of Markree Castle Observatory in 1839 by If the instrument was sold, no record of shipping it back to Ireland to go on Edward Joshua Cooper (1798-1863). its sale remains at Markree. The display at Birr Castle. But with regard present E.J. Cooper knows nothing The telescope itself was unique for its to the principal instrument once at about it, nor did his father Lt. Cdr. period, serving as both transit Markree, I would be most grateful for E.F.P. Cooper, RN. The telescope may instrument and mural circle and any help members of the Scientific thereby causing great expense through even have been sold for scrap when the other instruments were dispersed at Instrument Society may be able to the use of two observers. It was made offer. by G. Ertel of Munich with a telescope public auction in the late 1920s. aperture of 7 inches, the mural circle i have traced some of these John C McConnell being 38 inches in diameter. The object instruments to a Jesuit college in Hong Moira, County Down glass and eyepiece could be applied Kong, and then to the observatory in Northern Ireland

Letters to the Editor

Bird's Ghost Scales Revised

Sir, others, have found that it is not Burnishers could have acquired it as I was in London shortly after the necessary to pander to vulgarity to just another sextant and treated it publication of Bulletin No. 8 with my earn a living, particularly if this accordingly. If that had happened, this article on John Bird's method of scale pandering results in the destruction of study would never even have been division (pp. 8-11). I was approached our common heritage. Secondly, they started." by several of the dealers who operate say that the as-found condition was so bad that there was no other way to Saul Moskowitz out of Bermondsey Market, each of Marblehead, Massachusetts whom was convinced that the last make the instruments presentable. I paragraph of my article was directed have been in shops where everything solely at him and that a full retraction for sale must have been found on the was called for. Instead, I wish to town dump because 99% of the Polishing: A Riposte submit a revised version of that instruments in the shop have been buffed to death. Needless to say, it is Sir, paragraph for the consideration of the membership and hope that it meets possible to restore even badly 1 feel somebody should reply to the with the approval of the more neglected instruments to almost letter in the last 1985 issue of the perceptive: original condition without resorting to Bulletin from "Disgusted, Tunbridge buffing, but it takes more time, talent, Wells", who was complaining about "You may wonder why I used the and thought. There are several the polishing of instruments. words 'ghost scales' in the title of my instruments at present in museums article when John Bird's own throughout the English-speaking Clearly Mr Gould does not earn a living terminology was 'faint scales'. Sextant world purchased from me in restored dealing in instruments. If he did so, he No. 3 provides the answer. On this like-new condition, yet which were in would quickly realize that there is a relatively well cared-for instrument terrible condition when first found. plethora of ordinary late 19th- or early some of the scale has already been lost. Lastly, it is pointed out by these dealers 20th-century instruments which Just imagine what would have that they mistreat only ordinary arrive, even from the major salerooms, happened if one of the 'Bermondsey instruments, not the important ones. in an advanced state of distress and Burnishers' (an alliterative generic How do they know? What is common disrepair. Restored and polished, these term intended to be applied to all those now may be a great rarity in 50 years' pieces sell as coffee-table or engaged in the deliberate destruction time, particularly if the present rate of conversation items to the US or the Continent. The better-quality, older, of over 90% of the scientific destruction continues. instruments on the market today, more interesting items are left well "Sextant No. 1 provides an even more alone and go to proper collectors who whether they operate in the New frightening situation. It came to light take good care of them. Caledonian Market, Brimfield, not so long ago in one of the London Massachusetts, or Covent Garden) had salerooms where it was described as a Several times in recent years overseas got hold of one of these sextants. Its primitive sextant and estimated at a buyers of large and expensive but late faint scale would truly have become a instruments have insisted, against our few hundred pounds, about the same ghost scale, having vanished forever. as ordinary late 19th-century better advice, on having them polished as well - indeed they would buy them "Indeed, the three main arguments instruments. Fortunately, it was only if they were polished. I would like advanced by these 'burnishers' to purchased by a dealer who understood to know what Mr Gould would have justify their actions require critical its rarity although possibly not its done in these circumstances had his comment. First, they say that their significance. But what if he had not living depended on it. customers like them that way and that spotted it, and no one else had either? they have to make a living, i, and many Then one of your Bermondsey The people in my shop sigh with

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 19 impatience when an elderly English hemispheres. It is signed who, because of initial economic gentleman comes tottering in, and "HOLBROOKS Apparatus Mfg. Co. deprivation, had not received a formal after a careful peer around, muttering WETHERSFIELD. CT.", and dates education adequate to their about everything being over-cleaned, between 1819 and 1836, probably responsibilities of citizenship. finally points a trembling finger at before 1830. [t was made by the firm something and asks "How much is of Josiah Holbrook (1788-1854), the Saul Moskowitz that?" They know perfectly well that founder of adult education in America, Marblehead, Massachusetts the old boy has no intention of buying the Lyceum system. A graduate from the thing, but he will produce the Yale in 1810, he opened his first important information that he got a industrial school on his father'sfarm in better one in 1952 for half a crown. Derby, Connecticut in 1819. Although If Mr Gould wishes to dispose of his this was not a success, he went on to set collection, I would be pleased to hear up various companies manufacturing from him. My assistants can hardly educational apparatus in Wethersfield wait. (just south of Hartford), then Boston, Arthur Middleton and between 1837 and 1852 in Berea, Covent Garden, London Ohio. From 1849 until his death, his p,' home was in Washington, D.C., where he continued to promote his concept of American Pocket Globes democracy through education. Thus Sir, this globe is far more important for what it represents than for what it is, I found the articles on pocket globes in even though it is a healthy departure o Bulletin No. 7 both interesting and from the conventionalized toys for the disappointing. The disappointment well-to-do made in England and on the arises from the failure of otherwise Continent. It was made as one of the competent scholarship to cross the tools to help in the education of those Atlantic. A unique approach to the design of pocket globes was made in the early days of the Republic. Here are two photographs of one of these globes and some relevant information which may prove of interest to the Old World membership of the Society. The globe has hemispheres of 2.9 in diameter, hinged together, covered on li - - the outside and the fiat inside surfaces by hand-coloured engraved paper maps resulting in a terrestrial sphere which opens up to yield fiat projections of the eastern and western

Market-place

The auction houses have been in full for the last 25 years. It was far from that. catalogue was excellent, with good swing lately, and a large quantity of The majority of the instruments were detailed information and fine instruments have been sold. Some of very ordinary, and many had been illustrations. The collection was them were very fine instruments, the repaired and restored. There were assembled by Josef Pieter Zailinger most spectacular of them all being a some fine microscopes in the sale (1730-1805) for his own use, and it is magnificent ormolu microscope sold which fetched high prices. These extremely rare to see such a collection by Sotheby's in Monte Carlo for included a Marshall-type microscope for sale. The sadness was that many of £70,000. It was made by Alex Magny of which sold for £23,500 and a fine and the instruments were incomplete, and Paris in the mid-eighteenth century extremely rare George Adams "New the fine gold and silver instruments and is a compound monocular Universal Double Microscope" in its which used to be in the collection were microscope with its original tooled original case with all its accessories. sold for scrap after the war, along with leather case and accessories. It is an This sold for £22,000. A surprise in the the heavier brass instruments. extremely important French sale was the high prices paid for spy- instrument and could not have been gla~es; these have been difficult to sell The collection was dominated by exported. It was bought by a Parisian for years but in this sale several sold at instruments made by or associated dealer around the £400 mark. with G.F. Brander (see Bulletin No. 3, pp. 16-17), although there were also In London, Sotheby's sold the Arthur The Zallinger collection of scientific two fine English instruments. A clutch Frank collection, which was widely instruments was sold at Christie's of curators were in the saleroom to publicized as the most important sale South Kensington in April. The compete with the dealers and

20 Bulletin of theScientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) collectors. Sales can be very exciting, at 75a ]ermyn 5treet. Having outgrown displayed- Editor. especially bidding for something very their Brighton premises, Trevor Philip rare. I spent the day bidding furiously, & Sons transferred their business to and only managed to buy one fine London where a choice selection of instrument, a beautifully engraved instruments is now most attractively Compound monocular microscope by ring dial by Richard Glynne in a Alex Magny, Paris, sold 24 February leather case with gilt decoration. Most 1986 at Sotheby's in Monte Carlo. of the Brander instruments went back to Germany, which was highly proper. Karl Pohl of Cologne bought several of the best lots, including a small German planispheric astrolabe for £13,000. The Deutsches Museum were active buyers to complement their existing large Brander collection. In many instances high prices were paid for incomplete instruments and empty leather cases with Brander associations. In my opinion Brander was not in the same league of instrument makers as his English or French contemporaries, who produced finer and more advanced instruments. f~ The Whipple Museum bought a surveyor's sextant by Brander for £2200, in mint condition and in its original leather case. Gerard Turner could be seen beaming from ear to ear when the Museum of the History of Science at Oxford became the proud owners of a rare late17th-century brass quadrant by John Prulean of Oxford, so yet another instrument went back to where it belongs. An arithmometer by Thomas de Colmar sold for £1300, which reflects the growing interestin calculatingand computing machines. There is a growing number of collectors ,X interested in everything connected with the predecessors of modem computers. Away from the auctions, the Science Museum bought a very fine celestial globe by Plancius dated 1625. Basing his stellar positions on the work of Tycho Brahe, the Dutch mapmaker Petrus Plancius started to make accurate celestial globes in the late 16th century. This is the firstsuch globe to include the southern constellations Triangulum and the Southern Cross, plus the Magellanic Clouds "Nubecula Major" and "Nubecula Minor" - the earliest representation of external galaxies on a celestialglobe. The globe is in marvellous condition with all its original colouring. The market for good instruments is very buoyant, reflectingthe growing interest in scientific instruments of merit and rarity.

David Weston

The instrument market received another potent stimulus with the opening on 29 April of a major gallery

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 21 Instrumental Events

Until 17 June 1986, London the Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle 8 July to end of October 1986, Street, London WIX 4BS. The cost is Greenwtch Research seminar on medicine, science £8-00 to members and £9-00 to non- and technology in Islamic civilization: members. Payment should be sent to "Magnetic Compasses from the the formative period. Seminar Room, Dr. Frank James at the RI. Admiralty Compass Observatory', an Wellcome Institute, 183 Euston Road, exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE10 London, fortnightly from 22 April to 17 20 to 21 June 1986, Hungary June 1986, at 16:45. Organized by Dr. 9NF. Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 G.A. Russell in collaboration with the to 18:00 and Sunday 14:00 to 18:00. Symposium organized to commemo- Admission £1-00. Department of History and Philosophy rate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Science, Untversity College, of Johannes Regiomontanus. As well 14 to 16 July 1986, Oxford London. as a number of papers relating to scientific instruments, an exhibition Until 12 July 1986, Florence "Patronage in Science", a meeting at has been arranged. Fee approximately St. Hilda's College arranged by the £10-00. Details from Dr. Laszl6 Jonas, "Misura d'Uomo', an exhibition on the British Society for the History of "Pet6fl" Cultural Centre, Esztergom, instrumentation, theory and practice Science. Fee £65-00 (residential). Pet6fl Str. 20-22, H-2500, Hungary. of anthropometry and experimental Details from Dr. G. L'E. Turner, The psychology in the 18th and 19th Old Barn, Mill Street, Islip, Oxon. OX5 2SY. centuries at the lstituto • Museo di 26 June 1986, London Storia della Scienza, Piazza dei Giudici 27 to 29 August 1986, Utrecht 1, 50122 Florence, Italy. "Museums and History" is the title of a seminar to be given by Dr. Ghislaine "New Trends in the History of Until $ October 1986, Stamford, Skinner at the Science Museum, South England Science~, a congress at Utrecht Kensington, London SW7 2DD. Details University, the Netherlands. Details from D.]. Bryden, Science Museum from Dr. R.P.W. Visser, Biohistorical "The Gentleman Collector", an Library, London SW7 5NH. exhibition of scientific instruments Institute, University of Utrecht, and other inventions collected by Nieuwe Gracht 187, 3512 LM Utrecht, Henry Cecil, 10th Earl and 1st 2 to 4 July 1986, London The Netherlands. Marquess of Exeter. On view in the Goody Rudkin Room, Burghley "The History of Physics for the 7 to 17 September 1986, London House, Stamford, Lincolnshire. 11:00 Physicist", a conference organized by and Oxford to 17:00 daily. Admission to house and the History of Physics Group of the exhibition £2-90 for adults, £1-60 for Institute of Physics, to be held in Medical History Conferences in children under 14. Further information Oxford. One of the sessions is titled conjunction with the Medical from Sue Bond, 46 Greswell Street, "The History of Experimentation, Collectors' Association of the USA are London SW6 6PP. Instruments and Developmental organizing a Collectors' Tour with the Research". Registration forms may be theme "The History of Medical Until 7 December 1986, obtained from the Meetings Officer, Instruments and Pharmaceuticals" at Cambridge, England The Institute of Physics, 47 Belgrave the Russell Hotel, London and Square, London SW1X 8QX. Wadham College, Oxford. They will "The Social History of the also visit museums, dealers and sales. Microscope" an exhibition at the Further information from Dr. Nicholas Whipple Museum of the History of Dewey, BCM, Box Dewey, London Science, Free School Lane, Cambridge 4 to 6 July 1986, Edinburgh WCIN 3XX. CB2 3RH. Open during term time, weekdays and the first Sunday of the The Institution of Electrical Engineers 10 September 1986, London month (until October), 14:00 to 16:00. is holding a "History of Electrical Admission free. Exhibition Engineering Weekend" at the Heriot- A quiz on scientific instruments with monograph £1-50 plus postage. Watt University. A number of aspects teams of collectors, dealers and of the meeting will refer to scientific curators will take place in the evening 5 June 1986, London instruments. Fee £67-00 (residential). at the Science Museum, Exhibition Further details from Louise Burton, Road, South Kensington, London SW7 "Writing a History of Scientific lEE Groups Officer, Institution of 2DD. Details will be circulated to Instruments" is the title of a seminar to Electrical Engineers, Savoy Place, members of the Scientific Instrument be given by Dr. Marl Williams at the London WC2R 0BL. Society. Science Museum, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD. Details from D.J. 11 to 14 September 1986, Bryden at the Science Museum Library, 7 to 9 July 1986, London Amsterdam London SW7 5NH. "Early Wireless-The Thermionic Age, The Sixth International Coronelli 20 June 1986, London Past and Present" is a short course Symposium is organized jointly by the jointly sponsored by the lEE, IERE, Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum and "Ampere, Faraday and Maxwell: Three British Vintage Wireless Society and the lnternationale Coronelli- Founders of Electromagnetism", a day- American Antique Wireless Gesellschaft fiir Globen- und long joint meeting of the British Association at Imperial College. Fee lnstrumentenkunde, Vienna. Informa- Society for the History of Mathematics £85-00. Details from J. Stanley, Short tion from W.F.J. M6rzer Bruyns at and the Royal Institution Centre for the Courses Office, Registry, Imperial the Museum, Kattenburgerplein 1, History of Science and Technology at College, London SW7 2AZ. 1018 KK Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

22 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 17 to 19 September 1986, London 17 November to 14 December 1986, Royal Museum of Scotland London "Laboratories: The Place of The permanent exhibition "Tools of Experiment", symposium organized "The Figure of the Earth", an Science" is now open Monday to by RICHST to be held at the Royal exhibition organized by the Saturday, I0:00 to 17:00, and Sunday, Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, F,~d6ration Internationale de 14:00 to 17:00,in the Museum, which is London W1X 4BX. Fee £35-00. Details G&om,Hres is being transferred to the in Chambers Street, Edinburgh EHI from Dr. Frank James at the RI. Science Museum, London from the IJF. Admission free. Academic des Sciences, Paris. 6 to 11 October 1986, Florence Opening hours Monday to Saturday Greater Manchester Museum of I0:00 to 18:00, Sunday 14:30 to 18:00. Science and Industry Sixth International Symposium on The exhibition will also visit Toronto, Scientific Instruments held under the Quito, Uppsala and Madrid. Further The National ElectricityGallery is a auspices of the Scientific Instrument mformation from Dr. Anita new permanent display at the McConnell, Science Museum, London Museum, which is in Liverpool Road, Commission of the International SW7 2DD. Union of the History and Philosophy Castlefield, Manchester M3 4JP. A of Science. Details from Paolo Brenni, In association with the above there will number of items relating to scientific Istitutoe Museo di Storiadella Scienza, be a colloquium on 20 November 1986 instruments are included. Daily 10:30 Piazza dei Giudici 1, 50122 Florence, at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 to 17:00.Admission £0-50. Italy. Reservations must be made and Kensington Gore, London SW7. papers offered for the Symposium as Further details from Brigadier G. Please Note:. soon as possible. Gathercole at the R.G.S. Advice of meetingl does not constitute an open invitation to attend! Check 19 November 1986, London with the g,~oup in question whether 13 to 17 October 1986, Hungary participation by outsiders is The Society for Nautical Research's permissible. "The Development of Science and E.G.R. Taylor Lecture will be delivered Technology in Central Europe between Please send intelligence of suitable by Dr. G.L'E. Turner on "Elizabethan exhibitions, conferences etc. for 1918 and 1938", conference to be held Computers: Sir Robert Dudley, his inclusion in this column to Peter in Keszthely, and organized by the Instruments and L'Arcano del Mare" at Oelehar, 146 Portobello Road, London Federation of Technical and Scientific the Royal Geographical Society, Wll 2DZ. Comments on the new Societies (Mtesz), Budapest. Details Kensington Gore, London S.W.7. A from Prof. Ferenc Szabadv~iry,Kossuth format adopted for "Instrumental reception will be at 18:15 by ticketand Events" will be welcome. Lajos t~r 6--8, Budapest V, 1055 the lecturewill be from 19:00 to 20:00. Hungary. S.I.S. members apply for ticketsto the Honorary Secretary.

9 November 1986, London Late November 1986

"The First International Scientific "Museums, Artifactsand the History Instrument Fair" will be held at the of Science" a joint meeting with the Washington Hotel, Curzon Street, Group for Scientific, Technical and Mayfair, London W.I on Sunday, 9 Medical Collections and the British November 1986, I0:00 to 17:00. Society for the History of Science. Admission £I-50. Information from Details from John Burnett, Royal Peter Delehar Marketing, 146 Museum of Scotland,Chambers Street, Portobello Road, London Wli 2DZ. Edinburgh EHI IJF.

Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 23 ADAMS, TAPER BODY, SINGLE Advertising Charges Classified DRAW, MARINE TYPE TELESCOPE 1 metre long £165. Other interesting Advertisements older instruments, particularly Rates for advertising in the Bulletin are binoculars usually available. as follows: BIONISTONE, "MATHEMATICAL Telephone 0367-20459 (Faringdon, Half page INSTRUMENTS', Holland Press Oxfordshire). Quarter page F.30 reprint or other "working" copy Eishth page ~0 urgently wanted for study. Willing to COLLECTOR of antique typewriters, Classified f3 rain up to 24 words + pay a good price. Also early boxwood calculators and dental equipment is 20p/word up to 10 lines looking for books, catalogues, journals, slide rules. Richard Knight, 26 Barlows These rates allow placement according Road, Birmingham 15, 021-454 1098. instructions, patent applications, bills and letters about these instructions. to the run of the printing; for a Please make an offer to Dr. Dieter designated page position add 20%. A TYPEWRITERS, EARLY block booking over one year (four CALCULATING MACHINES & Zibrowius, Keolnstrasse 18, D-5170 Juelich, West Germany. issues) entitles the advertiser to a 10% DEVICES and other office equipment discount. Note that the rates quoted pre 1920, television, cinematography, above cover only publication of the magic lanterns and other optical toys, OLD MICROSCOPES IN GOOD advertisement in camera-ready form; early prinhng presses, also magazines CONDITION mainly in brass: sell, any artwork required on the part of the and trade iournals, and publicity and buy and exchange. Illustrated printer must be charged for separately. other paper work wanted. Top prices catalogue £2 (8DM). Correspondence Advertisers will appreciate that some paid. Uwe H. Breker, Markusweg in English, German or Hungarian. Dr. latitude must be allowed for in the 10,D-5000 Koeln-50, West Germany, T. Bahizs, Kirchstrasse 7, D-8901 space occupied according to the format Tel. 010.49.2236/O2210. Merching, W. Germany. supplied. Administration of advertising placed in the Bulletin is handled by Peter Delehar (01-866 8659).

David I ston Ltd 44 I)UKI-: STRi:IT. ST. JAMI'.S'S. L.O~I)t)N SWIY (fl)D. I1:1.: 01-X39 105112/3

EARLY SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS BOUGHT, SOLD AND EXCHANGED -- SPECIALIST IN NAVIGATION AND ALL PRE-ld00 INSTRUMENTS PLEASE PHONE FOR AN APPOINTMENT.

24 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) Trevor Philip & Sons Ltd.

75A Jermyn Street, St. James's London S.W. 1 01-930 2954/5

are most pleased to welcome old and new customers to their galleries at the above address. We will continue to specialise in unusual and very fine quality antique items of Science, Medicine and Technology.

DEREK HOWARD K. H. POHL A vast array of Nautical and Scientific Instruments Renai,~,,ance('lock,, Fi,,chmark! 5 Scientific Instruments of the Tel: (221) 246455 and 2133q5 18th & 19th century including D-5(HI(I KOI.N i (Altstadt) famous makers such as Cary, Dollond, Troughton & Simms, Ross and Gilbert etc Astronomical instruments Surveying instrument,,, Microscopes, Early gold and money scales, Astrolabes, Dials and compendiums, etc. Chenil Galleries Stand B2 183 King's Road, Inlcrc.,,ted in buying good continental ob.icct.~ Chelsea, of museum quality London SW3. ()wily by appoinlmenl (no catah)gues) (Next door to Chelsea Old Town Hall) Telephone: 01-352 2163

Bulletin otthe,~ientzficinstrument Society No. 9 (1986) 25 SOTHEBY'S ~F'~ts of Science and Technology 1300-1900

LONDON ~rh' Sc~ml~ |nstrun~nts

WEDNESDAY 18TH JUNE 1986 AT 11 AM

TESSEILACT catalogue B,,~ ,~l $4 or £3 Ha~t,nll~-on-Hudqon Ne,~ Yt~rk IOTL'~ It) 14) 47~,-)' ~4

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An cxtrcdmgl~," rare iIl¢'di¢.xdJ | tll,q+<.,tll PI,Htl,,pherit A~,lrolatw. Scientific, Dom~tic & Experimental. 1300, 21 ~m. diameter. [,,linia|c ~)11 rt'l]l.ll-Sl. Dateline 1900 Private Collector of Early Light Bulbs

Enquiries: Jon Baddeh.y ALSO A T Stands 12-13 (Sats only) 284 Westboume Grove ~k)th~'bv's. ~4-3,5 N('~t&° Bond Slreet, I_amd.n WIA 2AA. li'h'ph.ne: ~01. 493 8080. [('h'x: 24454 SPBI.ON G Off Portobello Road London Wl 1

26 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1966)

.41 Established - "~',~l~~i . et Wy nter ~:j., _..['. BritishMemberAntique

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Wednesday 10 September at 12 noon

We can accept items for inclusion in this sale until the end of July.

Enquiries: Hugo Marsh, Ext 332

An early lgth ~entu~ Troughton and Simms double-frame~extant.

7 BlenheimSt. New Bond St, London W1¥ 0AS lel 01 .e2o o03:' LONDON PARIS NEW,fORK GENEVA BRUbSH.S f. ::~htte. ~k,,oomsthr,,.~r~,,.t the I l,.led K m.¢d,,m X qembc, , ,,t the ~,~ :t~ at Fro, Art A u, t~one¢,

Bulletin of the Scientific instrument Society No. 9 (1986) 27 J

Scientific and Medical Instruments Thursday lOthJuly at 2 p.m.

For further details please contact Jeremy Collins F.S.V.A. \ CHRISTIES SOUTH KENSINGTON' / 85 OLD BROMFTON ROAD, LONff)ON SW7 3LD.TEL: 01 581 7611. STUART TALBOT BUYS & SELLS FINE 18TH & 19TH CENTURY SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS Every Saturday at Rogers Gallery 65 Portobello Road, London Wl 1 Tel: 01-969 7011 Es~blisbed 1970 ALAIN BRIEUX 48, rue Jacob, 75006 Paris T£L. (L) 42 60 21 98 PRINCIPIA HISTOIRE DES SCIENCES Arts & Science ET DE LA MEDECINE

LIVRES ANCIENS - AUTOGRAPHES Michael Forrer 5 London Road INSTRUMENTS SCIENTIFIQUES ANCIENS Marlborough INSTRUMENTS ANCIENS DE MI~DECINE Wiltshire. U.K. 8 Miles from M4 Exit 15 ET DE CHIRURGIE Tel: 0672 52072

28 Bulletin of the Scientific Instrument Society No. 9 (1986) Table of Contents

Editor's Page ...... Jon Darius 1 Whys & Wherefores of Cataloguing Instruments ...... 2 Notice of Annual General Meeting ...... 2 Back Issues ...... 2 Silvio Bedini:First Honorary Member ...... Gerard Turner 3 A Note on the Life of Hilkiah Bedford ...... Anthony Turner 3 Theft of Instruments in Rome: An Update ...... Silvio A. Bedini 5 Meeting at the Whipple Museum ...... 8 Brief Report ...... Stephen Edell 8 The Firm of Powell and Lealand ...... David Young 8 Instrument Makers of Fleet Street from Archival Sources ...... John MiIIbum 8 Henry Barrow, Instrument Maker ...... John T. Stock 11 Van der Bildt Telescope in Teyler's Museum ...... Gerard Turner 13 Book Reviews ...... David Bryden, Henry C. King 15 Exhibition Reviews ...... John Dennett, Stuart Talbot 17 Queries ...... 18 Letters to the Editor ...... 19 Market-place ...... David Weston 20 Instrumental Events ...... 22 Advertisements (including Classified) and Advertising Charges ...... 24