Telescope

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This reflecting telescope is on a stand which was made around 1815, possibly by John Miller and Alexander Adie, scientific instrument makers based in Edinburgh between 1804 and 1822. It was probably meant to decorate the library of a gentleman, rather than be used for serious astronomical work. However, it is very incomplete, and the telescope is a later replacement.

The two-foot focus telescope has a speculum metal primary and a leather-covered, brass-bound sheet iron barrel. It is mounted on an earlier, signed, mahogany stand. It appears to be a mid-19th century instrument, and now lacks its eyepieces, secondary speculum and the original focussing mechanism: it has been re-covered (probably in the 20th century) in leather.

Alexander Adie (1775-1858) was apprenticed in around 1787 to his uncle, John Miller (1746-1815), one of the most important Scottish scientific instrument makers of his generation. Trading as 'Miller & Adie' between 1803 and 1822 they provided a wide range of instruments to a number of different markets of customer, ranging from items such as this (for the amateur enthusiast) through practical surveying instruments, to specialist pieces for the 'scientist'.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-104-272-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1980.272
• Date: Around 1815
  c. 1815
  
• Material: Mahogany / iron / brass / leather. Inscription: Miller & Adie / Edinburgh
  Telescope, reflecting / stand
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Telescope, reflecting / stand
  
• Subject: 22. PHYSICS, Light (Departmental Classification)
  
• Who: Arthur Frank Collection of Scottish Scientific Instruments
  Miller and Adie, Edinburgh (Manufacturer of stand)
  
• Where: Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh
  
• Event:
• Description: 2-foot focus Gregorian reflecting telescope with speculum metal primary and leather-covered, brass-bound sheet iron barrel, mounted on a mahogany stand, signed by Miller and Adie of Edinburgh, c. 1815
  
• References:
  • Clarke, T.N., Morrison-Low, A.D. & Simpson, A.D.C. Brass & glass scientific instrument making workshops in Scotland as illustrated by instruments from the Arthur Frank Collection at the Royal Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh: NMS, 1989. p 67 
  • For Miller & Adie, see Clarke, T.N., Morrison-Low, A.D. & Simpson, A.D.C. Brass & glass scientific instrument making workshops in Scotland as illustrated by instruments from the Arthur Frank Collection at the Royal Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh: NMS, 1989 
  • T.N. Clarke, A.D. Morrison-Low and A.D.C. Simpson (1989): "Brass and Glass 
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