Telescope
date: label: date made
content: ca 1835
name: label: maker
content: Holcomb, Amasa
notes: label: Description
content: Amasa Holcomb (1787-1875) was a self-taught astronomer, surveyor and photographer, and the first American to make telescopes for sale. In 1833, the <i>American Journal of Science</i> reported that he "manufactures spy glasses of every description now in use; also achromatic telescopes of forty eight inches focal length” and "reflecting telescopes of from eight to twelve feet focal length." The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia reported that Holcomb’s reflecting telescopes compared favorably with instruments imported from Europe at much greater cost.
label: Description
content: This may be the larger of the two Holcomb instruments that were examined by a committee of the Franklin Institute on May 4, 1835, and that led to the recommendation that Holcomb be awarded the Scott's premium. It has an 8-inch mirror made of speculum metal, a sheet metal tube, and a Newtonian mount. It remained in the attic of the family home in Southwick, Mass., until 1933, when a descendant of the maker offered it to the Smithsonian.
label: Description
content: Ref: Robert P. Multhauf, ed., "Holcomb, Fitz, and Peate: Three 19th Century American Telescope Makers," <i>United States National Museum Bulletin</i> 228 (1962), pp. 160-164.
label: Description
content: "Manufacture of Telescopes, &c.," <i>American Journal of Science</i> 23 (1833): 403.
label: Description
content: "Report on Amasa Holcomb's Reflecting Telescope," <i>Journal of the Franklin Institute</i> 14 (1834): 169-172.
label: Description
content: "Report on Holcomb's Reflecting Telescopes," <i>Journal of the Franklin Institute</i> 16 (1835): 11-13.
label: Description
content: "Report on Mr. Amasa Holcomb's Reflecting Telescope," <i>Journal of the Franklin Institute</i> 18 (1836): 109-110, and 312.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Southwick
topic: label: Subject
content: Astronomy
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Grace Holcomb Steere
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.310598
label: accession number
content: 123587
label: catalog number
content: 310598
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telescope (reflecting)
label: Object Name
content: telescope, reflecting
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 112 in x 8 1/2 in; 284.48 cm x 21.59 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: cr7162: 21 in x 119 in x 26 in; 53.34 cm x 302.26 cm x 66.04 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 111 1/2 in x 11 1/2 in x 10 1/8 in; 283.21 cm x 29.21 cm x 25.7175 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: lens cap: 8 3/8 in x 10 3/4 in x 2 5/16 in; 21.2725 cm x 27.305 cm x 5.87375 cm