Telescope
notes: label: Description
content: Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio, was established in 1824 for the purpose of educating Episcopal clergymen, and added a classical department soon thereafter. Hamilton Lanphere Smith (1818-1903), a Yale graduate, became Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Kenyon in 1854. In 1859, Kenyon announced that the tower of Ascension Hall had been “fitted for an Observatory” and contains a good achromatic telescope and other astronomical instruments.”
label: Description
content: This telescope from Kenyon College is neither signed nor dated, but it does resemble the famous refractor that Fraunhofer made for the Dorpat Observatory (now Tartu, Estonia) in the 1820s. The achromatic objective lens is a bit over 5 inches aperture. The tube, made of sheet iron with a lap and rivet seam along its length, is 75 inches long, and carries a finder scope. The equatorial mount is made of cast iron and is equipped with circles for right ascension and declination. The pedestal is wood.
label: Description
content: The “Patd. Septr 25, 1855” inscription on the eyepiece probably refers to the U.S. patent for an “optical instrument” issued to Robt. B. Tolles of Canastota, New York. But the original Tolles Solid Ocular has been replaced with a later eyepiece.
label: Description
content: Ref: <i>Catalogue of the Theological Seminary of the Diocese of Ohio, and Kenyon College, 1858-59</i> (Gambier, Ohio, 1859), p. 54.
label: Description
content: “Kenyon College,” <i>Scribner’s Monthly</i> 15 (March 1878), pp. 698-707.
label: Description
content: Robert B. Tolles, “Optical Instrument,” U.S. Patent 13603 (Sept. 25, 1855).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
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: Kenyon College
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.336633
label: accession number
content: 1980.0802
label: model number
content: 82-9739
label: catalog number
content: 336633
label: catalog number
content: 1980.0802.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telescope, refracting
label: Object Name
content: telescope
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 27 in x 28 in x 87 in; 68.58 cm x 71.12 cm x 220.98 cm