Collection:
Louwman Collection of Historic Telescopes
Accession #:
LC 66
Sources:
Louwman, P.J.K., and Zuidervaart, H.J., "A Certain Instrument to See Far: Four Centuries of Styling the Telescope Illustrated by a Selection of Treasures from the Louwman Collection of Historic Telescopes". Wassenaar, 2009. p.83. #71.
Louwman, P.J.K., and Zuidervaart, H.J., "A Certain Instrument for Seeing Far: Four Centuries of Styling the Telescope Illustrated by a Selection of Treasures from the Louwman Collection of Historic Telescopes". Wassenaar, 2013. p.88-89. #66.
Public Notes:
"Italian telescope on a peculiar equatorial stand, with a quadrant, circle and micrometre. Tube length 195 cm, Ø 2 cm. Unsigned, but made by Biasio Burlini according to the design, published by Burlini in a brochure dated at approximately 1720.
In his paper on Burlini, Lualdi (2003) writes about this brochure:
“[This] two page folio ‘opuscolo’ (i.e. a brochure), including a full-page engraved plate of a complicated telescope with a double altazimuth, horary pointer and an ocular housing for oblique viewing. On the table are other accessories. Although undated, this ‘opuscolo’ most probably came from the earlier phase of his production, as he takes the trouble of introducing himself in the opening paragraph and refers to only one: an instrument made by him. On the whole the apparatus seems very unstable and difficult to manipulate; the idea given by this brochure suggests an ‘impossible’ instrument, whose image could have been used to demonstrate Burlini’s potential to customers and thereby made him rise above the other opticians in the market”" (Louwman and Zuidervaart, 2013).
Dioptrice is made possible by the generous
support of the National Science Foundation, the National
Endowment for the Humanities, the Program in the History and
Philosophy of Science at the University of Notre Dame, and the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum.
