Lot 387
4½-INCH ALTAZIMUTH REFRACTING BRASS TELESCOPE, BY DOLLOND, LONDON
CIRCA 1800
Fine Furniture and Works of Art
Auction: 5 April 2017 at 11:00 BST
Description
marked DOLLOND/ LONDON, with a finderscope, raised on a mahogany tripod, with a wood case and a box of further eyepieces, including three dark eyepieces
Dimensions
185cm long approx.
Footnote
The Collection of the Late Allan Murray.
Provenance: Trevor Philip & Sons Ltd., London, 25 May 2000
Note: As one of London's leading telescope manufacturers, the Dollond firm was initially run by John Dollond (1706-1761) and his son Peter (1731-1820), the former recognised for patenting an achromatic lens for telescopes in 1758. This ultimately gave Dollond a competitive edge over other manufacturers and their quality instruments became highly sought after. Notable clients included Admiral Lord Nelson and Thomas Jefferson. Signed 'Dollond, London', this refracting telescope features Dollond's trademark scientific invention: a powerful achromatic lens which allows the user to find greater focus on objects in view. For his outstanding contributions to science and optics, John Dollond received the Copley Medal of the Royal Society, the highest scientific accolade of the period.