Astronomy In California 1850 – 1950:
Telescope Makers, Telescopes, and Artifacts
Refracting Telescope
By the John A. Brashear Company, American Telescope Maker
Andrew Carnegie was a renowned philanthropist, a friend of John Brashear, and a supporter of George Ellery Hale (father of Mount Wilson Observatory). His Carnegie Institution helped found the Mount Wilson Observatory near Pasadena. The Carnegie Institution funded the solar telescope and 60-inch reflector at Mount Wilson, and later participated in the funding of the 100-inch reflector, for a time the largest telescope in the world.
This attractive 3 1/2-inch refractor was made by John Brashear in 1912. It was a gift from John Brashear to Mr. and Mrs. Carnegie on their 25th wedding anniversary. The dedication plaque on the telescope tube reads: "To Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Carnegie with affectionate Greeting from John A. Brashear, on the 25th Anniversary of their marriage. The Love we liberate in our Life work is the Love Worth Keeping."
The telescope's tube is brass (anodized black), 35 9/16 inches long and 3 3/4 inches in diameter. The objective itself is of 3 9/16 inches clear aperture, with the crown and flint glass separated by three small shims apparently cut from a US one-dollar bill. The finder is brass (anodized black) with a 1 1/4-inch objective. The telescope is stored in a wood mahogany case.
| 
