A humble mechanic of Brenetz, in the Canton of Neufchatel,
Switzerland, named Guinaud, having directed his attention to the
manufacture of flint glass towards the close of last century, at
length succeeded, after persevering efforts, in producing masses
of that substance perfectly free from stain, and therefore
adapted for the construction of the object-glasses of telescopes.
Frauenhofer, the Bavarian optician, having just begun business,
heard of the wonderful success of Guinaud, and induced the Swiss
mechanic to leave Brenetz and enter into partnership with him at
Munich in 1805.
The result was perfectly successful; and the new firm turned out
some of the largest object-glasses which had until then been
made. With one of these instruments, having an aperture of 9.9
inches, Struve, the Russian astronomer, made some of his greatest
discoveries. Frauenhofer was succeeded by Merz and Mahler, who
carried out his views, and turned out the famous refractors of
Pulkowa Observatory in Russia, and of Harvard University in the
United States. These last two telescopes contained
object-glasses of fifteen inches aperture.
The pernicious impost upon flint glass having at length been
removed by the English Government, an opportunity was afforded to
our native opticians to recover the supremacy which they had so
long lost. It is to Thomas Cooke, more than to any other person,
that we owe the recovery of this manufacture.
Pages:
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435