overall: 21 1/4 in x 11 in x 9 in; 53.975 cm x 27.94 cm x 22.86 cm
overall: 9 3/16 in x 21 in x 9 in; 23.33625 cm x 53.34 cm x 22.86 cm
Object Name:
spectroscope
Date made:
1890s
Description:
Following his appointment as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 1887, Samuel Pierpont Langley built an astrophysical observatory in Washington, D.C. The centerpiece of this facility was a large spectroscope outfitted with a bolometer for studies of the infra-red solar spectrum. The form was worked out by William Grunow, a German immigrant and instrument maker then living in West Point, N.Y., following Langley's directions and suggestions. Actual production was done by William Grunow Jr., in New York City. The cost was $2,800. This is part of that instrument.
Ref: <i>Annals of the Astrophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian Institution</i> 1 (1900).
D. J. Warner, "Julius & William Grunow," <i>Rittenhouse</i> 3 (1989): 41-48.
