Jesse Ramsden: the craftsman who believed that big was beautiful
Abstract
Ramsden was renowned for the design, craftsmanship and accuracy of his larger instruments, and for his workforce of up to fifty people, unusual in the scientific instrument workshops of his day. The workshop also produced a variety of lesser instruments. Following in the footsteps of Jonathan Sisson and John Bird, he built up an enduring reputation for design and precision of manufacture. Ramsden's own business archive does not survive, but correspondence with his various customers and letters between third parties illuminate his working life. These documents also reveal that there were several major astronomical instruments for which he accepted commissions but failed to deliver.
- Publication:
-
The Antiquarian Astronomer
- Pub Date:
- March 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AntAs...7...41M