Dag- of nacht telescoop (reiskijker) in kist, Richardson Londen, Gebruikt door Siegenbeek van Heukelom te Batavia, 1775-1835

V08883

Zeekijker

Richardson; Londen (Maker)‎

1775 - 1835

Oculairbuis: "Richardson" / "LONDON" / "Adjustment for greater Magnifying Power / for Day or Night" Voorste buis: " IMPROVED TELESCOPE*" Op de binnenzijde van de deksel etiket: "RICHARDSON'S IMPROVED TELESCOPE."/ "This telescope being made upon a principle very different from all others, affords an opportunity of pleasantly adding a very supperior magnifying power, which can be used at pleasure without any extra trouble but that of adjusting the drawer. Vervolg opschrift: When this Telescope is in common use, its called a Day or Night, in consequence of its being made to admit more light than is to be met with the others, and by putting the adjusting drawer to the rough adjustment marked Day or Night, will find it the best Telescope for hazy weather or moonlight nights that can be offered to the public. In clear weather, when a greater magnifying power is necessary and can be used to advantage, give the head a small turn and draw to the rough adjustment engraved for greater magnifying power, the Telescope will then be increased in magnifying power nearly double. The Eye must be very close to the aperture when the greater magnifying power is used.

Kijkerbuis (37-99 cm. lang, 37-49 mm doorsnee) in drie segmenten van hout en messing. Enkelvoudig objectief (40 mm doorsnee) met messing afsluitschuif. Samengesteld oculair (gemerkt "A") met twee veldlenzen en afsluitschuif. Twee vergrotingen (9 X en 16 X) mogelijk. Mahoniehouten opbergkist (40 x 8 x 6 cm) met gebruikshandleiding op de binnenkant van de deksel.
Gebruikt door Siegenbeek van Heukelom te Batavia.Vervolg opschrift: When this Telescope is in common use, its called a Day or Night, in consequence of its being made to admit more light than is to be met with the others, and by putting the adjusting drawer to the rough adjustment marked Day or Night, will find it the best Telescope for hazy weather or moonlight nights that can be offered to the public. In clear weather, when a greater magnifying power is necessary and can be used to advantage, give the head a small turn and draw to the rough adjustment engraved for greater magnifying power, the Telescope will then be increased in magnifying power nearly double. The Eye must be very close to the aperture when the greater magnifying power is used.
De oude kaart geeft een gedetailleerde beschrijving.

Breedte: 37 cm
Diameter: 4.9 cm

'DAY OR NIGHT' TELESCOPE WITH BOX.

A manual attached to the inside of the mahogany storage box (40 x 8 x 6) explains that this instrument was called a ‘Day or Night-telescope’, because the objective was designed to admit more light than most other telescopes. The user would ‘find it the best telescope for hazy weather or moonlight nights that can be offered to the public’. This kind of telescope was introduced in 1754 by the London instrument maker J. Ayscough; the name ‘Day or Night telescope’ suggested that these instruments offered equal quality at night as well as in day time. They became quite popular, despite the fact that in practice these telescopes were equally bad in both circumstances.
This device was made by an optician called ‘Richardson’, who claimed to have improved the instrument. In the manual the claim is made that his telescopes were ‘made upon a principle very different from all others’, resulting in ‘a very superior magnifying power’. What was the claimed improvement, is not explained; perhaps it concerned the two magnifications (9 and 16 times).
Clifton lists six optical instrument makers operational at London in about 1800, the first being Matthew starting in 1742, followed by four bearing the name John and one with the name George, the last dying in 1835.

The telescope has three draw tubes (length 38-96, Ø 3.7-4.9) made of wood and brass. The simple objec-tive (Ø 4.0) has a brass dust cover slide. The compound ocular (marked ‘A’) has two field lenses and a shutter.

Length between 38 and 96, Ø 4.9
Signed on ocular: Richardson / LONDON / Adjustment for greater Magnifying Power / for Day or Night
Signed on tube: IMPROVED TELESCOPE*
Provenance: Mr and Mrs. Idenburg-Siegenbeek van Heukelom, Batavia, 1935

E. Engberts, Descriptive Catalogue of Telescopes in the Rijksmuseum voor de Geschiedenis der Natuurwetenschappen (National Museum of the History of Science) Leiden (Netherlands) Museum Boerhaave Leiden, 1970, mededeling 138), pp. 90-91.
(BOERH H 17716) Huib J. Zuidervaart, Telescopes from Leiden Observatory and other collections 1656-1859, a descriptive catalogue, 2007, p 77

Siegenbeek van Heukelom, A.; Batavia

03.06.4 Kijker (onderwerp)
London; United Kingdom (geografie)
Jakarta (Batavia), Java; Indonesia (geografie)

expositie Rijksmuseum Boerhaave