Tuesday 2 June 2009

Visitation Day: Saturday June 2, 1894

Visitation Day

Meeting of Board at 12 noon adjourning about 1.20 for lunch & inspection of Observatory meeting again 3.30 to 4.30.

351 Visitors including 47 ladies – too great a crowd. Former computers &c who ask for a card every year may be struck off next time. Plans of Obsy & Grounds?? On scale of the lithographed Plan in ‘Greenwich Observations’ to be prepared & put up in prominent posn with places of principal instruments &c marked. Arrangements to be made if possible to admit Visitors in batches only to Ball Lobby, Chronometer Room, Great Equatorial (staircase) & other places where there is likely to be a block. The Altaz. & Sheepshanks might be locked up, only visitors who specially ask to see these instrs being taken up there. More milk wanted for the chocolate, owing to increase in number of Visitors. Copies of Report to B of V. not received till 1.15. 50 advance copies should be supplied in future for use of B of V. at meeting at noon. Sir Ughtred K. Shuttleworth (Secy of Admy) went round Observatory.

Dinner at Criterion at 6.30. Only 26 present.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal



Lithograph plan of the Royal Observatory and Grounds, c.1890, including sketch of an alternative proposal for the New Physical Observatory in the south of the site. CUL RGO 7/50 copyright and reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library.

Visitation day: 300 visitors including 50 or 60 ladies. There was rather a crush on the staircase leading to the Great Equatorial. The Chronometer room was crowded most of the afternoon. At times the 28 Inch Dome, the Longitude Pavilion, & the new South Wing were crowded. Very few visited the Lassell Dome or the Sheepshanks Equatorial. 30 or 40 went up to the Altazimuth. It will be well to consider whether the doors of the Chronometer room and Great Equatorial had not better be shut when about a dozen people are in the room. The computer in charge of the Water Clock might see to this.


Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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