Friday December 28, 1894

Returned to the Observatory in the afternoon and saw Sir H. Grubb's draughtsman about shutter of Astrographic Dome, blown off in gale of Dec. 22. Gave M^r Jordan Super^t of the Park two litho' plans of Obs^y showing new Physical Obs^y.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Wednesday December 19, 1894

M^r Crisp called to discuss new Altaz dome

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... This image shows the dome of the Altazimuth Pavilion today, although it no longer contains Christie's altazimuth telescope, the Universal Transit Circle. The building wasn't completed until 1899 and the weathervane was only put up in 1901. It shows Halley's Comet as depicated in the Bayeux Tapestry, in rememberance of Edmond Halley, the second astronomer royal, and in anticipation of the 1909/10 return of the comet.

Saturday December 15, 1894

M^r Jordan Super^t of Greenwich Park came down about proposed modification to R.O. Boundary. Gave him a litho. plan of R.O. showing modifications proposed including enclosure for Magnetic Pavilion E. side of Blackheath Avenue.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... Liographic plans of the Observatory's site seem to have been produced from time to time, on behalf of the Admiralty's Department of Works. The proposed new enclosure is what became the Christie Enclosure, about 320 meters east of Flamsteed House, which was initially home to the Magnet Pavillion but in the 1930s had buildings containing the reversible transit circle, Cookson zenith telescope and Yapp 36-inch telescope.

Friday December 14, 1894

R.A.S. meeting. Eclipse Com^ee 2.30, Photo. Com^ee 3.15, Council 4-6.15.
M^r Crisp came down to arrange about roof & dome of Altaz. building.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The RAS council meeting included a contribution by Frederick Howlett, a rector and astronomer dedicated to the study of sunspots. This caught my eye as I have recently been looking at the history of solar observation for a display called 'Solar Story' opening at the ROG in January. This will coincide with a new planetarium show, Secrets of the Sun, and the ROG's contribution to a citizen science project working with the data of the STEREO mission. It is a good opportunity to highlight the work of Maunder and the observatory's magnetic department.

Wednesday December 11, 1894

M^r Crisp came down to discuss new buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday November 26, 1894

M^r Crisp came down & discussed various questions about the new buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday November 5, 1894

Mr J. Raymond Smith Sculptor called to arrange about bust of Flamsteed for N. wing of Physical Observatory and took away ivory medallion & engraved portrait of Flamsteed on loan.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Rate of S.S. altered.
Reversion-Prism eyepiece, which had been broken sent to Mess^rs Troughton & Simms.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

RH says..... This image shows the medallion of Flamsteed that Christie sent the sculptor for reference, although the scultpure on the Physical Observatory probably owes more to the engraving, which can be see in this post. The completed bust can still be seen above the entrance of the Observatory's South Building today.

Tuesday October 30, 1894

Discussed with M^r Skinner (from Mess^rs Troughton & Simms) plans for new Astrographic micrometer and for Photographic spectroscope.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... On another topic, Graham Dolan has kindly send me an image of the Great Equatorial Building's balcony under construction - see entry for 19 October. He tells me that this picture can be dated to the summer of 1898, so it seems that it took some time to do the work. It is always interesting to see in these old images that, although the Observatory was closed to the public, it was still a sight for visitors to Greenwich Park - even if they were chiefly there for the view down to the river that the people on the benches at the right of the picture are enjoying.

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Monday October 22, 1894

Work on new Buildings (Altazimuth Pavilion) & Physical Obs^y (N. wing &c.) commenced.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... At last! Although both buildings still had a long way to go before completion - the Physical Observatory, in particular, for which funding was only secured piecemeal, wing by wing. Building works, of course, had been almost a constant throughout the history of the Observatory.

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Coincidentally, today, 22 October 2009, marks the 125th anniversary of the vote held at the international conference in Washington, D.C., that selected the Greenwich meridian as the Prime Meridian of the world. That vote, however, only led to recommendations being passed on to the 25 governments that sent delegates, only one of which (Japan) acted. In 1894, 10 years after the conference, Christie was still working on a Committee of the Science and Art Department to see how the Washington recommendations could be adopted.

Friday October 19, 1894

M^r Crisp & M^r Loughborough with M^r Awdry discussed the above. Also discussed, with M^r Crisp proposed Magnetic Pavilion in the Park and balcony below 36^ft Dome.

Discussed with M^r Simms plans for new Astrographic micrometer & Photographic spectroscope.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The 36-foot dome was the new onion-shaped dome that accommodated the larger 28-inch telescope instead of the Great Equatorial telescope that the building had originally contained. This postcard clearly shows the balcony that Christie discussed today.

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The Magnetic House at this time was still where it had been since the 1840s - in the south part of the Royal Observatory's site, but north of the New Physical Observatory. This area today is covered by the dome of the Peter Harrison Planetarium. Despite Christie performing apparently satisfactory experiments to test the effect of ironwork in the new buildings on the magnetic observations, it had obviously become clear that the would have to be performed away from the main site. The picture below shows the new Magnetic Pavilion, built in 1899, in the area of Greenwich Park that became known as the Christie Enclosure. This area, 350 yards east from the main site, once held several telescope domes, including that of the Yapp 36-inch telescope, as well as the Magnetic Pavilion and Magnetograph House. It was all dismantled and returned to the Park when the Observatory moved to Herstmonceux and the Greenwich site became part of the National Maritime Museum.

Wednesday October 17, 1894

Called at Director of Works’ Department and arranged for M^r Crisp to come down to settle various matters in connection with the new buildings to be commenced next Monday.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Thursday September 13, 1894

Saw Director of Works at Admiralty & M^r Crisp about new buildings. Received from M^r Simms small reflecting prism for spectroscope on 28ⁱⁿ telescope.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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Half-inch prism for spectroscope of 28 Inch arrived from Troughton & Simms.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Thursday August 9, 1894

M^r Cowdry came as Foreman of Works to superintend work on the new buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Tuesday August 7, 1894

Saw Assis^t. Director of Works & M^r Crisp at Adm^y about plans for new Altaz. Building.

M^r G.F. Millin of the Daily news came to enquire about progress of new Altazimuth & other works.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... Plans and designs for the new building works still rumble on, and clearly were of interest to the press. This journalist was George F. Millin and, according to one of his books, Life in Our Villages (1891), he was the Special Commissioner of the Daily News. He is also described in the catalogue of the National Archives as "a Liberal propagandist for social causes".

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This visit resulted in an article in the Daily News on 23 August 1894 which is very supportive of Christie's attempts to modernise the ROG. It begins "Greenwich Observatory, which at one time was rather discreditably behind several other similar establishments in different parts of the world, is rapidly moving to the front. Mr Christie seems determined that Greenwich shall take its proper place in the front rank, if not in the actual load, in the astronomical world...". Millin approved of the (eventual) willingness of the Admiralty and Treasury to fund the new buildings and instruments and believed that the ROG"little by little is really becoming a splendidly equipped institution" and that they would "make Greenwich Observatory somewhat worthier of its fame, not only in point of efficiency, but in appearance and as a great public institution".

Friday August 3, 1894

M^r Wrigglesworth & M^r Taylor from T. Cooke & Sons came with reference to estimates for new Altaz. Dome & moving & reerecting Lassell dome.

Willilam Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The instrument-making firm Thomas Cooke and Sons built both the Lassell and altazimuth domes at Greenwich. The former (pictured) was reused to surmount the New Physical Observatory.

Friday June 22, 1894

M^r Crisp called to discuss arrangements for the new Buildings.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The south wing of the Physical Observatory had been completed in April and Christie was hoping to press on with the completion of the dome (to hold the Thompson telescopes) above the central portion (known as the 'Museum', or instrument store) and begin work on the north wing (which would house his own office). Work was also about to start on the Altazimuth Pavilion. Christie did his best to stress to the Admiralty the importance of continuing work, highlighting the need to be ready to receive Thompson's generous gift and the danger that prolonged building work would put Observatory business at risk. At the June Visitation he explained that “A number of the moveable instruments are now being arranged in the glass cases in the Museum, or set up in the South wing as a preliminary to the completion of the inventory, but the work cannot be satisfactorily finished till the North wing is completed, as the building operations greatly hamper the arrangements."

Thursday June 14, 1894

M^r Hancock Supe^t of Telegraphs Western Australia examined arrangements for Earth current registers, which he proposes to start on two long lines of telegraph in Western Australia. Discussed the question with him & suggested that magnetic registers should also be taken. Saw Director of Works & M^r Crisp about new buildings, and also M^r Awdry.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Friday May 11, 1894

M^r Loughborough came up about the colouring of the terracotta in the new Building contrary to specification. R.A.S. Council Evening meeting.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Mr Julitt West, Berlin, Engineer called to see arrangements for time signals. He called again on May 16 & went into details of several points – viz – comparison of clocks – construction of Mean Solar clock Shepherd – Method of correcting Mean Solar Clock for small errors – Registration of signals on Chronograph – Barometric correction of S. S. Clock – Method of dropping Time Ball.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

RH says..... There is a clear difference in the colour of the terracotta on the later wings of the South Building, which may be what is referred to here. It is testament to the length of time it took to complete all four wings and to the difficulties that were encountered in supply of terracotta - frost and strikes had both caused severe delays.

Thursday May 10, 1894

M^r Hughes from Director of Stores Depart^t made out his list of Office furniture required for new building South Wing. M^r Simms Jun^r commenced mounting Simms & Cooke Equatorials & Water Telescope in South Wing Basement. Mr McGilicuddy[?] from Doching[?] & Son called about a mistake in no of copies of Astr. Results 1891, the 180 separate copies not having been struck off. I complained to him of the slow rate of printing. Settled [illegible] details of mounting of Spectroscope on 28 inch telescope. Went to meeting of R.S. (Papers on Eclipse of 1893 April 16) & to dinner of R.S. Club.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... E.Walter Maunder had this to say about the Water Telescope:

"An ingenious telescope was set up by Sir George Airy in order to ascertain if the speed of light were different when passing through water than when passing through air. Or, in other words, if the aberration of light would give the same value as at present if we observed through water. The water telescope, as it was called, is kept on the ground floor of the central octagon of the new observatory. The observations obtained with it were hardly quite satisfactory, but gave on the whole a negative result."

The Royal Society Club was a dining club, for the inner circles of the Royal Society. See Archibald Geikie's 1917 Annals of the Royal Society Club; the record of a London dining-club in the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries for background.

Tuesday May 8, 1894

M^r Crisp came down with M^r Grundy about warming Physical Obs^y by hot air.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says.... Some information about Mr Grundy and his company can be found here. The company (under John Grundy senior) filed a patent for heating rooms and buildings by hot air in 1864, a system that was adapted with improvements patented in 1889. This drawing is, I assume, from the original patent and may reflect what is still present in today's South Building at the ROG.