Monday December 31, 1894

Prof. Turner here. Talked over with him question of measurement of astrographic plates, also publication of M^r Thackeray's paper on R.A.'s of Polaris in Memoirs R.A.S.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... It's nice to see Turner, the Royal Observatory's Chief Assistant at the start of 1894, put in an appearance on the last day of the year - because, of course, this is the last post for this blog as we say bye-bye to IYA 2009. I hope those of you who have been following it have enjoyed these glimpses into the past of the ROG. It's been interesting and useful for me, at least. My energies are now being diverted into the Cambridge/NMM Longitude Project: look out for a new blog there starting later in the year. And please note, Sobel enthusiasts, Longitude means more than Harrison!

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Happy new year - 1895 and 2010!

Saturday December 28, 1894

Discussed with Sir H. Grubb's draughtsman arrangements for new shutter to Astrographic Dome, new Altaz. Dome & base of 26in Photo-Telescope.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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

Friday December 21, 1894

Went to Wightwick, Wolverhampton for Xmas.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... Merry Christmas Will! I'm not sure what the Wolverhampton connection was, although Wikipedia describes it as "an extremely pleasant part of the more traditionally affluent western side of Wolverhampton". Wightwick is known for both Wightwick Manor, built 1887 and extended 1893, and Wightwick Hall. The former was owned by the Mander family, central to the industrial and business expansion of Wolverhampton. I can't find any obvious link between Christie and Theodore Mander (1853–1900), or his cousin Sir Charles Tertius Mander (1852-1929), who would seem to be his nearest contemporaries.

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.

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

Friday November 30, 1894

Col. Wheatley (Bailiff of Parks) called with M^r Jordan (Super^t Greenwich Park) with reference to improvement of west boundary of Obs^y from point of view of Park. He proposed to access[?] portion of garden between existing fence & west wall of Lawn & west side of garden house. I told him that questions of modification of boundary should be considered as a whole & explained to him the modification I should propose round Physical Obs^y and on east side. It was understood that he would raise the question of the alteration of west fence.

Sir H. Thompson dined with me at R.S. anniversary dinner.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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D^r Dyson made an observation of the Sun’s Transit across two plumb lines to determine the Meridian line of the New Altazimuth. The result agreed closely with the line obtained by M^r Nash by Magnetic Observations. The two plumb lines were 37^ft apart. The Centre of the Sun & the second limb crossed the line 5^s too soon: giving an error of 2^s. M^r Nash’s line was compared with Col: Tupman’s & agreed well.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... Christie's plans for the Physical Observatory had always required that a small parcel of land from the Royal Park be brought within the Royal Observatory's boundary. His tagging of this issue onto the question of improving the western boundary around Flamsteed House is decidedly sneaky.

30 November, St Andrew's Day, is the anniversary of the Royal Society's foundation in 1660: 2010 (or technically 1 December 2009 to 30 November 2010) will be a celebration of the Society's 350th anniversary.

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Lieutenant Colonel Tupman, mentioned by Dyson, had had a connection with the Royal Observatory in 1874, having organised one of the transit of Venus observing expeditions, but archives from the Observatory in Cambridge show that he continued observing at Hillfoot Observatory in Harrow.

Thursday November 29, 1894

Meeting of Ratcliffe Trustees[?] at 9 a.m.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... This entry is rather illegible, but my reading suggests that this relates to a meeting of the managers of the Oxford Radcliffe Observatory.

Wednesday November 28, 1894

Meeting of Blue Coat Trustees at 5.30

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... The Blue Coat charity was founded to provide schooling to poor children, who would wear the eponymous blue coats to school. The meeting that Christie attended probably related to the Greenwich Blue Coat School, now incorporated into the Blackheath Bluecoat School.

Monday November 26, 1894

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

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Monday November 19, 1894

Meeting of Sub Com^ee for Photographic Exhibⁿ at Imperial Institute 3.30.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Friday November 16, 1894

Went to Sandwich in the evening returning Monday morning Nov 19

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Thursday November 15, 1894

D^r Doberck here computing some old comet obs^ns in library.
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William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... This was the Dr Doberck who had called on 3 October to complain about his colleague in Hong Kong. He was best known as a double-star observer but this work on comets may have helped satisfy his frustrated desire to do research. He was, presumably, working in the 'New Library', designed at the end of George Airy's tenure as Astronomer Royal and completed under Christie. This photograph, taken before the Physical Observatory was completed and before work on the Altazimuth Pavilion started, shows the library on the right-hand side, with Flamsteed House and the dome of the 28-inch telescope in the background and the hut, offices and equipment of the Magnetic and Meteorological department and the top of the Lassell Dome in the foreground.

Wednesday November 14, 1894

Annual Meeting of Charity Organisation Soc^y in Octagon Room at 4.30. About 70 present. Very wet day, keeping many people away.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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RH says..... This clearly demonstrates how the Octagon Room - Flamsteed's Great Star Chamber - was so often used in the 19th century. 70 people seems a fair amount to fit into this room (these days public talks there are limited to 50-60) so it must have been a real squeeze at an event like this on a fine day. I can certainly vouch for the fact that a wet day in Greenwich Park keeps a large proportion of potential visitors to the ROG at home.

Friday November 9, 1894

R.A.S. Com^ee & Council meeting beginning at 2.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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Mr Swasey called – Gas failed. Mr Simmonds turned it off in the Chronometer room.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... The report of the RAS Council meeting can be found here. The meeting included a paper by Rev W. Sidgreaves on 'Solar Observations at Stonyhurst College Observatory', prompting a discussion on spectroscopic observations of sunspots and a long response from E. Walter Maunder, the head of the Royal Observatory's solar observation programme. There is also mention of Thomas Lewis's observations of a binary star with the 28-inch telescope. Responding to this, Maunder said that Lewis's observation was "a testimony to his skill and keenness of sight as a double-star observer; and it may also be regarded as satisfactory as showing the defining-power of the new refractor at Greenwich." In support of this point he added that on the previous Monday night he had observed Mars's satellites with it: "There was not the smallest difficulty in seeing and measuring" them.

Thursday November 8, 1894

Meeting of Com^ee of Advice for Imperial Institute Photographic Exhibition.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

RH says..... I came across this image on the internet the other day: I'm not sure if this is how Christie travelled to Sandwich on his holidays, but it would certainly be handy for him.

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.

Wednesday October 31, 1894

Meeting of Index Catalogue Com^ee (Astronomy). Prof. G. H. Darwin & I attended & we drew up a brief Report.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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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