Monday February 19, 1894

Arranged with Simmons for defective parts of the Observatory fence to be made good. Wrote to Admiralty called attention to my letter of Jan. 5 asking for protection to the Obs^y during the times when no Park keepers are available for patrol, especially from 4.15 to 5.30 p.m.

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

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Visited St James' Theatre with the Astronomer Royal, by invitation.

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H.H. Turner, Chief Assistant

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RH says.....

Christie was clearly concerned about the Observatory's security since the explosion on 15 February. If it was true that the park keepers were regularly unavailable at this time in the afternoon, it may suggest that Martial Bourdin had made his plans better than is usually believed.

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The visit to St James's Theatre in Piccadilly was to see the depiction of a large equatorial telescope, based on the ROG's astrographic, in the set of a new play. See the entry for 29 January for more information.

Monday January 29, 1894

The laying of Brookes’ electric main was commenced. M^r Henry H. Vincent (stage manager) & M^r H.P. Hall (artist) of the St James’ theatre called with reference to an Observatory scene in a new play. Showed Great Equatorial, Lassell & Astrographic Equatorial. The last seemed the most suitable.

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William Christie, Astronomer Royal8

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Rebekah Higgitt says.....

Here we find another use for large telescopes - inspiration for theatre design! A review of the "Brilliant First Night" of Henry Arthur Jones's "The Masequeraders" at St James's Theatre in Picadilly in April 1894 can be found online, a performance that was only marred by a "short and weak last act". Presumably it is only coincidence that it was this act that featured the telescope: "The last scene is laid in the observatory on Mont Saint Garidelli, in the Maritime Alps, near Nice. The room is dark, save for a shaft of moonlight which illuminates the large equatorial telescope in the inner room".