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

Saturday December 22, 1894

The shutter of the Astrographic Dome was blown off into the court at 11^h 32^m/ The wind was blowing 50 miles per hr, the pressure was 30 lbs per sq. ft. The head-piece of the dome fell inside, just missing M^r Davidson, who was printing reticles. The falling shutter struck the roof of the T.C. room breaking a few tiles and coping of the N.W. of the roof. It then fell on to the porch leading into the T.C. room, breaking one pane; it bent the corrugated iron covering in the front court & fell into the court. Niblett & Woodman at once covered the instrument with light tarpaulin, while Simmons procured some heavy tarpaulin from Mess^rs Mowlem & Co. Six of their men, who were engaged on the building of the New Altazimuth with Cross & Barnard firmly lashed this over the opening.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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RH says..... Oh dear, disaster strikes again just as Christie has left for his holidays. What is great about this is that not only do we have a photograph recording the incident, but that Dyson tells us that the falling piece of shutter nearly hit Davidson, one of the Observatory's human computers. It's just as well that it missed as this is the very same Davidson who went on to become an Assistant and to head the famous eclipse expedition to Sobral in 1919 at the same time as Arthur Eddington was in Principe, in an attempt to provide observational proof of Einstein's theory of relativity. Eddington, who had been a vocal supporter of Einstein, and Dyson, who had suggested the idea and organised the whole, generally get the credit for this work, but it was the photographs taken in Sobral under Davidson that provided the usable data. Davidson, Eddington and Dyson were co-authors of the 1920 paper on their results.

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.

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 December 9, 1894

Went to Troughton & Simms about Astrographic micrometer, Posⁿ mic. of 28in telescope, new Altazimuth &c. M^r Simms gave me a specimen of Mantics’[?] ordinary dense flint (very transparent) for new photo-spectroscope.

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

Tuesday November 20, 1894

Three wires of Altazimuth reported broken by M^r Bryant. The plate holding them was sent to Mess^rs Troughton & Simms.

The position wires of the 28ⁱⁿ Micrometer reported broken, by M^r Lewis. M^r Niblett told to repair them.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

Monday November 19, 1894

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

William Christie, Astronomer Royal

Sunday November 18, 1894

A gentleman named M^r Holmes fell down in a fit just outside the Observatory at 10 [o]’clock. He was carried into the Chief Assistant’s room, and attended to by his wife & sister. As the Astronomer Royal was away, M^r Dyson obtained what help he could from the Astronomer Royal’s house. M^r Johns was sent for D^r _______who stayed with the man till be could be moved at 3 o’clock.

Frank Dyson, Chief Assistant

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.