Porter Garden Telescope?

Can someone explain the interest in these hideous contraptions beyond
the designer's connection to Palomar?? Do the people who fancy such
gaudy designs also cover their furniture in plastic?

http://tinyurl.com/yoblhq

On 21 Mar 2007 17:24:47 -0700, "Mean Mr Mustard"
wrote:

Can someone explain the interest in these hideous contraptions beyond
the designer's connection to Palomar?? Do the people who fancy such
gaudy designs also cover their furniture in plastic?

http://tinyurl.com/yoblhq

People with good taste appreciate things of beauty, whether or not those
things happen to be something they choose to own.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

That kind of scope has been around for a long time, all the way back to the
1700's at lest. If I had a closed garden area it would be great to have it
in there.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


On 21 Mar 2007 17:24:47 -0700, "Mean Mr Mustard"
wrote:

Can someone explain the interest in these hideous contraptions beyond
the designer's connection to Palomar?? Do the people who fancy such
gaudy designs also cover their furniture in plastic?

http://tinyurl.com/yoblhq

As someone who has lately given up on observing because it's too difficult
and frustrating to haul scope and equipment out to my light-polluted patio
via sliding doors and wheelchair ramp, I would love to have a permanantly
mounted outdoor scope like this. Maybe someday, when I'm not living in an
apartment. And if the design didn't cost $15,0000 plus.

Thanks for sharing. I had read about them somewhere in S & T, but never
figured I'd see one for sale.

Steve

Lean Mr Custard smote:

Well lemme see Muster Custard. It begins with the rock garden.
A few begonia, sedum, mums, a pretty rock or two, a nice stable
life, ncie family, loving wife and children, church every now and then,
some engineering talent, love of astronmomy, an idea late
one night ............... the phone is ringing, observatory to repair,
telescope to make, must run ............ sorry!



Can someone explain the interest in these hideous contraptions beyond
the designer's connection to Palomar?? Do the people who fancy such
gaudy designs also cover their furniture in plastic?

http://tinyurl.com/yoblhq

Can someone explain the interest in
these hideous contraptions beyond the
designer's connection to Palomar??

The art nouveau design was the fashion of the day. You have to have an
appreciation for old stuff.
Do the people who fancy such gaudy
designs also cover their furniture in
plastic?

If you can afford something like that, you
have a man who does that for you.
Marty

"Mean Mr Mustard" wrote
...
Can someone explain the interest in these hideous contraptions beyond
the designer's connection to Palomar?? Do the people who fancy such
gaudy designs also cover their furniture in plastic?

I suppose you have to like garden bronze art to like this scope. Porter was
an artist in addition to being an arctic explorer, architect, ATM, and
author.

Also, it's not just the Porter's connection to Palomar, but the Garden scope
itself. Note that it has a split-ring equatorial mount that Porter invented
and patented for the Garden scope. It's the first scope with the mount
design used for the 200" Hale scope at the suggestion of Porter and others.
The Garden scope can be used as a sun dial and some of them had double
diagonals and eyepiece holders so two people could observe at the same time.
The early adds show a young man and woman observing together with one -
dressed in formal attire no less!! Finally I believe this was the first
scope that was designed to be just left outside for years without any
protection, ready to use in about a minute.

Of course considering that the Garden Telescope was an economic failure,
with few being sold, perhaps most people felt as you do even back in the
20's. BTW, there is a group in Vermont selling modern reproductions with a
marble pier.

George N