Cave Astrola 18.5-inch for Henry Clay Gibson

This iconic and unique Cave Astrola telescope was made as a special order for Henry Clay Gibson, 1885-1987, who had been a member of the Rittenhouse Astronomical Society. It was donated by Gibson to the University of Miami in Florida; modified by the University to be converted into a Newtonian-Cassegrainian with the optical work by Richard A. Fagin of Summit Instruments; and in 2024 transferred to Mark Sproul of the Springfield Telescope Makers and Antique Telescope Society. An 8x10 original print in the collection of the Astronomical Lyceum was kindly donated by Tom Dobbins.