17 replies to this topic

[amicus sidera]

According to a press release from Edmund Optics here, Norman W. Edmund, founder of Edmund Scientific Corporation, has passed away.

Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him personally, many others of my acquaintance did, and to a man they were struck by his remarkable warmth, kindness, intelligence and generosity.

Certainly others will agree that a debt is owed to Norm Edmund, not only for the well-made yet reasonably-priced telescopes, eyepieces and other astronomical equipment that his firm made available to amateurs from the 1950's onward, but also for the wonderful line of how-to books and booklets that were produced... Edmund Scientific helped popularize amateur astronomy, and brought it within reach of many.

He has, and always will have, my thanks and respect.

May he rest in peace.

[CAVEMASTER]

Yes indeed many an hour perusing thru the catalog of the day. Especially that $45 star spectroscope. Remember when the 5 milliwatt Laser came out in '66 I believe. The Van de Graaff generator, 100000V $45. So much summer fun.
Might have been expensive but at least they were available.

[greju]

Thanks Norm.

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[bob midiri]

Amen to that. Mr Edmund probably had a BIG hand in getting a number of us interested in this hobby and telescope making. I ordered my first mirror making kit in 1973 for a 6" mirror grinding kit. It was the start of a love affair with mirror and telescope making, still with me to this day. May he rest in peace. Bob

[mikey cee]

Yep ole Norm made it possible to acquire my one and only reflector. My 3" f/10 in 1959 for a memorable Xmas indeed. Mike

[Roger Sinnott]

Yep ole Norm made it possible to acquire my one and only reflector. My 3" f/10 in 1959 for a memorable Xmas indeed. Mike

I had much the same experience, and then went on to buy four successive mirror-grinding kits from Edmund.

This morning I posted an article on the S&T website here.

There are three images embedded in the article: Norman himself, a spread of Edmund catalogs old and new, and a kid with an Astroscan. If you don't see all three, try again later. This is a persistent image-refreshing problem at the outside firm that runs the S&T site.

Roger

[bendab]

What a great credit Norman Edmund was to the Astronomy hobby.Bought my first real telescope from Edmund in 1976 and made countless 2hr trips down the New Jersey Turnpike to Edmund Scientific Co.in Barrington, New Jersey, just to look at those great telescopes. I still have the Edmund catalog #771 that I picked out the scope from 6"Reflector .

[Napersky]

4" F15

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[Napersky]

MADE IN AMERICA!

HURRAY...

[BarabinoSr]

His company has had an idelible impact on my atsronomical endeavours.I also have had many catalogs as a young man AND drooled over the scopes in there,especially that 4-inch refractor!!! I built this 6-inch f/15 Jaegers refractor back in 1976. It rode the mount they built for their 8-ich newtonian.I added an electric 8.2" drive built for me by a firm called Schmidt and Associates out of Wisconsin and added a matching piece of steel pipe to raise the scope to almost 6 feet high .At the time it was one of three known 6-inch f/15 refractors in the New Orleans area - the others being the one installed at the University of New Orleans Observatory where I worked from 1974 -1976 as observatory monitor, mine and one owned by an observer named Charles Lang. Mr. Norm, Thanks for the memories !! Gary(G:cool:)

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[SATMAN]

Napersky.
WOW 6inch Refractor When we're these manufactured ? I remember a red 8" Newtonian I Drooled over in the late 70's ! When I was a kid I couldn't wait for those catalogs to Arrive! Mine were "dog eared" before the next one arrived in the mail my first really good scope was a red tube 6" newtonian and Yes I have that star spectroscope they were made by GOTO and they really work!
I recently brought back sight unseen my old RKE set that I gave away 28 years ago. maybe old Norm had something to do with that. Edmund Scientific opened the skies to me long ago in the early 1970's.
Norman Edmund will be missed but not Forgotten.

[Napersky]

Satman!

No way mine is a 4" the red tube. It was Gary that posted that 6" monster and he said it was a Jagers on an Edmund mount! I too first thought wo that sure doesnt look anything like the Edmund 4" refractors I have seen, what is this beast?

[SATMAN]

Sorry just confused! I do remember the 4".. I had an old basket case Tinsley4" that was missing its objective I added a 4" f16 Edmund objective The Orion Nebula M42 was Very impressive with a 28mm RKE I still remember it clearly. Those old Edmund Acromats were very Good .

[Jeff B]

Thanks for the notice.

I too was profoundly affected in my youth by his catalogs and booklets. I wanted to build everything.

Thank you Mr. Edmund and rest forever in peace with the knowledge that you touched and inspired the lives of thousands.

Jeff

[mikey cee]

I still have that Edmund 3" F/10 stored away awaiting some cosmetic refurbishment. Here is a pick of the catalog that came with it....a little worn but it is 52 years old. I've always thought that the boy on the cover was Robert Edmund. Mike

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[mikey cee]

Here's a pic of the page inside the catalog. The scope came in a cardboard box which got destroyed in the frenzy of opening thee Xmas package of 1959!! :bawling:Mike

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[bob midiri]

Satman!

No way mine is a 4" the red tube. It was Gary that posted that 6" monster and he said it was a Jagers on an Edmund mount! I too first thought wo that sure doesnt look anything like the Edmund 4" refractors I have seen, what is this beast?

They never advertised a scope, but they offered a 5"F15 objective. It states in my 1973 catalog "imported objectives" next to the 5"F15 in a cell? Wonder where or who they imported from? Bob

[llanitedave]

All I can say is Edmund Scientific changed my life. That catalog was a wonderland for a curious young boy -- and that 3" and later 4 1/4" reflector sure didn't hurt any!