Jump to content

  •  

CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.

Photo

Public Observing at Mount Wilson Observatory in the 1930s

  • Please log in to reply
13 replies to this topic

#1 John Rogers

John Rogers

    Surveyor 1

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 1,523
  • Joined: 08 Feb 2008

Posted 21 February 2025 - 07:49 PM

The Angeles Crest Highway reached Red Box by late 1934, where the turnoff to Mount Wilson is located.  Prior to this, the Mount Wilson Toll Road served as the primary access route.

 

Around that time, the Mount Wilson Hotel began advertising in local newspapers, offering daily tours of the 100-inch Hooker telescope and free public viewing with the 60-inch telescope on Friday nights. In late 1936, the advertisements expanded to include a 12-inch telescope, available for nightly observing.

 

The hotel was eventually razed in 1966.

 

The_Fallbrook_Bonsall_Enterprise_1936_12_18_6.jpg


  • deSitter, Paul Morow, MisterDan and 5 others like this

#2 John Rogers

John Rogers

    Surveyor 1

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 1,523
  • Joined: 08 Feb 2008

Posted 21 February 2025 - 07:51 PM

19410422_Mount_Wilson_Hotel_12-inch_LoRes.jpg

 

Here is a photo of that telescope scanned from a postcard mailed in early 1941.

 

Anyone recognize the manufacturer?


  • Paul Morow, quality guy, BinoGuy and 4 others like this

#3 clamchip

clamchip

    Hubble

  • *****
  • Posts: 13,929
  • Joined: 09 Aug 2008
  • Loc: Seattle

Posted 21 February 2025 - 07:54 PM

I think that's a Tinsley.

 

Robert


  • John Rogers and quality guy like this

#4 southernharry

southernharry

    Vostok 1

  • *****
  • Posts: 198
  • Joined: 12 Dec 2020
  • Loc: Woodstock, GA

Posted 21 February 2025 - 08:30 PM

Drove up to Mt Wilson in 1970. Here are a couple of photos we took.  Didn't get to do any observing.

Attached Thumbnails

  • PICT0010-R.jpg
  • PICT0007-R.jpg

  • clamchip, Paul Morow, scout and 3 others like this

#5 deSitter

deSitter

    Still in Old School

  • *****
  • Posts: 21,722
  • Joined: 09 Dec 2004

Posted 22 February 2025 - 08:18 AM

Drove up to Mt Wilson in 1970. Here are a couple of photos we took.  Didn't get to do any observing.

Most important telescope in history next to the HST and JWST. Proved that "spiral nebulae" were separate "island universes". Ah me, the old terminology was so much classier..

 

-drl


  • triplemon likes this

#6 grif 678

grif 678

    Gemini

  • *****
  • Posts: 3,487
  • Joined: 22 Dec 2010
  • Loc: NC

Posted 23 February 2025 - 12:15 PM

I would have given anything to have been able to work in one of those observatories back in the 60's, if only mopping the floor. At least I would have been able to look at those monster scopes every day. Have a small cabin neat the observatory, and could go in anytime I wanted, and maybe one of the telescope operators would let me have a peek through one of them occasionally.


  • deSitter and dave253 like this

#7 schiefspiegler

schiefspiegler

    Explorer 1

  • *****
  • Posts: 95
  • Joined: 16 Oct 2009
  • Loc: Gainesville, FL and Altamont, NY USA

Posted 23 February 2025 - 01:18 PM

attachicon.gif 19410422_Mount_Wilson_Hotel_12-inch_LoRes.jpg

 

Here is a photo of that telescope scanned from a postcard mailed in early 1941.

 

Anyone recognize the manufacturer?

That is a Tinsley beyond any doubt. 


  • John Rogers likes this

#8 rmorein

rmorein

    Vostok 1

  • -----
  • Posts: 187
  • Joined: 07 Jul 2024

Posted 23 February 2025 - 02:13 PM

attachicon.gif 19410422_Mount_Wilson_Hotel_12-inch_LoRes.jpg

 

Here is a photo of that telescope scanned from a postcard mailed in early 1941.

 

Anyone recognize the manufacturer?

They left it out in the weather?


  • deSitter likes this

#9 EJN

EJN

    Fly Me to the Moon

  • *****
  • Posts: 6,056
  • Joined: 01 Nov 2005

Posted 23 February 2025 - 03:07 PM

Most important telescope in history next to the HST and JWST. Proved that "spiral nebulae" were separate "island universes". Ah me, the old terminology was so much classier..

 

-drl

 

"The term nebulae offers the values of tradition; the term galaxies, the glamour of romance." 

 

  -- Edwin Hubble, The Realm of the Nebulae


Edited by EJN, 23 February 2025 - 04:16 PM.

  • deSitter likes this

#10 John Rogers

John Rogers

    Surveyor 1

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 1,523
  • Joined: 08 Feb 2008

Posted 23 February 2025 - 10:50 PM

They left it out in the weather?

Of course.  It never rains in Southern California.

 

I suspect, it was covered each night.  But I am somewhat surprised there is not more information available about this telescope and the Mount Wilson Hotel program.  There was a recent book published by the Griffith Observatory called "Public Observing Los Angeles Style" that makes no mention of the program at the Hotel.



#11 deSitter

deSitter

    Still in Old School

  • *****
  • Posts: 21,722
  • Joined: 09 Dec 2004

Posted 23 February 2025 - 11:27 PM

They left it out in the weather?

I wish you hadn't pointed this out. This is really bugging me now smile.gif That little ramp thing is clearly made so short people can easily get to the eyepiece. It is mounted on some sort of platform with a guard rail - maybe they just put a canvas cover over the entire thing.

 

There was a guy in Oklahoma (I actually remember his name, E. Ken Owen) who had a 10" Cave on a raised platform, and the whole telescope lived under a fiberglass clamshell. There was an article in S&T about it - it was on the cover. The clamshell opened to the north. There was room to sit on any side of the telescope. It was the bare minimum to qualify as an observatory smile.gif

 

-drl


Edited by deSitter, 23 February 2025 - 11:27 PM.


#12 EJN

EJN

    Fly Me to the Moon

  • *****
  • Posts: 6,056
  • Joined: 01 Nov 2005

Posted 24 February 2025 - 02:52 PM

I wish you hadn't pointed this out. This is really bugging me now smile.gif That little ramp thing is clearly made so short people can easily get to the eyepiece. It is mounted on some sort of platform with a guard rail - maybe they just put a canvas cover over the entire thing.

 

There was a guy in Oklahoma (I actually remember his name, E. Ken Owen) who had a 10" Cave on a raised platform, and the whole telescope lived under a fiberglass clamshell. There was an article in S&T about it - it was on the cover. The clamshell opened to the north. There was room to sit on any side of the telescope. It was the bare minimum to qualify as an observatory smile.gif

 

-drl

https://www.cloudyni...4472-ken-owens/

 

post-31924-0-33039500-1640633621.jpg

 

post-31924-0-20552300-1640633640.jpg


  • deSitter, astro140, John Rogers and 1 other like this

#13 YourNotSirius

YourNotSirius

    Apollo

  • -----
  • Posts: 1,217
  • Joined: 01 Feb 2015
  • Loc: Somewhere in New Hampshire

Posted 24 February 2025 - 04:33 PM

My old man remembers reading that article and then writing to Mr. Owen. He got a nice reply that answered his questions very well. He thinks he still has that letter in a file folder someplace.

 

Q


  • jcruse64 likes this

#14 Bonco2

Bonco2

    Viking 1

  • *****
  • Posts: 869
  • Joined: 01 Jun 2013

Posted 24 February 2025 - 05:18 PM

I too communicated  via mail with Mr. Owen.  He sent me some super sharp photo's of Saturn and Mars taken with his 10 inch telescope. The detail was amazing.   Bonco2 


  • jcruse64 likes this


CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.


Recent Topics






Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics