Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2016/09/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Interesting. TFS Cheers Jayanand On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 6:48 AM, Douglas Barry <imra at iol.ie> wrote: > With today's testing of the largest telescope in the world in China, I > took a walk to a house around the corner where noted Irish astronomer > William Parsons - the third Earl of Rosse - died. He came to Monkstown's > sea air for his health, and lived here at No. 1 Eaton Place for a few years > until he died. Parsons' wife Mary Rosse - the mother of his thirteen > children - found the time to be an eminent pioneer photographer, as well as > being, of all things, an excellent blacksmith. > > Parsons is known for the making of the Leviathan of Parsonstown which was > the largest telescope in the world for seventy two years from 1845. > Amazingly enough for the time, his wife Mary - the amateur blacksmith - did > much of the metalwork for the huge telescope. Parsonstown has now reverted > to its Irish name of Birr, but its castle and telescope still attract many > visitors. > > Parsons' son Charles was also a genius, and, with the sea at his young > feet in Monkstown, he developed an interest in all things marine. He > invented the steam turbine which powered his private yacht Turbinia at > great speed, and he famously upstaged the Royal Navy in the 1890s, > effectively causing a complete redesign of the British fleet. > > Since I've moved to Monkstown, I've been waiting for my own flashes of > genius. Still waiting.... > > This is the plaque on the house > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/Monkstown/Parsons.jpg.html > Fuji X100S > See Large > > Wikipedia has a lot of stuff on Parsons. > > Douglas > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >