MUDGE, JOHN. - TELESCOPE MAKING - NEWTON'S PREDICTION FULLFILLED.

Directions for making the best Composition for the Metals of reflecting Telescopes; togethe with a Description of the Process for grinding, polishing, and giving the great Speculum the true parabolic Curve. Read Feb. 27. March 6. and 13. 1777.

(London, W. Bowyer and J. Nichols, 1777). 4to. Extracted from "Philosophical Transactions", Year 1777. Vol. 67 - Part I. Pp. 296-349 and 1 folded engraved plate. Wide-margined, clean and fine.

First printing of Mudge's importent paper in which he describes his new mechanical methods of making parabolic mirrors, and introducing af new composition of the alloy. Like his modern counterparts, Mudge created an apparatus to minimize the role of the technician and the possibility of errors.

"On 29 May 1777 Mudge was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in the same year was awarded the Copley medal for his ‘Directions for making the best Composition for the Metals for reflecting Telescopes; together with a Description of the Process for Grinding, Polishing, and giving the great Speculum the true Parabolic Curve,’ which were communicated by the author to the society, and printed in the Philosophical Transactions (1777, lxvii. 296). The ‘Directions’ were also issued separately by Bowyer (London, 1778). Sir John Pringle, the president, in making the presentation, remarked that Isaac Newton had predicted the role of mechanical devices in making parabolic mirrors."(Wikipedia).

Order-nr.: 49416