The Wonderful Universe Explorer, The Great 36-inch Equatorial Telescope, Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, California

Underwood & Underwood

1902 · Albumen silver prints · Photographs

Upon its completion in 1888, the refracting telescope at Lick Observatory was the largest in the world. Manufactured in France, the telescope’s giant lenses traveled to California by way of ship, train, and horse-driven carriage. One disk cracked in transit and took years to replace. Photographs of the celebrated instrument, reproduced on stereocards such as this one, circulated among space enthusiasts worldwide.

Artist

Underwood & Underwood

Date

1902

Medium

Albumen silver prints

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Gift of Weston J. Naef, in memory of Kathleen W. Naef and Weston J. Naef Sr., 1982