Springfield and Stellafane Russell W. Porter

a telescope on display during 1980s stellafane convention, pink clubhouse , porter s turret telescope in background

porter moved springfield, vermont in 1919 work @ jones & lamson machine company, of james hartness president. there helped hartness produce optical comparator, instrument accurately checking pitch, form, , lead of screw threads.

springfield telescope makers

in august 1920, of hartness, porter started class on how make telescopes. fifteen people signed class; 14 men, of whom workers jones & lamson, , 1 woman, school teacher. porter showed them how make newtonian reflectors, teaching aspects of mirror making including grinding, polishing, , testing own mirrors, , designing , constructing telescope mounts. members of small group decided form astronomical club , december 7, 1923 first meeting of springfield telescope makers. after, built clubhouse on 30-acre (120,000 m) plot belonging porter on breezy hill outside of town. called clubhouse stellafane, latin shrine stars. springfield telescope makers invited other groups of stargazers clubhouse in 1926, compare telescopes , exchange ideas. small meeting born annual event called “stellafane”, event goes on day.

in 1925 albert g. ingalls featured porter , springfield telescope makers in 2 articles wrote scientific american magazine. articles contained great deal of material , illustrations contributed porter. there public interest, regular column, yard astronomer (later become amateur scientist column) started ingalls porter being contributing editor. of information articles published ingalls , scientific american in books amateur telescope making (vols. 1-3), work has been referred bible of telescope making , helped create lasting public interest in observational astronomy.