POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Glass plate negative of Kappa Crucis by James Short and H C Russell

Object No. P3548-235

In 1887 H. C. Russell, Government Astronomer at Sydney Observatory, agreed to be a part of a photographic project of international significance. This was the 'Carte du Ciel' or ''Mapping the Stars'' project which saw Australian observatories engaged in mapping of the stars in the southern section of the heavens using photography. A special photographic telescope, often referred to as the 'Star camera', was made for the project by and June 1891 the was complete except for the special measuring plates (resaux) which were needed to put lines of measurement onto the photograph. This glass plate while among the first taken with the 'Star Camera' was not used on the ''Mapping the Stars'' project because the observatory did not have a tested reseau to use. Instead this plate is among a very few surviving early photographs made in 1891, using a reseau provided to Russell by Admiral Mouchez, the Director of the Paris Observatory. For more information see linked Powerhouse Theme, 'Sydney Observatory Star Camera and Mouchez's Reseau 1891' Geoff Barker, Curatorial, September, 2008 Bibliography Nangle, J., 'The Sydney Observatory; its history and work, Sydney Technical College, 1930 Russell, H.C., 'Preparations Now Being Made in Sydney Observatory for the Photographic Chart of the Heavens', in Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales for 1891, Kegan Paul, Tench, Turner & Co., Limited, London, 1892 Russell, H.C., 'Notes on Some Celestial Photographs recently taken at the Sydney Observatory', in Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales for 1891, Kegan Paul, Tench, Turner & Co., Limited, London, 1892 Russell, H.C., Description of the Star Camera at The Sydney Observatory, Alfred James Kent, Government Printer, 1923 Wood, Harley, Astrographic Catalogue 1900.0, Sydney Section -52° to -64°, volume LIII, V.C.N. Blight, Government Printer, 1971