'A Steampunk Telescope on a Grand Scale'

I’m not really a steampunk junkie (my idea of retro is more Raymond Loewy, Googie, Syd Mead’s 1960s illustrations and Mad Men), but this looks pretty darn cool:

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This project began with some sketches I did of Victorian telescopes whilst researching another sculpture. I sketched and sketched and increasingly began to wonder if such a thing could actually be built – and sometimes wondering can be a dangerous thing to do!

The Great Wetherell Refractor is a Steampunk telescope on a grand scale. It incorporates the riveted construction and engraved brass circles of many telescopes from the late nineteenth century, yet it’s also modern in it’s use of electronic controls and the best of today’s coated optics. This work is a both a sculpture and a fully functional telescope. It’s not a replica, but a modern working instrument grounded firmly in the tradition of the great Victorian refractors.

Don’t miss the photos.

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