John M. Pierce (1886 - 1958) was one of the earliest members of the Springfield Telescope Makers as well as

the author of a number of chapters in the Amateur Telescope Making series editted by Albert Ingalls.

Specifically, he authored:



	"Motor Drives"

	"A Telescope Anyone Can Make" (only found in early printings)

	"Making Astronomical Flats"

	"Making Setting Circles - A Composite Chapter" (contributor)



He also wrote and published a series entitled "Hobbygrafs," (sometimes titled "Hobbygraphs")

which covered various aspects of telescope making.  See below for more details on these.



In 1933 & 1934, he published a series of 14 articles on telescope making in Hugo Gernsbacks' "Everyday Science

and Mechanics."  A condensed version of some of this information was also provided by him in the form of

a four page article entitled "How To Make A Reflecting Telescope," which he described as a rewritten

version of some of the material published in "Science and Mechanics.  A copy of this may be found here (399k ZIP).

Thanks go to Ken Launie for providing a copy of this and for an example of one of Pierce's

price sheets here (208k TIF).  Additionally, a recently acquired 1949 supply sheet can be found here (252K).

And a copy of yet another supply sheet can be found in Paul Luther's Catalog 67 (Spring 2002), page 2.



Of the three, the earliest appears to be the one found in Catalog 67 (likely <1937).  The one I recently

acquired would appear to be next oldest (1949).  Ken Launie's would appear to be the most recent (>1953).

Finally, the Springfield Telescope Makers have at least three, dating from approximately 1933 to 1945.

(All of this is judged by the highest numbered "Hobbygraf" listed, as well as the most recent edition of

the Ingalls' ATM books referenced.)



The advertisement above is an example of one Pierce placed in Science and Mechanics, Nov. 1933.  At the

bottom of this page are examples of advertising Mr. Pierce placed in "Mechanics Illustrated."  The uppermost ad

was used until May, 1950.  The bottom-most ad first appeared in October, 1950.  (Aside : there was

no article which I can find appearing in "MI" between these two dates to suggest why Pierce would

have changed the wording.  But it intrigues me nonetheless.)



Below are links to scans of the Science and Mechanics articles.  (Each page is about 250K, being a black and

white bitmap in compressed TIF format.)  Alternatively, you can get a ZIPped version of all the

files here (9.6M ZIP).



June 17, 2002 update : Individual TIF files have been removed.  ZIP file remains.

                       Page 911 from the Dec. 1933 issue can be found here (185K).  (It is also included 

                       in the ZIP file.)



August 23, 2002 update : Hobbygrafs, 1949 supply sheet, Mechanix Illustrated ads, and some verbiage added.

                         ZIP file has been reloaded with compressed scans.



January 3, 2003 update : Added drawings from an April, 1926 issue of Scientific American.

			Sept. 1933, Part I (Grinding & Polishing Basics)

				  p686 page 1

				  p687 page 2

				  p714 page 3

				  p715 page 4



			Oct. 1933, Part II (Testing & Silvering)

				 p748 page 1

				 p749 page 2

				 p782 page 3

				 p783 page 4

				 p784 page 5



			Nov. 1933, Part III (Mountings)

				 p816 page 1

				 p817 page 2

				 p852 page 3

				 p853 page 4



			Dec. 1933, Part IV How to Make Small Lenses and Eyepieces

				 p886 page 1

				 p887 page 2

				 p911 page 3



			Jan. 1934, Part V Setting and Using the Circles - Making the Finder Telescope

				 p040 page 1

				 p041 page 2

				 p058 page 3

				 p059 page 4



			Feb. 1934, Part VI Making Large Refracting Telescopes

				 p096 page 1

				 p097 page 2

				 p124 page 3

				 p125 page 4

				 p126 page 5



			Mar. 1934, Part VII "Scout Model" Telescope

				 p164 page 1

				 p165 page 2

				 p194 page 3



			Apr. 1934, Part VIII Making Optical Flats

				 p230 page 1

				 p231 page 2

				 p260 page 3

				 p261 page 4



			May 1934, Part IX Compound Reflecting Telescopes

				(mislabeled as Part XIII)

				 p302 page 1

				 p303 page 2

				 p329 page 3

				 p331 page 4



			Jun. 1934, Part X Photography with the Telescope

				 p368 page 1

				 p369 page 2

				 p399 page 3

				 p401 page 4



			Jul. 1934, Part XI Housing the Telescope - Covers and Observatories

				 p434 page 1

				 p435 page 2

				 p469 page 3



			Sept. 1934, Part XII Miscellaneous facts about Telescope Making

				 p498 page 1

				 p521 page 2



			Oct. 1934, Part XIII Some Interesting Questions and Their Answers

				 p547 page 1

				 p573 page 2

				 p574 page 3



			Nov./Dec. 1934, Part XIV The Spectroscope

				 p610 page 1

				 p621 page 2

				 p622 page 3

	 		(Thanks go to Bert Willard for making this section possible!)



	Notes : There does not appear to ever have been a Hobbygraf #7 or #12.  Also, I do not have any

	of the italicized issues.  Finally, a ZIP file of all of the issues below may be found here (2.1M).





			Hobbygraf #1 : "Lens Making for Amateurs" (later revised) (178K)



			Hobbygraf #2 : "Eyepiece Making" (181K)



			Hobbygraf #3 : "Achromatic Lenses" (later revised) (322K)



			Hobbygraf #4 : "The Making of Optically Flat Surfaces" (155K)



			Hobbygraf #5 : "The Cassegrain Telescope" (later revised)



			Hobbygraph #6 : "Adjusting the Telescope" (80K)



			Hobbygraf #7 : ?



			Hobbygraf #8 : "Blue Print of Mounts Made from Pipe Fittings"



			Hobbygraf #9 : "The Herschellian Reflecting Telescope" (later revised) (155K)



			Hobbygraf #10 : "Reminder Sheet, Formulae, Kinks and Tricks of the Trade"



			Hobbygraf #11 : "How to Make a Reflecting Telescope" (399K)

				(note : this is the same short article he sent out with his kits)



			Hobbygraf #12 : ?



			Hobbygraf #13 : "How to Design a Richest Field Telescope"



			Hobbygraf #14 : "The Barlow or Tele-photo Lens for increased magnification"



			Hobbygraf #15 : "Diagonals and Supports" (297K)



			Hobbygraf #16 : "Mounts"



			Hobbygraf #17 : "Prominent Heavenly Objects for Observation"



			"Drawings of Springfield Mount, for 6" or 8" Mirrors" (113K)



			"Drawings of Springfield Mount, for 10" or 12" Mirrors" (123K)



			"Drawings of Universal Mount, for 6" Mirror" (122K)

	Subsequent to the running of Porter's articles in late-1925 and early-1926 issues of

	"Scientific American", Pierce contributed an article describing a simple telescope.

	Rather than repeat the mirror-making instructions previously given, he presented a 

	straightforward mounting scheme, as well as an approach to making simple eyepieces.

	


	While the configuration would be echoed in a chapter contributed to the "Amateur

	Telescope Making" books editted by Ingalls, there are some differences.  Similarly,

	the drawings he presented are not found in his Hobbygrafs.


	(Drawings and photograph are by John M. Pierce)


	eyepiece drawing (170K)


	optical "tube" assembly (297K)


	photo of telescope and mount (83K)