I was browsing the 'vintage' back issues of the BAA Journal (on DVD) and came across this from 1909... Is it an early StarAnalyser!?
I see it was awarded prizes in the Franco-British exhibition, and for about 60p or so, you get two extra lenses and a 'Morocco case' (leather?)
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Yes I believe the Zolner was indeed a direct vision spectrograph using a grating. (It may actually have been a grism) The cylindrical lenses were used to widen the spectrum to make the lines more visible. I think it was mounted after an eyepiece, making effectively a collimated design with the eyepiece acting as the collimator and the eye as the camera lens so perhaps more like a forerunner of the ALPY operated slitless. The basic price works out at around £200 in today's money
Robin
How to work with the spectroscope by John Browning 1878 Cambridge library collection lists McLean's star spectroscope for £2 10 0 !
Jack
Essex UK