John Waterhouse (astronomer)
Encyclopedia
John Waterhouse was a British astronomer and meteorologist who invented Waterhouse stop
s.
]
He was born at Well Head House in Halifax, Yorkshire the eldest son of John and Grace Elizabeth (née Rawson} Waterhouse. Well Head had extensive gardens with greenhouses and a staff of 6 gardeners. They cultivated exotic ferns, including a todea superba
which Waterhouse had imported from New Zealand in 1860 and which is now at Kew Gardens. At the house, he built an observatory and meteorological station. Louis John Crossley studied at his laboratory.
In 1834 he was President of the Halifax Mechanics' Institute. In the same year he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
.
In 1839 he travelled around the world for health reasons.
Over a period of 8 years (1866-1873), he made detailed observations of the weather and of the night skies from Well Head, which he published in 1874. A keen photographer, he produced several inventions, including Waterhouse stop
s for cameras and photographic lenses and an alkaline gold toning
bath (see page from 1892 book, figure to the right, below).
He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire
. He died at Well House in 1879. His second daughter Maria married poet Nicholas Michell
.
Waterhouse stop
The Waterhouse stop or Waterhouse diaphragm is an interchangeable diaphragm with an aperture for controlling the entry of light into a camera. A thin piece of metal is drilled with a hole ; a set of these with varying hole sizes makes up a set of Waterhouse stops, corresponding to what today we...
s.
He was born at Well Head House in Halifax, Yorkshire the eldest son of John and Grace Elizabeth (née Rawson} Waterhouse. Well Head had extensive gardens with greenhouses and a staff of 6 gardeners. They cultivated exotic ferns, including a todea superba
Leptopteris
The fern genus Leptopteris is a small group of plants found growing in the Pacific Islands, New Guinea and Australia. They are similar to ferns in the related genus Todea.Species include:* L. alpina* L. fraseri - Crepe Fern, Australia...
which Waterhouse had imported from New Zealand in 1860 and which is now at Kew Gardens. At the house, he built an observatory and meteorological station. Louis John Crossley studied at his laboratory.
In 1834 he was President of the Halifax Mechanics' Institute. In the same year he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
.
In 1839 he travelled around the world for health reasons.
Over a period of 8 years (1866-1873), he made detailed observations of the weather and of the night skies from Well Head, which he published in 1874. A keen photographer, he produced several inventions, including Waterhouse stop
Waterhouse stop
The Waterhouse stop or Waterhouse diaphragm is an interchangeable diaphragm with an aperture for controlling the entry of light into a camera. A thin piece of metal is drilled with a hole ; a set of these with varying hole sizes makes up a set of Waterhouse stops, corresponding to what today we...
s for cameras and photographic lenses and an alkaline gold toning
Photographic print toning
In photography, toning is a method of changing the color of black-and-white photographs. In analog photography, toning is a chemical process carried out on silver-based photographic prints. This darkroom process can not be done with a color photograph and although the black-and-white photograph is...
bath (see page from 1892 book, figure to the right, below).
He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. He died at Well House in 1879. His second daughter Maria married poet Nicholas Michell
Nicholas Michell
Nicholas Michell , was a Cornish writer, best known for his poetry.- Personal life :Michell, born at Calenick, near Truro, Cornwall, a son of John Michell , who was known as the "father of the tin trade", a tin smelter and chemist, and one of the discoverers of tantalite...
.