Peter Dollond
Encyclopedia
Peter Dollond was an English maker of optical instruments, the son of John Dollond
. He is known for his successful optics business, and for the invention of the apochromat
.
) he successfully designed and manufactured a number of optical instruments. He is particularly credited with the invention of the triple achromatic lens
in 1763, still in wide use today, though known as the Cooke triplet
after a much later 1893 patent.
Peter Dollond worked at first silk weaving with his father, but his father's passion for optics inspired him so much that in 1750 Peter quit the silk business and opened an optical instruments shop in Kennington
, London
. After two years, his father gave up silk, too, and joined him.
Dollond telescopes, for sidereal
or terrestrial use, were amongst the most popular in both Great Britain and abroad for a period of over one and half centuries. Admiral Lord Nelson himself owned one. Another had sailed with Captain Cook
in 1769 to observe the Transit of Venus
.
The Peter Dollond compound chest microscope
is based on improvements to the Cuff-style microscope introduced by British scientific instrument designers Edward Nairne
and Thomas Blunt around 1780. Another design was for the Peter Dollond compound monocular Eriometer around 1790 used to accurately measure the thickness and size of wool
fibres.
After successfully defending a legal challenge to the patent he held for the achromatic lens the business prospered and he successfully sued his rivals for patent infringement. Dollond's reputation, especially with his father being a Fellow of the Royal Society
as a result of his invention of the achromat
, provided the company with the de facto
right of refusal
on the best optical flint glass
. This privilege permitted Dollond to maintain an edge in quality over competitor's telescopes and optical instruments for many years.
Notable customers also included:
Dollond & Co merged with Aitchison & Co in 1927 to form Dollond & Aitchison
, the well-known British high street chain of optician
s.
John Dollond
John Dollond was an English optician, known for his successful optics business and his patenting and commercialization of achromatic doublets.-Biography:...
. He is known for his successful optics business, and for the invention of the apochromat
Apochromat
An apochromat, or apochromatic lens , is a photographic or other lens that has better correction of chromatic and spherical aberration than the much more common achromat lenses.-Explanation:...
.
Biography
Working together with his father and subsequently with his younger brother and nephew (George DollondGeorge Dollond
George Dollond was an English optician who constructed optical precision instruments used in astronomy, geodesy and also in navigation...
) he successfully designed and manufactured a number of optical instruments. He is particularly credited with the invention of the triple achromatic lens
Achromatic lens
An achromatic lens or achromat is a lens that is designed to limit the effects of chromatic and spherical aberration. Achromatic lenses are corrected to bring two wavelengths into focus in the same plane....
in 1763, still in wide use today, though known as the Cooke triplet
Cooke triplet
The Cooke triplet is a photographic lens designed and patented in 1893 by Dennis Taylor who was employed as chief engineer by T. Cooke & Sons of York...
after a much later 1893 patent.
Peter Dollond worked at first silk weaving with his father, but his father's passion for optics inspired him so much that in 1750 Peter quit the silk business and opened an optical instruments shop in Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After two years, his father gave up silk, too, and joined him.
Dollond telescopes, for sidereal
Sidereal
Sidereal, of the stars, may refer to:* Measurements of time:** Sidereal time** Sidereal day** Sidereal month** Sidereal year* Sidereal period of an object orbiting a star* Sidereal astrology...
or terrestrial use, were amongst the most popular in both Great Britain and abroad for a period of over one and half centuries. Admiral Lord Nelson himself owned one. Another had sailed with Captain Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
in 1769 to observe the Transit of Venus
Transit of Venus
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun...
.
The Peter Dollond compound chest microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
is based on improvements to the Cuff-style microscope introduced by British scientific instrument designers Edward Nairne
Edward Nairne
Edward Nairne b. Sandwich, England, 1726; d. London, 1 September 1806, was an optician and scientific instrument maker. He was apprenticed to the optician Matthew Loft in 1741 and established his own business at 20 Cornhill in London after Loft's death in 1748...
and Thomas Blunt around 1780. Another design was for the Peter Dollond compound monocular Eriometer around 1790 used to accurately measure the thickness and size of wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
fibres.
After successfully defending a legal challenge to the patent he held for the achromatic lens the business prospered and he successfully sued his rivals for patent infringement. Dollond's reputation, especially with his father being a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
as a result of his invention of the achromat
Achromatic lens
An achromatic lens or achromat is a lens that is designed to limit the effects of chromatic and spherical aberration. Achromatic lenses are corrected to bring two wavelengths into focus in the same plane....
, provided the company with the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
right of refusal
Right of first refusal
Right of first refusal is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party...
on the best optical flint glass
Flint glass
Flint glass is optical glass that has relatively high refractive index and low Abbe number. Flint glasses are arbitrarily defined as having an Abbe number of 50 to 55 or less. The currently known flint glasses have refractive indices ranging between 1.45 and 2.00...
. This privilege permitted Dollond to maintain an edge in quality over competitor's telescopes and optical instruments for many years.
Notable customers also included:
- Leopold MozartLeopold MozartJohann Georg Leopold Mozart was a German composer, conductor, teacher, and violinist. Mozart is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.-Childhood and student years:He was born in Augsburg, son of...
- Frederick the Great
- Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
Dollond & Co merged with Aitchison & Co in 1927 to form Dollond & Aitchison
Dollond & Aitchison
Dollond & Aitchison are one of the oldest opticians in the United Kingdom, having been established in 1750.- History :On 21 April, 1750, Peter Dollond opened a small optical business in Vine Street, near Hatton Garden in London. He was joined by his father John Dollond in 1752. The Dollonds became...
, the well-known British high street chain of optician
Optician
An optician is a person who is trained to fill prescriptions for eye correction in the field of medicine, also known as a dispensing optician or optician, dispensing...
s.