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History of Science Museum

Photograph (Early Gelatine Glass Negative) of the Orion Nebula, in Envelope, Taken at the University Observatory, Oxford, January 17, 1888

Inventory Number 89769


Acknowledgement: © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, inv.89769

Item type
Object
Provenance
Transferred from the University Observatory, Oxford.
Primary inscriptions
Scratched on glass: '1888 Jan 17 20m'. Envelope inscribed: '1888 Jany. 17 Orion Nebula 15/80 Mirror Exposure 20 Minutes haze - then cloudy After resilvering'.
Other inscriptions
R. T. Gunther has added inch symbols (") and 'Diam.' and 'Focal length.' to the 15/80 in the envelope inscription, and 'Very early dry plate not used before 1886.' on the back of the envelope.
Physical material
Glass
Inventory No
89769

Description

Gelatine glass negative, early type, on thick glass. Astronomical photograph of the Orion Nebula and adjacent stars. Negative is stored in a University Observatory embossed envelope. This is an early example of a dry plate.

This is one of the earliest photographs of the Orion Nebula, first successfully photographed by A. A. Common in January 1883.