(1890-1988) An active member of the Montreal and Victoria Centres.

EDWIN E. BRIDGEN (1890-1988) served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War. After returning to civilian life, he was elected to membership in the RASC at a meeting of the Montreal Centre in January, 1923. He was fascinated with the lecture of the evening by C.A. Chant on the subject of his eclipse expedition to Australia. So Bridgen was quite excited, two years later, when he got the chance to travel by train to Hamilton with several members of the Montreal Centre to view the total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, they were all disappointed by low and overcast skies, but eventually, in 1932, he was rewarded with a beautiful solar eclipse at nearby Sorel. In the '40s he was an auroral observer for the Centre, and a meteor observer in the '50s and '60s. He and his wife Lucienne were also members of the AAVSO and participated in the Nova search program in the '60s.

Between 1950 and his move to Victoria in 1963, Edwin Bridgen served the Montreal Centre as Recorder, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President and President. He was a leader in interpreting astronomy to the Boy Scouts, Wolf Cubs, Girl Guides and church groups, and he often gave introductory constellation talks to new members and to the public. In 1960, he prepared a revised edition of G.P. Serviss' very popular Astronomy with an Opera Glass. After moving west he and Lucienne faithfully looked after the RASC booth at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory on visitors' nights. Edwin served Victoria Centre as Librarian, National Council Representative and Honorary President; Lucienne was 2nd Vice-President in 1974.

—Peter Broughton (from Looking Up)

Further Reading

• JRASC articles by E.E. Bridgen
• First Steps in Astronomy, Skyward, March 1963
• Astronomy with an Opera Glass (gutenberg.org)