(1900?–33?) Rev. Dr. Marsh's observatory on Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton, Ontario.
Observatory
Dr. Marsh has an unusually complete establishment, in a favorable position¹, under the shelter of the Hamilton "mountain,” and probably does more astronomical observing than any other amateur. His observatory is of wood, circular, with an easily revolving dome carefully fitted. Transit room attached. Foundations for telescope—mason work and cement, on which is an iron pillar, to carry the equatorial mounting and clock.
Telescope
The chief instrument may be thus described :—
Objective, 5 inch clear aperture, by J. A. Brashear & Co.; tube by the same ; all fittings made on the premises. The objective has the crown-glass turned towards the eye, the flint glass outside, Dr. Brashear believing that the flint glass used is less susceptible to moisture than the other. Powers from 50 to 550. The latter can be used satisfactorily when the seeing is good.
Instrumentation
A Brashear micrometer, star prism and Herschel prism (for solar work). A photographic attachment, a specially constructed camera with metallic shutter. Solar spectroscope also by Brashear, rotary grating, two eye-pieces, 150 to 200, sufficient for solar prominence and some chromosphere observations. The hour and declination circles are graduated to read minutes and seconds ; the former being double.
Dr. Marsh has equalled Dr. Wadsworth in the matter of construction, for though he did not grind his lens, he made the graduated circles on his own premises, and beautiful pieces of work they are.
—from the RASC's Selected Papers and Proceedings, 1902-03
Notes
¹ Marsh's address is listed as 248 Aberdeen Avenue in the 1902 Transactions but as 258 Aberdeen in both the 1904 and 1905 Transactions. These addresses are close to the escarpment (as mentioned above). The house at 258 (a corner lot at Kent St.) is of that era, but 248 is gone, replaced by a two-storey apartment building (numbers 236 & 238).—WM
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