Porter Garden Telescope Replica

This is a 1/2 scale semi-replica of the famous Porter Garden Telescope. These telescopes were sold for $250 in 1922 which is equivalent to $4500 today. Probably less than 100 originals were made and only a few coveted examples remain.
At first this semi-replica may not look like much like the original because it is in polished aluminum rather than bronze and there was no attempt to duplicate any of the naturalistic adornments on the scope. Not just a model, this is a fully functional telescope. It is made almost exclusively of machined aluminum created from raw stock using a lathe and milling machine. Most of the ornate original castings could not be duplicated with standard machining techniques. Since the flowery ornamentations characteristic of the Art-Nouveau style are absent, perhaps it could be called an Art-Deco version of the scope with its shiny metallic forms, harder edges and simple style?
Despite the superficial stylistic differences this semi-replica does emulate most of the functionality of the original Porter Garden Telescope. The unique split-ring or horse-shoe mount is a precursor to the Porter inspired design of the historic Hale 200-inch telescope on Mt. Palomar, for a time the largest telescope in the world. The rotating focuser stalk is unique and quite unusual. Balance is very tricky in this scope and required a lot of painstaking effort. The fascinating polar alignment mechanism is difficult to appreciate until you see it in action in the video.
Here is my model of the Hale 200 inch: • Hale 200 inch Model
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