The Astronomer's Chair: A Visual and Cultural History

The astronomer’s observing chair as both image and object, and the story it tells about a particular kind of science and a particular view of history.

The astronomer’s chair is a leitmotif in the history of astronomy, appearing in hundreds of drawings, prints, and photographs from a variety of sources. Nineteenth-century stargazers in particular seemed eager to display their observing chairs—task-specific, often mechanically adjustable observatory furniture designed for use in conjunction wi...