author
George Calver
1834–1927
Drawn to astronomy from childhood, this self-taught Victorian instrument maker became one of Britain’s best-known builders of reflecting telescope mirrors. His work helped generations of observers explore the night sky with larger and more affordable instruments.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Walpole, Suffolk, on July 22, 1834, George Calver grew up in modest circumstances and developed an early fascination with telescopes and mirror making. He first worked in the boot and shoe trade in Great Yarmouth before turning his attention more seriously to optical work.
Calver became especially known for making silvered-glass mirrors for reflecting telescopes at a time when amateur and professional astronomy were expanding quickly. He later worked from Widford near Chelmsford, and his reputation grew enough for him to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1877.
He also published practical material on reflecting telescopes, including Hints on Silvered-Glass Reflecting Telescopes, which helped share his experience with a wider audience. Calver died on July 4, 1927, remembered as a skilled craftsman whose instruments played an important part in late 19th- and early 20th-century astronomy.