International top collection of historical telescopes

The Netherlands has gained an international top collection: the Louwman Collection of Historic Telescopes. The collection, featuring highlights such as an original lens by Christiaan Huygens from 1656 and the elegant opera glass of Marie Antoinette from the 18th century, is the result of half a century of passionate collecting by astronomer P.J.K. Louwman. This extraordinarily extensive collection of telescopes and binoculars is unmatched worldwide and can now be viewed at the Louwman Museum.

Over more than fifty years, Louwman collected several hundred historic binoculars, from very small to extremely large. Just as varied as the uses of the telescopes are, so rich is the diversity of the permanent exhibition.

Huygens found in a little box in Rome
For Louwman, bringing everything together was a passion, as he readily admits. 'Vacations were even secondary to my searches. On a search in Rome, in a back alley, we made our greatest discovery in a small shop full of old glasses. In a little box with old lenses we found an original lens by Huygens, ground and signed by his own hand.'

Series of masterpieces
Although the collection is a series of masterpieces, Marie Antoinettes personal opera glasses and Patronis binocular telescope from 1719 undoubtedly attract a lot of attention. The former is like a piece of jewelry; beautifully decorated, handy, made of porcelain, silver and darkened ivory.

Patroni is like the Night Watch among telescopes
The Patroni from the Louwman Collection is without doubt the Night Watch among telescopes. Not only because in every respect it is the ultimate example of the Italian elegance that characterizes the early 18th century, but also because the Patroni telescope from the Louwman Collection represents an enormous milestone in the technical development of telescopes. Moreover, the instrument is still in excellent condition, and even its accompanying 300 year old tripod has withstood the test of time unscathed. And that too is unique.

A dream to be able to share the collection
“A dream,” is how Louwman explains the reason for building up and opening this enormous collection to the public. “As a boy I was captivated by astronomy and telescopes, and it has never let go of me. That is why I am so delighted to be able to share my passion. And in The Hague, no less; the very place where lens grinder Lipperhey demonstrated the worlds first telescope in the last week of September 1608.”

The best kept secret of The Hague
With his telescope, Lipperhey could see the windows of the Pieterskerk in Leiden and the clock of the Great Church in Delft from the platform on top of the Maurits Tower at the Binnenhof in The Hague. Louwman: 'The Hague discovery of the telescope is perhaps the best kept secret of the Hofstad today. In 1608, however, it was such big news that even Prince Maurits and the envoy of the Spanish king, Marquis Ambrogio Spinola, immediately came to view the invention in person. Naturally, this event was recorded, and I am therefore very pleased that we have been able to include the original report of that meeting between Maurits, Spinola and Lipperhey in the collection.'

Every first Friday of the month

The collection can now be viewed on the first Friday of every month at the Louwman Museum at Leidsestraatweg 57 in The Hague.