Raymond Augustin Jean-Baptiste Mailhat (28 March 1862 – 22 April 1923) was a French manufacturer of

telescopes A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to obser ...

and precision

optical instruments An optical instrument (or "optic" for short) is a device that processes light waves (or photons), either to enhance an image for viewing or to analyze and determine their characteristic properties. Common examples include periscopes, microscope ...

Biography

Raymond Mailhat was born on 28 March 1862 in

Saurat Saurat () is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in th ...

( Ariège), the son of Jean Benjamin Mailhat,Légion d’honneur file, Raymond Augustin Jean Baptiste Mailhat’ cote LH/1692/16.
/ref> an illiterate shoemaker.William Tobin "Evolution of the Foucault-Secretan Reflecting Telescope.” ''Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage'', 19(2), 106–184 (2016).
/ref> After studying under Paul Gautier (1842-1909),Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France, 1900, n.p.
/ref> Raymond became the director of the Secrétan company’s optics workshop in Paris on 1 January 1889. In 1894, Mailhat bought part of those workshops and established his own business. The Maison Mailhat manufactured a wide variety of equipment for both scientists and amateurs:Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France, 1908, p. III
/ref> $Fabra Observatory Refractor$ *

Astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, ...

and

photographic Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

lenses * Mirrors (flat, spherical and parabolic) *

Equatorial mount An equatorial mount is a mount for instruments that compensates for Earth's rotation by having one rotational axis, the polar axis, parallel to the Earth's axis of rotation. This type of mount is used for astronomical telescopes and cameras. Th ...

refractor telescopes and photographic telescopes * Meridian circles (fixed and portable) * Astronomical and geodesical equipment for scientific missions and explorers * Simple

refractor A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope design was originally used in spyglasses and ...

and

equatorial Equatorial may refer to something related to: *Earth's equator **the tropics, the Earth's equatorial region **tropical climate *the Celestial equator **equatorial orbit **equatorial coordinate system **equatorial mount, of telescopes * equatorial b ...

telescopes for amateur

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma, and sometimes also a Comet ta ...

hunters * Equipment for

physicists A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

* Coelostats *

Siderostats A heliostat (from ''helios'', the Greek word for ''sun'', and ''stat'', as in stationary) is a device that includes a mirror, usually a plane mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight toward a predetermined target, compensating f ...

Heliostat A heliostat (from ''helios'', the Greek word for ''sun'', and ''stat'', as in stationary) is a device that includes a mirror, usually a plane mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight toward a predetermined target, compensating f ...

s * Astronomical domes and metallic shelters * Complete installations of

observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Hi ...

* Instruments for

geodesy Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), Earth rotation, orientation in space, and Earth's gravity, gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properti ...

and

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...

The company furnished optical instruments to the

Paris Observatory The Paris Observatory (french: Observatoire de Paris ), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world. Its hist ...

, the Faculté des Sciences de Paris, the

Bureau des Longitudes Bureau ( ) may refer to: Agencies and organizations *Government agency *Public administration * News bureau, an office for gathering or distributing news, generally for a given geographical location * Bureau (European Parliament), the administr ...

, the

Camille Flammarion Observatory The observatory was established in Juvisy-sur-Orge in 1883 by the French astronomer and author Camille Flammarion. In March 2010, the structure was classified as a historical monument by the French Ministry of Culture. The observatory belongs to t ...

in Juvisy, the

Société Astronomique de France The Société astronomique de France (SAF; ), the French astronomical society, is a non-profit association in the public interest organized under French law ( Association loi de 1901). Founded by astronomer Camille Flammarion in 1887, its purpos ...

, French government ministries, several observatories in France and in other countries,

meteorological stations Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

, bridge and road engineers, railroads, and mines. It won a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. Mailhat became a member of the

Société astronomique de France The Société astronomique de France (SAF; ), the French astronomical society, is a non-profit association in the public interest organized under French law ( Association loi de 1901). Founded by astronomer Camille Flammarion in 1887, its purpos ...

in 1888 (only one year after it was established). At the time when he joined, he was a constructor-mechanic, residing at 5, passage Stanislas, Paris. Mailhat served on the society's management council in 1894 (and again in 1912) Advertisements for his company's telescopes appeared regularly in the pages of the society’s bulletin. The Maison Mailhat and its fellow Paris-based competitors the Secrétan and Bardou companies were among the leading French precision optics manufacturers of the early twentieth century. Mailhat telescopes and optical products were widely exported to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and even further afield.

Ferdinand Quénisset Ferdinand Jules Quénisset (1872–1951) was a French astronomer who specialized in astrophotography. Early life and career Quénisset was born on 8 August 1872 in Paris, the son of Gatien Jules Quénisset, an assistant director of the Admin ...

used Mailhat lenses for early photographs of Mars in 1899 at the

in Juvisy. On 1 April 1908, the company’s offices and workshops moved to 10, rue Emile-Dubois Paris, close to the Paris Observatory. The following year, Mailhat sold his company to Francis Mouronval (1881-1954). Mouronval continued to produce and sell telescopes under the Maison Mailhat name for seven years. Following Mouronval's mobilisation during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, he publicly announced in 1916 that the Mailhat-Mouronval company was closed "for the duration of the war". This closure appears to have been definitive. During the war, Mailhat served as ‘’Officier de l’administration de 3e classe territorial’’ in the Service des fabrications de l'aviation (military aircraft manufacturing). For his contribution to the war effort, he received the

Légion d’Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

in 1918. Mailhat died on 22 April 1923 at his home at 13, rue Boileau in

Montrouge Montrouge () is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased again in recent years. ...

(

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plate ...

Notable Mailhat instruments

* Equatorial refractor of 190 mm diameter in the second astronomical dome of the Observatory of the Société Astronomique de France at its former headquarters on rue Serpente in Paris. Mailhat’s telescope was exclusively reserved for scientific research. * Astro-photographic double equatorial refractor of 380 mm diameter at the

Fabra Observatory The Fabra Observatory ( ca, Observatori Fabra, ; obs. code: 006) is an astronomical observatory located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain pointed towards the south at 415 metres above sea level ( latitude: 41,4184° N; longitude: 2,1239° E). ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

. This telescope was used by

Josep Comas i Solà Josep Comas i Solà (; Barcelona 17 December 1868 – 2 December 1937) was a Spanish astronomer, of Catalan origin, discoverer of minor planets, comets, and double stars. He wrote his first astronomy notes at 10, and was only fifteen when he p ...

to observe the moons of

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmos ...

Deimos Deimos, a Greek word for ''dread'', may refer to: * Deimos (deity), one of the sons of Ares and Aphrodite in Greek mythology * Deimos (moon), the smaller and outermost of Mars' two natural satellites * Elecnor Deimos, a Spanish aerospace company * ...

and Phobos, in 1909, and to photograph

Halley’s comet Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...

in 1910. * Meridian circle at the Rouen Popular Observatory. * Astro-photographic equatorial mount refractors constructed for the Ebro Observatory in

Tortosa Tortosa (; ) is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the h ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and the Puebla Observatory. * Astro-photographic double equatorial refractor of 127mm diameter at the San José Observatory in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

* Equatorial refractor of 325 mm diameter and 6 m focal length at the Lille Observatory.

Honors and awards

* 1906 – Prix des Dames by the Société astronomique de France * 1911 – Officier de l’Instruction publique by the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

* 1911 – Founding Member (Membre Fondateur) of the Société astronomique de France because of his donation of many valuable telescopes to the society over the years.Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France, 1911, p. 195.
/ref> * 1918 – Chevalier of the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mailhat, Raymond Augustin Telescope manufacturers 1862 births 1923 deaths