<p>The event was in 1937; the telescope began operating in 1948. If <a href="https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/dr-albert-einstein-points-to-the-model-of-the-worlds-news-photo/517726740" rel="noreferrer">this Getty photo</a> is the same scene from a different angle,
then those with Einstein in the lower frame are, from left to right,
Nobel laureate physicist and Caltech president <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Andrews_Millikan" rel="noreferrer">Robert Millikan</a>,
and Westinghouse engineers <a href="http://digital.hagley.org/69170_P27704" rel="noreferrer">Guenther Froebel</a>
and <a href="http://digital.hagley.org/69170_P27706" rel="noreferrer">Jesse Ormondroyd</a>.
In the upper frame, between Froebel (center, facing right) and Ormondroyd (right, seated)
may be Westinghouse chairman <a href="https://outlet.historicimages.com/products/rsd48471" rel="noreferrer">A. W. Robertson</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-13T02:08:00.253Z
Checking details (windows, clothing) it sure looks to me like a match. Excellent find!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-13T01:40:51.577Z
2018-08-13T01:40:51.577Z
Mike G
<p>I'm pretty certain it is the 200inch Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory. There is an image galley of the <a href="http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/media/halemedia.html" rel="noreferrer">200 inch telescope</a>. According to Richard Preston's book <em>First Light: The Search For The Edge Of The Universe</em>, Einstein attended the completion of the telescope truss, yoke and horseshoe bearing at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in South Philadelphia (page 41) so it may have been this event that the footage is from.</p>

<p>Searching for "celluloid model of Hale telescope" in the <a href="https://digital.hagley.org/islandora/object/islandora%3Aroot" rel="noreferrer">Hagley Digital Archive</a> will yield information such as </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This celluloid mount was part of a 1/32 scale model of Hale Telescope that was constructed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation engineers to test design utility and points of stress. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>and images such as these:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RRLOa.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RRLOa.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/L9IX0.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/L9IX0.png" alt="enter image description here"></a> </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T21:21:25.107Z
No that info is great. Amazing to see the old school method of Finite Element Analysis - build a scale model and put in between polarizers and see which parts turn bright colors...
astrosnapper
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-26T05:26:31.923Z
Yeah, the yoke and horseshoe are dead giveaways for the Palomar scope. Good stuff.
Florin Andrei
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-25T16:57:12.383Z
That's a beautiful piece of celluloid. Now days, we'd use Lucite, if we ever bothered to make a model outside computer space.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T17:59:52.380Z
2018-08-12T19:42:27.827Z
2018-08-12T19:42:27.827Z
astrosnapper
<p>In the Economist video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKKbkS_LOu4" rel="noreferrer">Why does time pass?</a> there is some file footage of Albert Einstein attending some event where a model of a large telescope is on display, and being described to Prof. Einstein.</p>

<p>Which telescopes model is being shown to Prof. Einstein in this file footage? Is it possible to tell what event this might be, or who some of the individuals might be (any famous Astronomers)? </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/pdN73.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/pdN73.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/V1D6r.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/V1D6r.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<telescope><history><observatory><identify-this-object>
Which telescope's model is being shown to Albert Einstein in this file footage? What event might this be?
uhoh
# Which telescope's model is being shown to Albert Einstein in this file footage? What event might this be?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-12)

In the Economist video [Why does time pass?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKKbkS_LOu4) there is some file footage of Albert Einstein attending some event where a model of a large telescope is on display, and being described to Prof. Einstein.

Which telescopes model is being shown to Prof. Einstein in this file footage? Is it possible to tell what event this might be, or who some of the individuals might be (any famous Astronomers)?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/pdN73.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/pdN73.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/V1D6r.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/V1D6r.jpg)

**Tags:** telescope, history, observatory, identify-this-object

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-08-12. Score: 14 | Accepted answer

I'm pretty certain it is the 200inch Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory. There is an image galley of the [200 inch telescope](http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/media/halemedia.html). According to Richard Preston's book *First Light: The Search For The Edge Of The Universe*, Einstein attended the completion of the telescope truss, yoke and horseshoe bearing at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in South Philadelphia (page 41) so it may have been this event that the footage is from.

Searching for "celluloid model of Hale telescope" in the [Hagley Digital Archive](https://digital.hagley.org/islandora/object/islandora%3Aroot) will yield information such as

> This celluloid mount was part of a 1/32 scale model of Hale Telescope that was constructed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation engineers to test design utility and points of stress.

and images such as these:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/RRLOa.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/RRLOa.png)[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/L9IX0.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/L9IX0.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: No that info is great. Amazing to see the old school method of Finite Element Analysis - build a scale model and put in between polarizers and see which parts turn bright colors...  
> **username_3**: Yeah, the yoke and horseshoe are dead giveaways for the Palomar scope. Good stuff.  
> **username_4**: That's a beautiful piece of celluloid. Now days, we'd use Lucite, if we ever bothered to make a model outside computer space.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-08-13. Score: 7

The event was in 1937; the telescope began operating in 1948. If [this Getty photo](https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/dr-albert-einstein-points-to-the-model-of-the-worlds-news-photo/517726740) is the same scene from a different angle,
then those with Einstein in the lower frame are, from left to right,
Nobel laureate physicist and Caltech president [Robert Millikan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Andrews_Millikan),
and Westinghouse engineers [Guenther Froebel](http://digital.hagley.org/69170_P27704)
and [Jesse Ormondroyd](http://digital.hagley.org/69170_P27706).
In the upper frame, between Froebel (center, facing right) and Ormondroyd (right, seated)
may be Westinghouse chairman [A. W. Robertson](https://outlet.historicimages.com/products/rsd48471).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Checking details (windows, clothing) it sure looks to me like a match. Excellent find!  

---

