London His Majesty's Stationery Office 1913. Folio 36.5 x 27.5 cm. cxc 136 pp.; frontispiece with two photos 58 11 16 23 5 3 plates line drawings and photos; sometimes several "plates" on one sheet 19 text figures. Folded two-colour sheet of the plan of the observatory and large folded diagram i.e. map of the geodetic triangulation of South Africa and adjacent countries. Original blue embossed cloth. Spine with gilt title. A sumptuous volume compiled by the Scottish astronomer Sir David Gill 1843-1914 with detailed descriptions of various telescopes and survey projects. Gill was "Her Majesty's Astronomer" and director of the observatory from 1879 to 1906. �In 1874 Gill joined the expedition to Mauritius to observe the transit of Venus. Three years later he went to Ascension Island to observe a near approach of Mars and to calculate its distance. While carrying out these laborious calculations he was notified of his appointment to the Cape Observatory which over the following 27 years he was to refurbish completely turning it into a first-rate institution. Gill was a meticulous observer and had a flair for getting the best out of his instruments. His solar parallax observations with a heliometer and his calculations of distances to the nearer stars are testimony to his outstanding work.� Wikipedia. The two frontispiece photos show the staff at Gill's arrival in 1879 and again more comprehensively in 1906 including women and non-Caucasians. That year Gill returned to Great Britain. The work was finished and published shortly before his death. Printed errata leaf tipped in. Small old stamp on the title page skilful repair to the top fore edge of the front board otherwise a very good clean copy. Rare. hardcover
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