Abstract

Histories of observatories are generally celebratory and narrowly focused, useful primarily for the data they include, such as staff lists, and of limited interest. There are exceptions, where the authors have used the history of the observatory to illuminate larger themes in the history of science and place the observatory's history in a larger context. For American astronomy, the work of Mary Ann James on the Dudley Observatory and Donald Osterbrock on Yerkes and Lick comes immediately to mind. In addition, the authors of this second type of observatory history bring unequaled knowledge of the archival records to bear in their analysis.The Detroit Observatory of the University of Michigan was one of the most important American astronomical observatories during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Under its first two directors, Franz F. E. Brünnow and James Craig Watson, the observatory was an essential conduit in the transfer of German astronomical techniques to the United States. After Watson's departure in 1879, it was quickly eclipsed by a new generation of observatories. In 1980 Howard Plotkin discussed the role of Brünnow and Henry Philip Tappan, the first president of the University of Michigan , in this transfer in an article in Annals of Science. Patricia Whitesell, the director of the observatory and a specialist in historic preservation, has written a celebratory volume that both expands upon Plotkin's work by providing additional details and commemorates the recent physical restoration of the building. Written in anticipation of the sesquicentennial of the completion of the observatory in 2004, A Creation of His Own is a celebration of the vision of Tappan, who was truly the father of the observatory. Whitesell, like Plotkin, places the transfer of German astronomical techniques to the United States within a larger context of increasing American intellectual appreciation for things German, especially Tappan's desire to model American higher education after that of Prussia.Whitesell's contributions are those typical of the celebratory history of an observatory. She provides very useful appendixes, uncovers details, and corrects earlier errors regarding the history of the observatory. Of particular interest are the photographs she has included. Some of them are historical, while others document the restoration of the observatory. Many are published for the first time. Very few observatory histories can boast photographs of this quality and quantity.On the negative side, Whitesell has included more detail than most readers will want about such individuals as the artist who produced an 1855 painting of the observatory, the architect of the observatory, and the maker of the telescope. Readers should also be aware that Whitesell has made errors in describing historical events outside the campus of the University of Michigan. They are minor, but annoying. For example, on page 150, in discussing the Dudley Observatory, she confuses the board of trustees, who opposed B. A. Gould, with the Scientific Council, which supported him.I am not a fan of the book's organization. Whitesell has ordered the chapters in a way that makes following the story rather difficult. For example, the chapter on the contributions of Watson, the second director of the Detroit Observatory, precedes the two chapters that discuss the departures of Brünnow, the first director and Watson's teacher, and Tappan from the university . The chapter on the physical renovations of the observatory and attempts to relocate it is also out of place, preceding the chapter on Watson. The chronology that Whitesell includes as an appendix is absolutely necessary to follow the history of the observatory.All in all, despite some problems, this is a useful book