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Description of  Amateur Telescope Making (volume 1)

Amateur Telescope Making (ATM) is a series of three books edited by Albert G. Ingalls between 1926 and 1953 while he was an associate editor at Scientific American. The books cover various aspects of telescope construction and observational technique, sometimes at quite an advanced level, but always in a way that is accessible to the intelligent amateur. The caliber of the contributions is uniformly high and the books have remained in constant use by both amateurs and professionals. The first volume was essentially a reprinting of articles written by Ingalls and Russell W. Porter for Ingalls's monthly column "The Backyard Astronomer" (later "The Amateur Scientist") in the 1920s. It also featured numerous drawings by Porter. The two later volumes contained chapters written by James Gilbert Baker, George Ellery Hale, George Willis Ritchey and others on topics ranging from lens grinding to monochromators to photoelectric photometry. Much of the information, including Porter's articles on the Springfield mount and Franklin Wright's and Henry E. Paul's articles on the design and construction of Schmidt cameras, appeared for the first and only time in these books. The ATM books are widely credited with having initiated the amateur telescope making movement in the United States. They are often referred to collectively as the "bible" of amateur telescope making.\\ Volume 1 underwent substantial changes in content in its 2nd and 3rd editions. Most of the changes consisted of new material, but there were also deletions, e.g. the extract from Ellison's book.[4] Publication history 1926, Amateur Telescope Making, 1st ed., 1st printing. Scientific American Publishing Co. 102 pp. 1928, ATM, 2nd ed., 1st printing. 285pp. Some later printings included an errata sheet. 1933, ATM, 3rd ed., 1st printing. " Completely revised and enlarged." 500pp. 1935, ATM, 4th ed., 1st printing. "4th ed., completely revised and enlarged." Munn & Co. (although cover still shows Scientific American Publishing Co.).