John A. Brashear (1840 - 1920) was known during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for having made some of the best telescopes (including a 30" refractor) and small instruments in the world for amateurs as well as for observatories, having completed only six years of public school and four months of trade school. John Brashear Co. has since changed names to become the Contraves Corp., an internationally known maker of optics. |