Search the Collection

Peter Dollond

(1731-1820), Optician

Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter in 3 portraits
Dollond worked first as a silk weaver with his father, but his father's passion for optics inspired him so much that in 1750 he quit the family silk business and opened an optician's shop in London. Two years later, his father joined him. After successfully defending a legal challenge to the patent he held for the achromatic lens the business prospered and in 1760 he was appointed as Optician to George III. Other notable customers included Mozart, Frederick the Great and Thomas Jefferson. Dollond's telescopes for terrestrial use were amongst the most popular in both Great Britain and abroad for a period of over one and half centuries.

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Make a donation Close

ListThumbnail

Category

Place

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.