The Astronomer Jules Janssen by Françoise Launay

Author:Françoise Launay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer New York, New York, NY

Fig. 8.9Janssen’s laboratory at Meudon for the analysis of gases. Annales de l’Observatoire d’Astronomie Physique de Paris. © Author’s collection

The Director’s Accommodation

When he settled at Meudon in 1876, Janssen, who had achieved his life’s main goal, because thenceforward he had a “position”, divided his time between his laboratory research, his studies of the Sun, his instrumental projects, his travels, his contribution to meetings…

He lived in the Communs, from which he enjoyed a fine view over Paris. On 16 December 1878, he took a photograph of the capital under the snow from his kitchen, which was in the eastern wing of the second courtyard (Fig. 8.10), and Henri Dehérain reported that his living quarters contained souvenirs of his travels: fabrics, vases, lacquer plates, and small ebony elephants from India [56]. Some of these curiosities are visible in the engraving that appeared in 1895 in La Nature [57], which shows Janssen in his drawing room at Meudon (Fig 8.11). Apart from the souvenirs there are some works by artists: a bust of Janssen by Tournois, another of Mme Janssen, and portraits of Janssen by Henner and Paul Dubois. We may add that we can also see a large photograph of Mont Blanc by Tairraz, the photographer from Chamonix and, on the table, the photograph of a total eclipse. In 1905, journalists from the Petit Journal noticed, in addition, “engravings that show the scholar’s taste for archaeology”, a medallion of Gounod on the mantelpiece, and Japanese swords with delicately ornamented scabbards, and razor-sharp blades [which] seem to invite national “harakiri” [58]!

Fig. 8.10Photograph of Paris under the snow, taken from a wing at Meudon by Janssen on 18 December 1878. © Paris Observatory Library

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