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Re: [ATM] Inventor of Mangin mirror dies?

I can't find the French military officer who invented it, but those searchlights were in use in the late 1800's. The device features prominently in the book "Two Moons" which takes place in the 18??s when Asaph Hall was discovering Deimos and Phobos.
So, unless that Mangin was blessed with Methusalah-like longevity, he probably died at LEAST 50 years ago.
There are a number of other Mangins mentioned in the French version of Wikipedia.

Bevan Harris <ngc2070@gmail.com> wrote: Thanks Richard,

It would certainly seem to refute the claim.  I've done some more
digging and found references to a searchlight design of this vintage -
as you say, by a Frenchman. A military colonel actually.   I've not
seen a specific diagram yet, but the assertion at this stage would
appear to be blown.

I tell her the news and ask if she has more information.

Cheers
Bevan

On Nov 21, 2007 7:56 PM, Richard F.L.R. Snashall  wrote:
> Bevan Harris wrote:
> >
> > I've been trying to corroborate the claim, but my efforts at googling
> > are turning up a scant response.    Can anyone confirm or refute the
> > assertion?   I have no reason to disbelieve my colleague and I think
> > it would be a shame if someone who has contributed so much to the
> > field of optics should pass in obscurity.
> >
> Kingslake, in "Lens Design Fundamentals", specifies it as attributable to a
> French engineer, A. Mangin in 1876 (article reference).  That would seem
> to preclude your coworker's neighbor, if he was less than 94.
>
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Guy Brandenburg, Washington, DC
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