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.

[1] Shortly after joining the editorial staff at Scientific American in 1923, Ingalls happened to see an article by Russell Porter in Popular Astronomy magazine describing the work of "The Telescope Makers of Springfield, Vermont."

It contained 102 pages, and consisted of the two Porter articles plus extensive extracts from a 1920 book, The Amateur's Telescope, by Irish astronomer Rev.

In May 1928, Ingalls began a regular column for Scientific American on telescope building called "The Back Yard Astronomer."

In the "Preface" to the 3rd edition (1932) of Volume 1, Ingalls wrote Telescope making is a scientific hobby and it appeals doubtless because it exacts intelligence; requires patience and sometimes dogged persistence in order to whip the knotty but fascinating problems which arise; demands hard work -- is not dead easy; and compels the exercise of a fair amount of handiness -- enough to exclude the born bungler but no more than is possessed by the average man who can "tinker" his car or the household plumbing...The hobby also appeals because the worker derives something of a thrill while shaping the refined curve of the glass as he realizes that, with scarecly any special tools...he is able to work to within almost a millionth of an inch of absolute perfection.

He continued Some of the workers -- a very few -- have strongly urged that the amateur's telescopes be standardized on a few definite type specifications, arguing that this would save labor.