John Waterhouse (astronomer)

He was born at Well Head House in Halifax, Yorkshire the eldest son of John and Grace Elizabeth (née Rawson) Waterhouse.

They cultivated exotic ferns, including a Todea superba which Waterhouse had imported from New Zealand in 1860 and which is now at Kew Gardens.

Over a period of 8 years (1866–1873), he made detailed observations of the weather and of the night skies from Well Head, which he published in 1874.

A keen photographer, he produced several inventions, including Waterhouse stops for cameras and photographic lenses[2] and an alkaline gold toning bath (see page from 1892 book, figure to the right, below).

[3] He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Two views of an early Dallmeyer Soft Focus Series B with a focal length of 8 1 ⁄ 2 " and fast maximum aperture of f / 3, with a Waterhouse stop shown inserted (left) and removed (right).
An invention of Mr. Waterhouse was an alkaline gold toning bath, described in this page from W. Jerome Harrison, The Chemistry of Photography , New York: Scovill & Adams, 1892, online