The Robert B. Ariail Collection of Historical Astronomy
Now open
Click here to view the collection online
The South Carolina State Museum and the University of South Carolina are joint recipients of a world-class collection of historic telescopes and astronomy books, documents and equipment donated by a Midlands resident. Astronomy collector Robert B. Ariail of Columbia has given the institutions his collection of more than 5200 books, documents, historic and modern telescopes, plus binoculars, lenses and other scientific equipment related to the study of the universe.
More than a dozen of the scopes can now be seen on exhibit in the museum’s fourth-floor and will be joined in the future by the remainder of the telescope collection. The books and documents will be housed at USC’s Hollings Special Collections Library.
“This is a collection that was amassed over a lifetime,” said Tom Falvey, director of education and curator of science and technology for the State Museum. “It is priceless. The historic scopes, which date back to 1730, were individually made, not mass-produced. This collection could not be duplicated anywhere in the world.”
“This world-class collection will attract historians, researchers, astrophysicists and other scientists, plus hobbyists, from every corner of the planet,” said Falvey.
“We are honored and thrilled at this major gift, and the people of South Carolina and their visitors will be the beneficiaries.”
For more information on the collection, contact Tom Falvey at (803) 898-4921.
The Robert B. Ariail Collection of Historical Astronomy can be seen in the Museum's Palmetto Gallery