born the annual event called “Stellafane”, an event that goes on to this day. In 1925 Albert G. Ingalls featured Porter and the Springfield Telescope Makers in two articles he wrote for Scientific American magazine. The articles contained a great deal of material and illustrations contributed by Porter. There was so much public interest, a regular column, "The Back Yard Astronomer" (later to become The Amateur Scientist column) was started by Ingalls with Porter being a contributing editor. Much of the information from the articles published by Ingalls and Scientific American in the books Amateur Telescope Making (Vols. 1–3), a work that has been referred to as "the bible of telescope making", helped to create lasting public interest in observational astronomy. Working on the Hale Telescope In 1927, at Ingalls suggestion, George Ellery Hale recruited Porter to work on the design of what was then to be the largest telescope on earth, the Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory. Porter moved to Pasadena in December 1928 to work as an associate in optics and instrument design. During the conceptual development of the telescope Porter produced extremely detailed cutaway drawings that were noted for their precision and beauty. Porter's designs were vital to success of the large telescope, which was completed in 1948. Russell W. Porter died in 1949 of a heart attack at the age of 77. The crater Porter on the Moon and the crater Porter on Mars are named in his honor. See also Stellafane Observatory Griffith Observatory, designed by Russell W. Porter John M. Pierce Notes External links and references Biographies The legacy of the cutaway man Russell Porter bio at memagazine.org Willard,Berton C.(1976). Russell W. Porter Arctic Explorer Artist Telescope Maker, p. 105. The Bond Wheelwright Company, Freeport, Maine. Russell W. Porter – Short biography The Telescope Makers of Springfield, Vermont A 1923 article by Porter A Brief History of Stellafane by Bert Willard Art – illustrations The National Archives – The Arctic Sketches of Russell W. Porter Russell W. Porter Mt. Palomar drawings Masters of Cutaway Illustration – Russell W. Porter (1871–1949) Cutaway Drawings, by Kevin Hulsey Miscellaneous Porter (crater on Mars) (photo) Hartness Underground Workshop and Hartness-Porter Museum south-pole.com ARCTIC CHRONOLOGY – Ziegler Polar Expeditions The Papers of Russell William Porter at Dartmouth College Library 20th-century American engineers American polar explorers American mechanical engineers Optical engineers 1871 births 1949 deaths Norwich University alumni People from