Friends of the Zeiss                                          Public Statement For

P.O. Box 1041                                                                        Regional Asset District   

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.                       Board of Directors

Telephone: 412-561-7876                                                      By Glenn A. Walsh:

Electronic Mail: < friendsofthezeiss@planetarium.cc >      Science Center Forestalls

Internet Web Site: < http://www.planetarium.cc >               Zeiss II Reassembly

 

2007 March 26

 

Good afternoon, I am Glenn A. Walsh of 633 Royce Avenue, Mount Lebanon, Project Director of Friends of the Zeiss.

 

In 2002, The Carnegie Science Center dismantled three historic artifacts, from the original Buhl Planetarium and placed them in storage in their warehouse. They promised the

City of Pittsburgh, owner of the artifacts, that the Zeiss II Planetarium Projector, which is the oldest operable major planetarium projector in the world, and the large Mercator’s

Projection Map of the World would be reassembled by the end of 2005. They also said the 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope would be reassembled once the

Science Center expansion was completed.

 

With the May, 2003 collapse of the proposed $90 million expansion project, Science Center officials said that reassembly of the Zeiss Projector would be “delayed” a year; they

said nothing about reassembly of the other two artifacts. That second deadline has come and gone with no effort on the part of the Science Center to reassemble any of the

three historic artifacts. Oh, last year they did apply-for, receive, and spend a one million-dollar grant to totally renovate the existing Science Center planetarium into the

“Buhl Digital Dome;” but not one penny was spent to restore Buhl Planetarium historic artifacts!

 

The reassembly of the Zeiss Projector had been planned for the second floor, near the current planetarium entrance. Without a Science Center expansion, this reassembly would take space away from the Science Center’s traveling exhibits gallery—which is important for both attracting new visitors and repeat business. As I mentioned last year, I doubted the

Science Center would sacrifice such space for the Zeiss Projector, which they consider only to be an “antique artifact.” Immediately following the RAD Board meeting a year ago,

new Carnegie Institute President David Hillenbrand told me that plans were still underway for reassembly of the historic artifacts; I have heard nothing since.

 

It is now quite clear that The Carnegie Science Center has no interest in the historic Buhl Planetarium artifacts and has no intentions of reassembling them; they do not see display

of these artifacts as part of their mission. All of their “delays” are simply meant to drag-out the process, hoping that people will forget these artifacts exist—the old adage:

“out of sight, out of mind” !

 

The Zeiss Projector, Siderostat Telescope, and Mercator’s Map belong in a location where they can actually be used to teach Science to children. This cannot and will not happen

at The Carnegie Science Center. It can only happen in the original Buhl Planetarium building, now being used by the Children’s Museum.

 

I ask you to use your influence to have these three City-owned artifacts returned to the City-owned Buhl Planetarium building, to be used to teach Science to children visiting
the Children's Museum. Otherwise, they will languish in warehouse storage indefinitely, collecting dust and educating no one.

 

Thank you.

 

gaw