Grubb, Howard

Howard Grubb FRS (1844-1931)

Howard Grubb was born in Dublin in 1844 and is remembered as a maker of scientific instruments, in particular astronomical telescopes.
In 1887 Grubb built a 27-inch refracting telescope and four domes for the Royal Observatory in Vienna and during the 1890s he constructed seven identical photographic telescopes for an international survey of the heavens.

In the earlier part of the twentieth century, Grubb designed and built periscopes for use in submarines. During the First World War his factory made range finders and other precision equipment for the British war effort but because Ireland was politically unstable at the time and there was a risk in transporting his products to England, the Ministry of Munitions provided Grubb with a factory at St Albans and the Irish factory closed.

Grubb acquired many honours during his lifetime including the Cunningham Medal of the Royal Irish Academy in 1881.