Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
government and an excellent patron to have at this time. Delambre wrote an account
of his experiences in carrying out his work on the Paris Meridian during what turned
out to be the turmoil of the French Revolution, making light of the dangers with a
dry and understated style (Méchain and Delambre 1806-10). Their adventures are
the subject of a historical novel The Measure of the World by Denis Guedj (2001).
Like Delambre, Pierre Méchain too had humble origins ( Fig. 32 ). He was the
son of a ceiling plasterer but his mathematical ability attracted the attention of local
patrons. His education in Paris was interrupted by poverty and he therefore became
a tutor to two young noblemen. A story said to originate from Méchain himself says
that while he was working as a tutor calamity struck. His father lost a crippling
Fig. 32 Pierre-François-André Méchain painted by Hurle in 1882. Dressed as befits his
high status in the French scientific world, Méchain is interrupted at his work, but with
his forefinger marks his place in a volume of Base of the Metric System. He does not
meet our gaze. © Observatoire de Paris
Search WWH ::




Custom Search