No luxury poolscape or landscape is complete without a conversation piece. It can be as elegant as an arbor, as peaceful as a fountain, or as intriguing as an avant-garde work of art. Bird baths, sundials, and statues are other common statement pieces you may find in your neighbor’s garden. One item you probably wouldn’t expect to see? A telescope.
For those who are well-versed in astronomy, don’t let the lack of a tripod and cylindrical tube fool you: The Porter Garden Telescope by Telescopes of Vermont is as highly functional as it is attractive. In fact, it’s a new and improved version of the 1920s telescope designed by Russell Porter, which was a model for the 200-inch Hale Telescope.
Thanks to the superlative skills of a team of craftsmen and two designers of spy satellite optics, the new version is a vastly improved instrument that retains all the sculptural beauty of the original. It will spark conversations, delight owners and guests, and instill a certain awe when trained on the moon, the moons of Jupiter, or the rings of Saturn. The optics lift out in seconds, leaving a graceful Art Nouveau sculpture which can remain outdoors permanently as a distinctive centerpiece in a garden. The matching pedestal, also in bronze, bears the same verdigris patina as the telescope.
