Short, James

James Short, (born June 10, 1710, Edinburgh, Scot.—died June 14, 1768, London, Eng.), British optician and astronomer who produced the first truly parabolic—hence nearly distortionless—mirrors for reflecting telescopes.

Short entered the University of Edinburgh as a candidate for the ministry, but he was inspired to study optics instead by the lectures of the Scottish mathematician Colin Maclaurin. Maclaurin, realizing Short’s mathematical talents, encouraged his interest in mathematics and optics, even providing him with an optical workshop. Short settled in London in 1738 and soon gained renown and wealth for his fine work. He manufactured metallic mirrors for more than 1,000 reflecting telescopes that were among the best then available. (The British mathematician John Hadley had experimented with parabolization of mirrors, but Short invented a better technique, the details of which are not precisely known.) Secretive about his craft, he ordered his tools destroyed shortly before he died.