Mercier
Contenu
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Nom
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Mercier
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Couverture temporelle
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2/2 18th century
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Couverture spatiale
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Brest
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Biographie
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Mercier established himself in Brest early in 1776 where he worked for and with the Académie de Marine. 9 January 1777, this body decided to order a compass from him, which was to be compared with those made in their own workshops, and also a dividing machine. Soon after the Académie proposed attaching Mercier to their compas workshop, but the outcome of their request to the Minister is unknown. The instruments he made with his dividing engine being approved, it was ordered that he should be paid the first quarter of 1200 livres accorded him by the crown on condition that he look after the Académie's instruments, though should new ones be required , he was to be paid for them. Mercier neglected the maintenance requirement and in November 1781 the Académie instruments were found to be in poor condition. The subsequent enquiry led to the decision that Mercier was to clean and repair all the Académie's instrument during the first eight days of each month, and that he was not permitted to sell instruments to anyoneif they had not first been examined by the Académie and stamped with the letters A. R. M and a number. Subsequently, in February 1782, Mercier made some barometers for the Académie, and in February 1788 showed them a sextant incorporating various improvements of his own invention. He was ordered to make the graphometrical variation compas invented by the Comte de Chavagnac in 1789, and an achcromatic telescope by Mercier was supplied to Entrecasteaux for his voyage in search of Lapérousse (1).
Two 12inch graphometers by him are known (2).
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Notes biographiques
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1. Mascart 2000, 429-30.
2 Musée de la Compagnie des Indes, Fort St Louis. Versailles, 28 February 1982, lot 96.
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Adresse ; enseigne ; période ; source
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Brest
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Identifiant
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2741
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ark:/18469/1sd9s