American statesman (1794-1865) renowned for his oratory, best remembered for giving the speech preceding Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Partly-printed form letter, one page, 5 x 5.75, November 17, 1847. Invitation to George B. Upton, in part: "You are respectfully invited, as one of the subscribers to the fund for the purchase of the large telescope which has recently been received at Cambridge, to visit the Observatory, with any members of your family, on Tuesday evening, Dec'r 14th." In very good condition, with trimmed edges, and light show-through (and associated small areas of paper loss) from old mounting remnants on the back. In 1847, Harvard received a 15-inch telescope known as 'The Great Refractor.' For 20 years it remained the largest telescope in the United States, and was revered as the most significant astronomical instrument in the country—equal to the finest in the world. It formed the nucleus for development of the Harvard College Observatory.
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