Part of the workshop of William Herschel (1738-1822) at his house in New King Street, Bath. Amongst the tools on his workbench which he used in the construction of astronomical telescopes is a replica of the hand-operated, speculum grinding/polishing machine he made to shape and polish a large number small speculum alloy metal mirrors about 6-inches (150mm) in diameter. In 1778 in this workshop he constructed a 7-foot Newtonian reflector telescope using a 6.2 inch parabolic mirror and, with the assistance of his sister Caroline, began a survey of the heavens, resulting in his catalogue of multiple stars and the discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781. This brought him world-wide fame and the superior quality of his mirrors, which he cast himself, and his improvements in telescope design brought him commissions for instruments and many lucrative sales.