In1855Mr。CookeobtainedasilvermedalatthefirstParisExhibitionforasix-inchequatorialtelescope。[8]Thiswasthehighestprizeawarded。AfewyearslaterhewasinvitedtoOsbornebythelatePrinceAlbert，todiscusswithhisRoyalHighnesstheparticularsofanequatorialmountingwithaclockmovement，forwhichhesubsequentlyreceivedtheorder。Onitscompletionhesuperintendedtheerectionofthetelescope，andhadthehonourofdirectingittoseveralofthecelestialobjectsfortheQueenandthePrincessAlice，andansweredtheirmanyinterestingquestionsastothestarsandplanetswithinsight。
Mr。Cookewasputtohismettletowardsthecloseofhislife。A
contesthadlongprevailedamongtelescopemakersastowhoshouldturnoutthelargestrefractinginstrument。Thetwotelescopesoffifteeninchesaperture，preparedbyMerzandMahler，ofMunich，werethelargesttheninexistence。Theirsizewasthoughtquiteextraordinary。Butin1846，Mr。AlvanClark，ofCambridgeport，Massachusetts，U。S。，spenthisleisurehour’sinconstructingsmalltelescopes。[9]Hewasnotanoptician，noramathematician，butaportraitpainter。Hepossessed，however，enoughknowledgeofopticsandofmechanics，toenablehimtomakeandjudgeatelescope。Hespentsometenyearsingrindinglenses，andwasatlengthenabledtoproduceobjectivesequalinqualitytoanyevermade。
In1853，theRev。W。E。Dawes——oneofMr。Cooke’scustomers——
purchasedanobject-glassfromMr。Clark。Itwassosatisfactorythatheorderedseveralothers，andfinallyanentiretelescope。
TheAmericanartistthenbegantobeappreciatedinhisowncountry。In1860hereceivedanorderforarefractorofeighteeninchesaperture，threeinchesgreaterthanthelargestwhichhaduptothattimebeenmade。ThistelescopewasintendedfortheObservatoryofMississippi；buttheCivilWarpreventeditsbeingremovedtotheSouth；andthetelescopewassoldtotheAstronomicalSocietyofChicagoandmountedintheObservatoryofthatcity。
AndnowcomesintherivalryofMr。CookeofYork，orratherofhispatron，Mr。NewallofGateshead。AttheGreatExhibitionofLondon，in1862，twolargecircularblocksofglass，abouttwoinchesthickandtwenty-sixinchesindiameter，wereshownbythemanufacturers，Messrs。ChanceofBirmingham。Thesediscswerefoundtobeofperfectquality，andsuitableforobject-glassesofthebestkind。AtthecloseoftheExhibition，theywerepurchasedbyMr。Newall，andtransferredtotheworkshopsofMessrs。CookeandSonsatYork。Togrindandpolishandmountthesediscswasfoundaworkofgreatlabouranddifficulty。Mr。
Lockyersays，“suchanachievementmarksanepochintelescopicastronomy，andtheskillofMr。CookeandthemunificenceofMr。
Newallwilllongberemembered。“
Whenfinished，theobject-glasshadanapertureofnearlytwenty-fiveinches，andwasofmuchgreaterpowerthantheeighteen-inchChicagoinstrument。Thelengthofthetubewasaboutthirty-twofeet。Thecast-ironpillarsupportingthewholewasnineteenfeetinheightfromtheground，andtheweightofthewholeinstrumentwasaboutsixtons。Inpreparingthistelescope，nearlyeverything，fromitsextraordinarysize，hadtobespeciallyarranged。[10]Thegreatanxietyinvolvedinthesearrangements，andtheconstantstudyandapplicationtoldheavilyuponMr。Cooke，andthoughtheinstrumentwantedonlyafewtouchestomakeitcomplete，hishealthbrokedown，andhediedonthel9thofOctober，1868，atthecomparativelyearlyageofsixty-two。
Mr。Cooke’sdeathwasfelt，inameasure，tobeanationalloss。
HisscienceandskillhadrestoredtoEnglandtheprominentpositionshehadheldinthetimeofDollond；and，hadhelived，evenmoremighthavebeenexpectedfromhim。WebelievethattheGoldMedalandFellowshipoftheRoyalSocietywerewaitingforhim；but，asoneofhisfriendssaidtohiswidow，“neitherworthnortalentavailswhenthegreatordealispresentedtous。“InaletterfromProfessorPritchard，hesaid:“Yourhusbandhaslefthismarkuponhisage。Noopticianofmoderntimeshasgainedahigherreputation；andIforonedonothesitatetocallhislossnational；forhecannotbereplacedatpresentbyanyoneelseinhisownpeculiarline。IshallcarrytherecollectionoftheaffectionateesteeminwhichIheldThomasCookewithmetomygrave。Alas！thatheshouldbecutoffjustatthemomentwhenhewasabouttoreaptherewardsduetohisunrivalledexcellence。IhavesaidthatF。R。S。andmedalsweretobehis。Butheis，wefondlytrust，inabetterandhigherstatethanthatofearthlydistinction。Bestassured，yourhusband’snamemusteverbeassociatedwiththereallygreatmenofhisday。Thosewhoknewhimwillevercherishhismemory。“
Mr。CookeleftbehindhimthegreatworkswhichhefoundedinBuckinghamStreet，York。Theystillgiveemploymenttoalargenumberofskilledandintelligentartizans。ThereIfoundmanyimportantworksinprogress，——themanufactureoftheodolites，ofprismaticcompassesforsurveying，ofBolton’srangefinder，andoftelescopesaboveall。InthefactoryyardwasthecommencementoftheObservatoryforGreenwich，tocontainthelateMr。Lassell’ssplendidtwofeetNewtonianreflectingtelescope，whichhasbeenpresentedtothenation。Mr。Cooke’sspiritstillhauntstheworks，whicharecarriedonwiththeskill，thevigour，andtheperseverance，transmittedbyhimtohissons。
WhileatYork，IwasinformedbyMr。Wigglesworth，thepartnerofMessrs。Cooke，ofanenergeticyoungastronomeratBainbridge，inthemountain-districtofYorkshire，whohadnotonlybeenabletomakeatelescopeofhisown，butwasanexcellentphotographer。
Hewasnotyetthirtyyearsofage，buthadencounteredandconqueredmanydifficulties。Thisisasortofcharacterwhichismoreoftentobemetwithinremotecountryplacesthaninthickly-peopledcities。Inthecountryamanismoreofanindividual；inacityheisonlyoneofamultitude。Thecountryboyhastorelyuponhimself，andhastoworkincomparativesolitude，whilethecityboyisdistractedbyexcitements。Lifeinthecountryisfullofpracticalteachings；whereaslifeinthecitymaybedegradedbyfrivolitiesandpleasures，whicharetoooftenthefoesofwork。Hencewehaveusuallytogotoout-of-the-waycornersofthecountryforourhardestbrain-workers。Contactwiththeearthisagreatrestorerofpower；anditistothecountryfolksthatwemusteverlookfortherecuperativepowerofthenationasregardshealth，vigour，andmanliness。
Bainbridgeisaremotecountryvillage，situatedamongthehighlandsorFellsonthenorth-westernborderofYorkshire。Themountainstheresendoutgreatprojectingbuttressesintothedales；andthewatersrushdownfromthehills，andformwaterfallsorForces，whichTurnerhasdonesomuchtoillustrate。TheriverBainrunsintotheYoreatBainbridge，whichissupposedtobethesiteofanoldRomanstation。OverthedooroftheGrammarSchoolisamermaid，saidtohavebeenfoundinacamponthetopofAddleborough，aremarkablelimestonehillwhichrisestothesouth-eastofBainbridge。Itisinthisgrammar-schoolthatwefindthesubjectofthislittleautobiography。Hemustbeallowedtotellthestoryofhislife——whichhedescribesas’Work:Good，Bad，andIndifferent’——
inhisownwords:
“IwasbornonNovember20th，1853。InmychildhoodIsufferedfromill-health。Myparentsletmeplayaboutintheopenair，anddidnotputmetoschooluntilIhadturnedmysixthyear。
Oneday，playingintheshoemaker’sshop，WilliamFarrelaskedmeifIknewmyletters。Ianswered’No。’Hethentookdownaprimerfromashelf，andbegantoteachmethealphabet，atthesametimeamusingmebylikeningtheletterstofamiliarobjectsinhisshop。Isoonlearnedtoread，andinaboutsixweeksI
surprisedmyfatherbyreadingfromaneasybookwhichtheshoemakerhadgivenme。
“Myfatherthentookmeintotheschool，ofwhichhewasmaster，andmyeducationmaybesaidfairlytohavebegun。Myprogress，however，wasveryslowpartlyowingtoill-health，butmore，I
mustacknowledge，tocarelessnessandinattention。Infact，duringthefirstfouryearsIwasatschool，Ilearntverylittleofanything，withtheexceptionofrecitingverses，whichI
seemedtolearnwithoutanymentaleffort。Mymemorybecameveryretentive。Ifoundthatbyattentivelyreadinghalfapageofprint，ormore，fromanyoftheschool-books，Icouldrepeatthewholeofitwithoutmissingaword。IcanscarcelyexplainhowI
didit；butIthinkitwasbypayingstrictattentiontothewordsaswords，andformingamentalpictureoftheparagraphsastheyweregroupedinthebook。Certain，Iam，thattheirsensenevermademuchimpressiononme，for，whenquestionedbytheteacher，Iwasalwayssenttothebottomoftheclass，thoughapparentlyIhadlearnedmyexercisetoperfection。
“WhenIwastwelveyearsold，Imadetheacquaintanceofaveryingeniousboy，whocametoourschool。SamuelBridgewasabornmechanic。Thoughonlyayearolderthanmyself，suchwashisabilityintheuseoftools，thathecouldconstructamodelofanymachinethathesaw。Heawakenedinmealoveofmechanicalconstruction，andtogetherwemademodelsofcollierywinding-frames，iron-rollingmills，trip-hammers，andwater-wheels。Someofthemwerenotmeretoys，butconstructedtoscale，andwerereallygoodworkingmodels。Thisloveofmechanicalconstructionhasneverleftme，andIshallalwaysrememberwithaffectionSamuelBridge，whofirsttaughtmetousethehammerandfile。ThelastIheardofhimwasin1875，whenhepassedhisexaminationasaschoolmaster，inhonours，andwasattheheadofhislist。
“Duringthenexttwoyears，whenbetweentwelveandfourteen，I
madecomparativelyslowprogressatschool。Irememberhavingtowriteoutthefourthcommandmentfrommemory。Theteachercountedtwenty-threemistakesintenlinesofmywriting。Itwillbeseenfromthis，that，asregardslearning，Icontinuedheedlessandbackward。Aboutthistime，myfather，whowasagoodviolinist，tookmeunderhistuition。Hemademepracticeontheviolinaboutanhourandahalfaday。Icontinuedthisforalongtime。Buttheresultwasfailure。Ihatedtheviolin，andwouldneverplayunlesscompelledtodoso。I
supposethesecretwasthatIhadno’ear。’
“Itwasdifferentwithsubjectsmoretomymind。Lookingovermyfather’sbooksoneday，IcameuponGregory’s’HandbookofInorganicChemistry，’andbeganreadingit。Iwasfascinatedwiththebook，andstudieditmorning，noon，andnight——infact，everytimewhenIcouldsnatchafewminutes。IreallybelievethatatonetimeIcouldhaverepeatedthewholeofthebookfrommemory。NowIfoundthevalueofarithmetic，andsettoworkinearnestonproportion，vulgaranddecimalfractions，and，infact，everythinginschoolworkthatIcouldturntoaccountinthescienceofchemistry。TheresultofthissuddenapplicationwasthatIwasseizedwithanillness。ForsomemonthsIhadincessantheadache；myhairbecamedriedup，thenturnedgrey，andfinallycameoff。Weighingmyselfshortlyaftermyrecovery，attheageoffifteen，IfoundthatIjustbalancedfifty-sixpounds。Itookupmensuration，thenastronomy，workingatthemslowly，butgivingthebulkofmysparetimetochemistry。
“Intheyear1869，whenIwassixteenyearsold，IcameacrossCuthbertBede’sbook，entitled’PhotographicPleasures。’Itisanamusingbook，givinganaccountoftheriseandprogressofphotography，andatthesametimehavingagood-naturedlaughatit。Ireadthebookcarefully，andtookupphotographyasanamusement，usingsomeapparatuswhichbelongedtomyfather，whohadatonetimedabbledintheart。Iwassoonabletotakefairphotographs。Ithendecidedtotryphotographyasabusiness。I
wasapprenticedtoaphotographer，andspentfouryearswithhim——oneyearatNorthallerton，andthreeatDarlington。WhenmyemployerremovedtoDarlington，IjoinedtheSchoolofArtthere。
“HavingreadanaccountoftheexperimentsofM。E。Becquerel，aFrenchsavant，onphotographinginthecoloursofnature，mycuriositywasawakened。Icarefullyrepeatedhisexperiments，andconvincedmyselfthathewascorrect。Icontinuedmyexperimentsinheliochromyforaperiodofabouttwoyears，duringwhichtimeImademanyphotographsincolours，anddiscoveredamethodofdevelopingthecolouredimage，whichenabledmetoshortentheexposuretoone-fortiethofthepreviously-requiredtime。Duringtheseexperiments，Icameuponsomecuriousresults，which，Ithink，mightpuzzleourscientificmentoaccountfor。Forinstance，Iprovedtheexistenceofblacklight，orraysofsuchanatureastoturntherose-colouredsurfaceofthesensitive-plateblack——thatis，raysreflectedfromtheblackpaintofdrapery，producedblackinthepicture，andnottheeffectofdarkness。Iwas，likeBecquerel，unabletofixthecolouredimagewithoutdestroyingthecolours；
thoughtheplateswouldkeepalongwhileinthedark，andcouldbeexaminedinasubdued，thoughnotinastronglight。Thecolouredimagewasfaint，butthecolourscameoutwithgreattruthanddelicacy。