Friends of the Zeiss

P.O. Box 1041

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

Telephone: 412-561-7876

Electronic Mail: < friendsofthezeiss@planetarium.cc >

Internet Web Site: < http://www.friendsofthezeiss.org >

Proposed Conditions to be Added to Bill 2003-1337

1) Buhl Planetarium's Theater of the Stars and Zeiss Pit cannot be altered in any way which would prevent the return and use, at some future date, of the historic Zeiss II Planetarium Projector. This would include the retention of the historic Westinghouse "Worm-Gear" Elevator and the Zeiss Control Console.

The Carnegie Science Center has said that, if the Zeiss Projector is ever reassembled, it will not provide planetarium shows in the Science Center.




With the acceptance of this condition, this City-owned projector could some day, again, be the oldest operable, major planetarium projector in the world!

2) The People's Observatory, on Buhl Planetarium's third floor, cannot be altered in any way which would prevent the return and use, at some future date, of the historic 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope.

The use of this telescope, at The Carnegie Science Center, will require the completion of a $62-90 million expansion of the Science Center. The Science Center has raised no funds for this expansion project, and as with other Carnegie Museums has recently reduced service to the public due to budget cuts. It is likely that the telescope will collect dust in storage for many years, if not forever, waiting for a Science Center expansion.

Hence, maintaining the option of returning the telescope to Buhl Planetarium may be the only way to some day return this City-owned telescope to use by the public.

3) A dedicated lighting system, on the ceiling of Buhl Planetarium's Great Hall, should be retained for possible future return and display of "The Rise of Steel Technology" Mural by local artist Nat Youngblood.

4) A comprehensive inventory of all other City-owned artifacts, from Buhl Planetarium, should be compiled at the direction of City Council, so that these other artifacts are not lost forever. The inventory previously compiled and included in the Children’s Museum Lease is not complete.

None of these conditions would significantly hinder the programming of the Children's Museum in the Buhl Planetarium.

gaw 2003 January 28