Thomas Grubb's reputation as a competent telescope maker began to spread as he offered his talents to the Irish astronomical community. Grubb first met the director of
Armagh Observatory,
Romney Robinson, sometime in the 1830s. His first commission was for
E.J. Cooper of
Markree Observatory. It was used to sketch Halley's comet in 1835 and to view the solar eclipse of 15 May 1836. Grubb's work at the
Markree Observatory would become known as a milestone in the creation and handling of large-scale telescopes. In 1837, Thomas Grubb worked with fellow Irish scientist
James MacCullagh. Together, they conducted a series of experiments on metallic refraction. Later he built telescopes for observatories worldwide, including
Aldershot Observatory,
Melbourne, Vienna, Madrid and Mecca and others. Thomas Grubb's company also made various scientific devices for
Trinity College in Dublin. In 1839, his company made about twenty sets of
magnetometers. Grubb was tasked with mounting the telescope. He provided a large support to provide stability. The Royal Society Committee would go on to describe the telescope as 'a masterpiece of engineering'. This project would become renown amongst the global astronomers community and bolster Grubb's reputation. Unfortunately, the project would end in failure when the telescope was actually dismantled and shipped to Australia. Grubb was tasked of constructing a Cassegrain reflector that would include two 4-foot metal mirrors. The problem with the project was Grubb's choice of metal. This caused defects in the form of the astronomers in Melbourne being unable to re-polish the mirrors adequately. The last major work of Thomas Grubb's would start with him and end with his son
Howard Grubb. In 1875, he would go on to build the Great Vienna Telescope. This would be known as the largest refracting telescope in the world up to that point. == Grubb Telescope Company ==