c. 1570-1619

Dutch Instrument Maker

Hans Lippershay is one of several Dutch spectacle-makers who claimed to have invented the telescope. Though the issue of priority for the invention remains clouded, the earliest mention of such a device was clearly in reference to Lippershay's 1608 patent claim.

Though the exact date of Lippershay's birth remains uncertain, it is known that he was born in Wesel around 1570. He settled in Middelburg, the provincial seat of government for Zeeland. This was the most important commercial and manufacturing center in the southwestern portion of the Netherlands and was home to the oldest glass factory in the northern provinces (established 1581). Lippershay was married in 1594 and became a citizen of Middelburg in 1602.

In September 1608, Lippershay appeared before the Committee of Councillors of Zeeland, where he demonstrated his "device by means of which all things at a very large distance can be seen as...