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Detailed Table of Contents

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Introduction

Chapter 1. Lawrence Braymer and the Emergence of the Questar Telescope

  1. § 1.1. Formative Years
    1. Childhood and Early Adulthood
    2. The Artist: Braymer’s Education and Early Career as a Commercial Illustrator
    3. The Tinkering Astronomer: Braymer and the ATM Movement
    4. The Entrepreneur: Braymer’s Contact with Telescope Suppliers During World War II
    5. The Innovator: Braymer and the Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope
  2. § 1.2. Evolution of a Design for the Questar Telescope
    1. Braymer and Norbert Schell
    2. Design Elements in Braymer’s Patents
  3. § 1.3. Final Pieces Fall into Place
    1. Marriage of Marguerite and Lawrence Braymer
    2. Complications for Production
    3. Emergence of an Aesthetic Masterpiece

Chapter 2. The Early Years

  1. § 2.1. Characteristics of Early Questar Telescopes
    1. A Breakthrough in the History of Telescopes
    2. Optics
    3. Control Box
    4. Eyepieces
    5. Telescope Barrel
    6. Mount
    7. Navigation Aids
    8. Accessories
  2. § 2.2. Photography with the Questar
    1. Impediments to Overcome
    2. Equipment
    3. The Photography of Dorothy and Ralph Davis
    4. Questar’s Relationship with Modern Photography Magazine
  3. § 2.3. Marketing and Sales
    1. Marketing Channels
    2. Advertising Themes
    3. Pricing and Sales
    4. Service
  4. § 2.4. Adoption and Influence
    1. Celebrity Questar Owners
    2. Organizational Clients
    3. Critical Praise
    4. Popularization of the Maksutov-Cassegrain Design

Chapter 3. Design Refinements and Product Evolution

  1. § 3.1. Design Changes and Refinements
    1. Focal Length
    2. Wide Field Construction
    3. Refinements for the Photographer
    4. Optical Enhancements
  2. § 3.2. Variations on a Theme: Field Model, Duplex, and the Questar Seven
    1. Field Model
    2. Duplex
    3. Questar Seven
  3. § 3.3. Marketing and Sales
    1. Branding Updates
    2. Marketing Channels
    3. Advertising Themes
    4. Sales
  4. § 3.4. Adoption and Influence
    1. Celebrity Owners
    2. Space Missions
  5. § 3.5. Death of Lawrence Braymer

    Chapter 4. The Steady Years

    1. § 4.1. New Offerings for Photographers and Cinematographers
      1. Robert Little’s Innovations
      2. Hubert Entrop and the Starguide
      3. Camera Bodies
      4. Movie Film Equipment
      5. Television Equipment
    2. § 4.2. New Accessories and Design Refinements
      1. Johnny Carson and the Finder Solar Filter
      2. Carrying Case Updates
      3. The Switch to Questar Brandon Eyepieces
      4. Optical Glass Filters
      5. Dew Shield and Moon Map Finish Changes
      6. New Mounting Options
    3. § 4.3. Marketing and Sales
      1. Marketing Channels
      2. Advertising Themes
      3. Pricing and Sales
    4. § 4.4. Adoption and Influence
      1. Celebrity Questar Owners
      2. Questar on the World Stage

    Chapter 5. Expansion into New Product Areas

    1. § 5.1. Product Refinements
      1. Secondary Mirror Relocation
      2. Zerodur Primary Mirrors
      3. Other Changes
    2. § 5.2. Competition Intensifies
      1. Celestron and the Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
      2. Optical Techniques Incorporated and the Quantum Telescope
      3. Small Catadioptric Imitators
    3. § 5.3. More Variations on a Theme
      1. Questar 700
      2. Camera Bodies
      3. Questar 12
      4. Questar 18
      5. 25th Anniversary Questar
      6. Questar-manufactured Eyepieces
      7. Wide-Sky Questars
      8. Instruments for Special Applications
    4. § 5.4. Marketing and Sales
      1. Marketing Channels
      2. Advertising Themes
      3. Pricing and Sales
    5. § 5.5. Adoption and Influence
      1. Celebrity Questar Owners
      2. Episodes in Long Range Surveillance

    Chapter 6. Questar in the 1990s

    1. § 6.1. New Product Introductions
      1. Questar Birder
      2. Enhancements for the Solar Observer
      3. Tri-Stand and Astro Pier
      4. Drive Accessories
      5. Carrying Case Updates
      6. Proposals for a Questar Maksutov-Newtonian Telescope
    2. § 6.2. Challenges Come to a Head
      1. Challenges from a Changing Hobby
      2. “We Overreached Ourselves”
      3. Transitions
    3. § 6.3. Marketing and Sales
      1. Marketing Channels
      2. Advertising Themes
      3. Pricing and Sales
    4. § 6.4. A Celebration of Questar
      1. A Community of Questar Enthusiasts Coalesces Online
      2. The 50th Anniversary Questar

    Conclusion: Questar in the 21st Century

    1. Product Refinements and Introductions
    2. Magazine Advertising
    3. Adoption and Influence
    4. The Longevity of Questar

    Questar Advertisements

    Timeline

    Appendices and Lists

    1. Open Questions
      1. Questar Patents and Trademarks
        1. The Changing Finish of Questar’s Star Map Dew Shield, Moon Map, and Other Navigation Aids
          1. The Original Finish
          2. The Change to Screen Printed Details
          3. The Change to a Matte Blue Finish
          4. The Environmental Legacy of Metal Etching Corporation
        2. John Gregory’s Adaptation of Maksutov’s Design, Patent Constraints, and Braymer’s Location of the Questar Telescope’s Secondary Spot
          1. The Early Field Model and the “De Luxe Questar”
            1. Serial Numbers
              1. Price History
                1. Standard Questar
                2. Field Model
                3. Duplex Questar
                4. Questar Seven (Barrel Only)
                5. Data
              2. Celebrity Questar Owners

                Afterword and Acknowledgements

                Bibliography