Lippershey, Hans

Hans Lippershey, Lippershey also spelled Lipperhey, also called Jan Lippersheim or Hans Lippersheim, (born c. 1570, Wesel, Ger.—died c. 1619, Middelburg, Neth.), spectacle maker from the United Netherlands, traditionally credited with inventing the telescope (1608).

Lippershey applied to the States General of the Netherlands for a 30-year patent for his instrument, which he called a kijker (“looker”), or else an annual pension, in exchange for which he offered not to sell telescopes to foreign kings. Two other claimants to the invention came forward, Jacob Metius and Sacharias Jansen. The States General ruled that no patent should be granted because so many people knew about it and the device was so easy to copy. However, the States General granted Lippershey 900 florins for the instrument but required its modification into a binocular device. His telescopes were made available to Henry IV of France and others before the end of 1608. The potential importance of the instrument in astronomy was recognized by, among others, Jacques Bovedere of Paris; he reported the invention to Galileo, who promptly built his own telescope.