In 1864, the Rutherfurd's machine to measure stellar photographs proved the interest the astronomical photography could provide. The photographical method was developped for the observation of the transit of Venus on the Sun disc. In 1875, Brunner built a machine for this purpose; improved by the Henry's brothers, it became the prototype of the machine to measure stellar photographs ten years later. During the eighties and the nineties, other kinds of measuring machines were built; they constantly got many improvements. In 1927, for example, the Brunner's machine was remade to establish the linking catalogue.