Further to my previous post, here is a remarkable biography of W.W. Morgan, the co-creator of the modern system of spectral classification of stars, and the discoverer (or co-discoverer) of the spiral structure of our own galaxy. It is remarkably interesting to contemplate that there was a time - not so long ago - when it had just been proved that the Milky Way is just one galaxy of many, yet nobody actually knew what type of galaxy the Milky Way is!
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1112/1112.0243.pdf
madbadgalaxyman's comment:
It is important when reading the results of research into the history of science to remember that the conclusions of these "first or early or initial researches" into astronomical history are often quite inaccurate, and that later historical research often revises the earlier conclusions. For instance I initiated a thread on whether or not Hubble actually discovered the expansion of the universe, and it turned out that the much admired and very famous Hubble
discovered a lot less than he is usually credited with.