Archives

Introduction to the Dudley Observatory Archives

The Dudley Observatory Archives Project was first planned in January 1992. At that time, the Board of Trustees approved the funding necessary to hire an archivist and the necessary supplies, and committed to preserving the heritage of the Observatory. The records to be processed in the project were what the Observatory called its "historical collection." These records were found to date from 1852-1952, with the bulk of the records dating c1900-c1930. In March 1992, the consulting archivist arrived to plan and implement the project. 

What began as a collection of crumbling boxes containing a myriad of records in almost no recognizable order has evolved into an important collection of administrative records, observational data, and personal papers that document not only the history of the Dudley Observatory, but also the history of astronomy in America.

In 1994, the project was expanded to include the collections from the modern era, from 1956 to the present. These records reflect the rise and fall of a private institution's attempt to maintain enough funding to conduct scientific research in astronomy and related fields. The Records of the Dudley Observatory have been arbitrarily divided into two sections, modern and historical. This division was made for practical, rather than theoretical reasons and is not absolute. For example, library records from the 1930's that were used by the library on an ongoing basis can be found in the modern collection. Both collections must be examined to find all relevant records.

The collection is available for research by appointment. Please call before visiting as staff may not always be available to open the archives. For other access policies, please refer to the usage policy.

Although there are no restrictions on access to the collections, manuscripts cannot be used for publication without regard for common law literary rights, copyright laws, and laws pertaining to libel. Researchers must have permission from the copyright holder before publication in any form.

Table of Contents

Section I

Records of Dudley Observatory (1852-1956)
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Observational Journals
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Records of the Astronomical Journal
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Papers of Benjamin A. Gould
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Papers of Seth C. Chandler
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Papers of Benjamin Boss
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Papers of Sebastian Albrecht
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Papers of James H. Armsby
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Section II

 Records of the Dudley Observatory (1956-1980)

Series Summary

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Dudley Observatory
107 Nott Terrace, Suite 201
Schenectady, NY 12308
(518) 382-7583
info@dudleyobservatory.org