Finding Aid for the Palomar Observatory motion pictures collection 1935-1996, bulk 1935-1948
Processed by Mariella Soprano.
Caltech Archives
Archives
California Institute of Technology
1200 East California Blvd.
Mail Code 015A-74
Pasadena, CA 91125
Phone: (626) 395-2704
Fax: (626) 395-4073
Email: archives@caltech.edu
URL: http://archives.caltech.edu/
©2012
California Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Palomar Observatory motion pictures collection,
Date (inclusive): 1935-1996, bulk 1935-1948
Collection number: 10001-Media
Creator: Unknown
Extent:
10 black and white 16mm film reels; 43 color 16mm film reels; 1 black and white 35mm reel; 19 video tapes and 1 DVD (VHS,
Beta SP, Beta PAL, DVD formats)
Repository:
California Institute of Technology. Caltech Archives
Pasadena, California 91125
Abstract: A collection of films showing the construction and operation of the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory, Palomar
Mountain, California. This instrument was the world's largest effective telescope for 45 years (1948-1993). The collection
includes footage of the transportation, grinding and polishing of the 200-inch mirror on the campus of the California Institute
of Technology. A small portion of this material has been transferred to video tape and digitized from tape to DVD.
Physical location: Archives, California Institute of Technology.
Languages represented in the collection: English
Access
The collection is open for research. Researchers must apply in writing for access.
Publication Rights
Copyright may not have been assigned to the California Institute of Technology Archives. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Caltech Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the California Institute of Technology Archives as the owner of the physical items and, unless explicitly stated otherwise,
is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Palomar Observatory motion pictures collection, 10001-Media, Caltech Archives, California Institute
of Technology.
Acquisition Information
A number of the reels were placed in the Caltech Archives at different times by Robert J. Brucato, an administrator of the
Palomar Observatory from 1974 to 2004. The provenance of the remaining film is unknown. Some video tapes and all digital copies
in the collection were created by the Caltech Archives.
Historical Note
Palomar Observatory is located in San Diego County, California, 90 miles (140 km) southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory,
in the Palomar Mountain Range. At approximately 5,570 feet (1,700 m) elevation, it is owned and operated by the California
Institute of Technology. Research time is granted to Caltech's faculty and staff members and to research partners, which include
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Cornell University. The 200-inch Hale reflecting telescope is the principal instrument at
the Palomar Observatory. It was built by Caltech with a 6-million dollar grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. The historic
200-inch mirror was manufactured using a Pyrex blank by Corning Glass Works, in Corning, New York, and was shipped by rail
to Pasadena for grinding and polishing. It was the vision and effort of the astronomer George Ellery Hale that caused the
project to be funded and to go forward. The building of the 200-inch telescope was easily the most famous scientific undertaking
of the 1930s. From the beginning, everyone associated with the project realized that the work must be done right or not at
all. Every task associated with the Palomar project required a considerable extension of the technology of the day. In an
article in the April 1928 issue of Harper's Magazine, George Hale set forth the case for the building of what was to become
the 200-inch Palomar reflector. The purpose of this article was to inform the American public about his proposal to construct
the largest telescope in the world to answer questions relating to the fundamental nature of the universe. Hale hoped that
the American people would understand and support his project. George Ellery Hale died in 1938 and did not live to see the
completion of his last and biggest telescope. In June 1948 the 200-inch reflector was dedicated to his memory. The telescope
(the largest in the world at that time) saw first light on January 26, 1949, targeting NGC 2261. Russell W. Porter was primarily
responsible for the striking Art Deco architecture of the Observatory's buildings, most notably the dome of the 200-inch Hale
telescope. Porter was also responsible for much of the technical design of the telescope, producing a series of remarkable
cross-section engineering drawings that are considered among the finest examples of such work. Porter worked on the designs
in collaboration with many engineers and Caltech committee members. The iconic, gleaming white building on Palomar Mountain
that houses the 200-inch Hale telescope is considered by many to be "The Cathedral of Astronomy."
Scope and Content
The collection contains raw and edited film footage, some duplicated on video tape or transferred to DVD, of the construction
and operation of the Palomar Observatory. The total number of items is 53 16mm reels, 1 35mm reel, 19 video tapes and 1 DVD.
The earliest of these recordings are in black and white and without sound. Later footage is in color with audio. Some material
appears to be raw footage, and some is clearly edited. Included in the collection are two feature-length productions prepared
for public viewing: The Story of Palomar (1948), and The Universe From Palomar (1967). Both of these are in color and with
sound.
There is notable duplication and overlap between footage segments in this collection. It has not been possible to identify
and account for all elements of duplication or overlap. Item-level description notes provide some useful details about the
relationships between individual reels throughout the collection.
Related Material
Papers of John A. Anderson; Astronomy Department Files; Papers of the Astrophysics Archive 1928-1954; Papers of Ira Sprague
Bowen; Papers of Jesse Leornard Greenstein; Papers of George Ellery Hale; Palomar Observatory Records; Russell Porter's Sketch
studies; The Drawings of Russell Porter; Papers of Bruce H. Rule.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
California Institute of Technology
Palomar Mount
Hale, George Ellery
Reflecting Telescopes - Design and Construction
Reflecting Telescopes - Palomar, Mount (Calif.) - History
Genres and Forms
Motion pictures
Occupations
astronomers
Box 1, Folder 1-2
Palomar Construction
undated (source footage 1935-1948)
Physical Description: 2 video tapes (VHS). Black and White. 56 min
Note
Includes footage of transport, grinding and polishing of the 200-inch mirror and construction of the observatory dome.
Box 2, Folder 1-2
Palomar Historical Footage
undated (source footage 1935-1948)
Physical Description: 2 video tapes (VHS). Black and White. 1hr 43 min.
Note
Second half is exact duplicate of video tape "Palomar Construction." First half is similar material: construction, assembly,
transport of materials. Video has reddish quality.
Box 3, Folder 1-2
Palomar Archives 1 - Viewing copy
undated (source footage 1935-1948)
Physical Description: 2 video tapes (VHS). 33 min. 12 sec.
Box 4, Folder 1-2
Palomar Archives 1 - Screening copy
undated (source footage 1935-1948)
Physical Description: 2 video tapes (VHS). 33 min. 12 sec.
Note
This copy is time-coded.
Box 5, Folder 1
Palomar Archives 1
1935-1948
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 1 film reels, 16mm. Black and White. Circa 40 min.
Note
Edited composite from original footage within the series devoted to construction of the Palomar telescope. Each reel is put
together differently, and the material is not in chronological order or subject order. Reel 1 begins at the archway to the
Caltech Optical Shop (Caltech campus), with a shot of the mirror already loaded on truck flatbed for transport to Palomar
mountain. This is followed by work on the mirror. There follows a sequence of the train carrying the mirror disk (with Pyrex
sign) across the country, arriving at the Pasadena station and unloading. Then comes a return to Optical Shop and polishing.
There follows an extended sequence on the mountain, which also skips around from dome construction, to road work, to interior
shots. Also includes harborside unloading of machinery, transport of same up the mountain road.
Box 5, Folder 2
Palomar Archives 2
1935-1948
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 1 film reel, 16mm. Black and White. Circa 40 min.
Note
Reel 2 has more continuity than Palomar Archives 1 and is the best continuous footage on the 200-inch mirror. It begins in
the Optical Shop with grinding and polishing of the mirror. It follows the mirror through loading onto flatbed truck and transport
up the mountain. Following the mirror footage is a sequence of a man with the small model of the 200"-inch telescope. After
this, there is a return to the dome interior, then concluding exterior shots. (From the man with the model to the end,the
footage duplicates Palomar Construction, film #4. The beginning of the footage--about 31 minutes--is the same as the VHS video
titled Palomar Construction. After about 31 minutes the video parts company and goes to Palomar Archives #1.)
Box 5, Folder 3
Palomar Archives 3
1935-1948
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 1 film reel, 16mm. Black and White. Circa 40 min.
Note
Reel 3 is identical to Palomar Construction footage, nos. 1-3. (See that description.)
Box 6, Folder 1
Palomar Archives 4
1936
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 1 film reel, 16mm. Black and White. 10 min.
Note
Film footage on the arrival of the 200-inch mirror in Pasadena, with scenes out of sequence. Begins with a shot of the archway
to Caltech Optical Shop; people milling around, press people with cameras; mirror transport down Colorado Boulevard; train
in station, lifting mirror off with crane to truck flatbed. This footage is similar to that on Palomar Archives #1-3, but
not identical.
Box 7, Folder 1-4
Palomar Construction
1935-1948
Physical Description: 4 film reels, 16mm. Black and White
Note
Raw footage, probably unedited. Largely a chronological documentary of the Palomar 200-inch telescope construction. Reels
1-3 are all incorporated on the large reel, Palomar Archives 3. Portions of reel 4 are on Palomar Archives 2.
Box 8, Folder 1-2
Palomar Project Progress
1935-1948
Physical Description: 2 film reels, 16mm. Black and White. 80 min.
Note
Edited composite from original footage. Appears identical to Palomar Archives 1 & 2.
Box 9, Folder 1-8
The Story of Palomar
1948
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 8 videos (Video tape, 3/4", Beta SP, Beta Pal, VHS, DVD). 40 mins.
Note
Video tape and DVD copies of the feature film, The Story of Palomar (see that description below, under 16 mm film version).
Box 10, Folder 1-12
The Story of Palomar
1948
Physical Description: 12 film reels, 16mm. Color. 40 mins. in total.
Note
Feature film produced and copyrighted 1948, Caltech. Produced by E. Hoge and S. Zipser for Caltech. About the building and
use of the 200-inch telescope. Includes footage of Edwin Hubble, Milton Humason, Bruce Rule, Russell W. Porter, Max Mason,
John Anderson, Marcus Brown, Lee A. DuBridge, Ira Bowen and technicians working on mirror. With sky picture and animation
sequences demonstrating how an optical (reflecting) telescope works.
Box 11, Folder 1
Outtakes: Story of Palomar
1948
Physical Description: 1 film reels, 16mm. Color. Circa 15 min.
Note
Raw footage similar to that used in The Story of Palomar; possibly outtakes or part of a set of work prints for that project.
Box 12, Folder 1-10
Palomar Stock Footage I
1960-1969
Physical Description: 10 film reels, 16mm. Color
Note
Raw footage centering on the operation of the 200-inch telescope. Damaged.
Box 13, Folder 1-10
Palomar work print
1960-1969
Physical Description: 10 film reels, 16mm. Color
Note
Includes views of the telescope and an astronomer in a red and black plaid shirt getting into viewing cage and loading plates.
The same astronomer (wearing the same shirt) appears in the feature film The Universe from Palomar(see description below);
possibly these are work prints from that production.
Box 14, Folder 1
Mount Palomar Footage (Rossi, CBS)
1964
Physical Description: 1 film reel, 35mm. Black and White
Note
Source unknown.
Box 15, Folder 1-3
The Universe from Palomar
1967
Physical Description: 3 video tapes (Beta SP, VHS, VHS-PAL). Color. 30 min.
Note
Video tapes copies of the feature film produced by NET Science in cooperation with Caltech and Carnegie Institution of Washington/Mt.
Wilson and Palomar Observatories (see full description below, 16 mm film).
Box 16, Folder 1-3
The Universe from Palomar
1967
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 3 film reels, 16mm. Color. 30 min.
Note
Feature film produced by NET Science in cooperation with Caltech and Carnegie Institution of Washington/Mt. Wilson and Palomar
Observatories; David Prowitt, Executive Producer. Covers both the history of the building of the telescope, especially the
200-inch mirror, and the operation of the telescope from its dedication until the date of the film. Includes footage of the
casting of the mirror at Corning. Astronomers who appear in the film are Ira Bowen (who also narrates), Edwin Hubble, Milton
Humason, Bruce Rule; also footage of Russell Porter and some of his drawings. There are voiceovers by George McCauley and
Melvin Johnson.
Box 17, Folder 1-7
Palomar Stock Footage II
1968
Selected digitized images from this collection.
Physical Description: 7 film reels, 16mm. Color
Note
Raw footage. Reels match the set titled Palomar Stock Footage I but the set is incomplete.
Box 18, Folder 1
Palomar Archives 1
1996
Physical Description: 1 video tape (Beta SP). 33 min. 12 sec.
Note
Video tape copy of 16 mm film described above.