Francis Gladheim Pease Addenda, 1908-2001, bulk 1908-1937

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Summary

Creators:
Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), 1881-
Abstract:
This collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, printed material, and ephemera all related to Mount Wilson Solar Observatory astronomer Francis Gladheim Pease (1881-1938), his astronomy work, and the telescopes he designed (bulk dating from 1908-1937).
Extent:
90 items in 1 box
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, printed material and ephemera all related to astronomer Francis Gladheim Pease, his astronomy work, and the telescopes he designed. There are 13 letters by George Ellery Hale as well as a copy of an offprint of “Building the 200- Inch Telescope” by Hale (originally published in Harper’s Magazine, November 1929). There is an offprint of “The Spectra of Four of the Temporary Stars” written by Pease and Walter S. Adams (published in Contributions from the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory No. 87 in 1914).

The correspondence includes several prominent individuals including: Giorgio Abetti, Walter S. Adams, John A. Anderson, Andrew Carnegie (typed copy), Edward H. Davis, Elmer Grey, George Ellery Hale, Fred E. Harvey, Herbert E. Ives, Thornwell Jacobs, George Wharton James, Helen Keller (photocopy of letter), Albert A. Michelson, Robert A. Millikan, James R. Page, F. E. Wright, and the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company. There is also one letter addressed to Thomas Edison.

The manuscripts include several items by F. G. Pease including a “Figuring Book” which contains his work on various telescopes and contains blueprints and a manuscript entitled “Notes on a 25-Foot Reflector.”

The ephemera is made up of printed offprints, a blueprint of the telescope at Mt. Wilson, newspaper clippings, miscellaneous items, and material from several websites (Caltech Astronomy, JPL, and Mount Wilson; printed 1999-2001) regarding Einstein, telescopes, Mt. Wilson, the Palomar Observatory and the Comet Hale-Bopp.

The photographs include a portrait of George Ellery Hale (1929), three photographs of the construction of the telescope at Palomar Observatory (1937), and a photograph of Albert Einstein with Charles St. John, Ferdinand Ellerman, Walther Mayer, and Edwin Hubble on the steps outside the 150-foot tower telescope during Einstein’s second visit to Mt. Wilson (January 1931: the Huntington has another copy of this photograph: COPC 2787).

The collection is arranged alphabetically by author: correspondence and manuscripts, folders 1- 32; followed by ephemera, folders 33-41.

Biographical / historical:

Francis Gladheim Pease was one of the original staff members of the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory when it was formed in 1904. His most important contribution to the Observatory was his expertise in the design and use of astronomical instruments. Together with George W. Ritchey, Pease designed most of the equipment for the new Observatory. His most significant work was in the design of the 100-inch Hooker Telescope, the 20-foot and 50-foot Interferometers, and the 200-inch Hale Telescope. In the field of astronomical observations, Pease is best remembered for his collaborations with Albert A. Michelson, the Nobel Laureate physicist at the University of Chicago. Together, they developed new experiments for determining the diameters of stars, the velocity of light, and the non-existence of the "ether."

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Paul Ross, September 7, 2012.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged alphabetically by author: correspondence and manuscripts, folders 1-32; followed by ephemera, folders 33-41.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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