Francis Gladheim Pease Addenda: Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Brooke M. Black, January 4, 2013.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2013
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.


Overview of the Collection

Title: Francis Gladheim Pease Addenda
Dates (inclusive): 1908-2001
Bulk dates: 1908-1937
Collection Number: mssPease addenda
Creator: Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), 1881-
Extent: 90 items in 1 box
Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
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).
Language: English.

Access

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

Administrative Information

Publication Rights

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Francis Gladheim Pease Addenda, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Purchased from Paul Ross, September 7, 2012.

Related Materials in the Huntington Library

Biographical Note

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."

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.

Arrangement

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

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.  

Subjects

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955.
Hubble, Edwin Powell, 1889-1953.
Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881 -- Archives.
California Institute of Technology.
Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Corning Glass Works.
Mount Wilson and Palomar Ovservatories -- History -- Sources.
Mount Wilson Observatory -- History -- Sources.
Mount Wilson Solar Observatory.
Palomar Observatory.
Yerkes Observatory.
Astronomers -- United States -- Archives.
Astronomical observatories -- California -- Wilson, Mount (Mountain)
Astronomy -- Research.
Astronomy -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources.
Stars.
Telescopes -- Design and construction -- History -- Sources.
Hale-Bopp comet.

Forms/Genres

Blueprints (reprographic copies)
Letters (correspondence)
Manuscripts

Additional Contributors

Abetti, Giorgio, 1882-1982.
Adams, Walter S. (Walter Sydney), 1876-1956.
Anderson, John A. (John Augustus), 1876-1959, recipient.
Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919.
Davis, Edward H., . 1862.
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931, recipient.
Grey, Elmer, 1871-1962, recipient.
Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938.
Harvey, Fred E., 1895-1961.
Ives, Herbert Eugene, 1882-1953.
Jacobs, Thornwell, 1877-1956.
James, George Wharton, 1858-1923.
Keller, Helen, 1880-1968.
Michelson, Albert A. (Albert Abraham), 1852-1931.
Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953.
Page, James Rathwell, 1884-1962.
Wright, F. E. (Frederic Eugene), 1877-1953, recipient.
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, recipient.


Box 1

Correspondence, Manuscripts, and Ephemera

Folder 1

Abetti, Giorgio, 1882-1982. 1 letter (1938, Jan. 23) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 2

Adams, Walter S. (Walter Sydney), 1876-1956. 1 letter (1934, Oct. 12) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 3

Alderson, Victor Clifton, b. 1862. 1 letter (1926, Jan. 29) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 4

Bispham, David Scull, 1857-1921. 1 letter (1919, May 21) to Abbot Kinney, 1850-1920 (?). 1 item.

Folder 5

Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919. 1 letter (1919, Mar. 19) to Calvin W. Rice. Typed copy. 1 item.

Folder 6

Chadwick, Ida S. 1 letter (1930, Jan. 23) to Charles Francis Saunders, 1859-1941 (1930, Jan. 23). Following the above is a note by Saunders to Pease. 1 item.

Folder 7

Davis, Edward H., b. 1862. 1 letter (1920, Feb. 12) to Thomas A. (Thomas Alva) Edison, 1847-1931. Copy. 1 item.

Folder 8

Feittinger (?), Charles. 1 letter (1935, Nov. 3) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 9

Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938. 1 letter (1913, May 8) to Elmer Grey, 1871-1962. 1 item.

Folder 10

Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938. 11 letters (1918-1933) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 11 items.

Folder 11

Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938. 1 letter (1908, Mar. 21) to Bausch & Lomb Optical Company. 1 item.

Folder 12

Harvey, Fred E., 1895-1961. 1 letter (1913, Sep. 30) to Mrs. F. C. Furness. 1 item.

Folder 13

Hostetter, J. C. 4 letters (1934-1935) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 4 items.

Folder 14

Ives, Herbert Eugene, 1882-1953. 1 letter (1934, Dec. 17) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 15

Jacobs, Thornwell, 1877-1956. 3 letters (1930-1937) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 3 items.

Folder 16

James, George Wharton, 1858-1923. 1 letter (1917, Dec. 15) to Mrs. F. C. Furness. 1 item.

Folder 17

Kent, Norton Adams, 1873-. 1 letter (1937, Nov. 29) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 18

Keller, Helen, 1880-1968. 1 letter (1928, Nov. 7) F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item. Photocopy; original returned to Paul Ross. No restrictions.

Folder 19

Mason, Henry H. 1 letter (1926, June 17) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 20

Michelson, Albert A. (Albert Abraham), 1852-1931. 8 letters (1920-1928) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 9 items. Includes newspaper clipping.

Folder 21

Neumer, Otto. 1 letter (1935, Oct. 15) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 22

Page, James Rathwell, 1884-1962 and Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953. 1 letter (1935, Mar. 5) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 23

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. Figuring Book (1919-1924). 1 item.

Folder 24

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. Miscellaneous pages from manuscript: [p. 17, 18] (1927, Dec. 14). 1 item.

Folder 25

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. “Notes on a 25-Foot Reflector:” [manuscript] (1922, July 17). 1 item.

Folder 26

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. 1 letter (1933, June 27) to John A. (John August) Anderson, 1876-1959. 1 item. Typed copy. Includes pencil sketch.

Folder 27

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. 1 letter (1923, Nov. 30) to Albert A. (Albert Abraham) Michelson, 1852-1931. 1 item. Typed copy.

Folder 28

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. 1 letter (1924, Feb. 20) to Joseph A. Steinmetz. 1 item.

Folder 29

Penn, John C. 1 letter (1928, Oct. 31) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 30

Schommer, John J. 1 letter (1932, Oct. 11) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 1 item.

Folder 31

Staud, O. J. 1 letter (1932, Nov. 8) to F. E. (Frederic Eugene) Wright, 1877-1953. 1 item.

Folder 32

Steinmetz, Joseph A. 3 letters (1920-1924) to F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. 3 items.

Folder 33

Adams, Walter S. (Walter Sydney), 1876-1956 and F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881. “The Spectra of Four of the Temporary Stars:” offprint (1914). 1 item.

Folder 34

Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938. “Building the 200-Inch Telescope:” offprint (1929, Nov.). 1 item.

Folder 35

Pease, F. G. (Francis Gladheim), b. 1881. “Sketch of a Reflecting Telescope:” blueprint (1921, Nov. 4). 1 item.

Folder 36

Who’s Who in Engineering. Application of F. G. (Francis Gladheim) Pease, b. 1881 (1937).

Folder 37

Empty Envelopes (1909-1931). 7 items.

Folder 38

Material from Internet (1999-2001). 6 items.

Folder 39

Newspaper Clippings (1966-1973). 3 items.

Folder 40

Miscellaneous Ephemera (1909-1935). 8 items.

Folder 41

Photographs (1929-1937). 5 items.