This collection includes the professional files of the following directors of the Lick Observatory: Edward S. Holden, William Wallace Campbell, Robert G. Aitken, Albert E. Whitford, Robert P. Kraft, and George Herbig. Materials mostly include correspondence, as well as reports, meeting minutes, subject and topical files, notes, publication reviews, and some research materials.

The Lick Observatory was completed in 1888 and continues to be an active astronomy research facility at the summit of Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, California. It is named after James Lick (1796-1876), who left $700,000 in 1875 to purchase land and build a facility that would be home to "a powerful telescope, superior to and more powerful than any telescope yet made". The completion of the Great Lick Refractor in 1888 made the observatory home to the largest refracting telescope in the world for 9 years, until the completion of the 40-inch refractor at Yerkes Observatory in 1897. Since its founding in 1887, the Lick Observatory facility has provided on-site housing on Mount Hamilton for researchers, their families, and staff, making it the world's oldest residential observatory.

20.42 Linear Feet 34 boxes, 6 oversize boxes, 1 flat file drawer

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

Collection is open for research.