Description
This collection contains the business records of the Lick Observatory, including materials related to observatory operations
on Mount Hamilton in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The main areas of the series include financial files, business correspondence,
and materials related to the planning and construction of the main observatory and related buildings on Mount Hamilton. Information
on the original Lick Trust and trustees is included, as well as land acquisition materials, maps of the surrounding area,
and files on the maintenance of buildings and grounds.
Background
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.
Extent
86.5 Linear Feet
116 boxes, 16 oversize boxes, 2 roll boxes, 5 flat file drawers
Restrictions
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.
Availability
Collection is open for research.