Harvard College Observatory financial records
Overview
The Harvard College Observatory was founded in 1839. In 1973, the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries on studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education. The Harvard College Observatory financial records document the Observatory’s income and expenditures from 1863 to 1952, and include account books, payroll ledgers, financial statements, and memoranda.
Dates
- Creation: 1863 - 1952
Creator
- Harvard College Observatory (Organization)
Researcher Access
Open for research with the following exception: Personnel and student records are closed for 80 years. Specific restrictions are noted at the folder level.
Extent
11.55 cubic feet (9 document boxes, 8 record cartons, 2 volumes, 2 accordion folders)The Harvard College Observatory financial records document the Observatory’s income and expenditures dating from 1863 to 1952 and include account books, payroll ledgers, financial statements, and memoranda. Some notations on the records document transactions dating back to 1840. The collection illustrates the financial condition and management of the Harvard College Observatory and the accounting methods it used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Historical note on the Harvard College Observatory
The Harvard College Observatory was founded in 1839. In 1973, the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (founded in 1890) merged to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Center is a research institute that carries on studies in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education.
Arrangement
The records are organized in five series:
- Account books, 1863-1910
- Record of bills paid, 1897-1952
- Records of expenditures, 1904-1950
- [Endowment financial ledger], 1896-1911
- Payroll records, 1897-1952
Acquisition Information
Harvard College Observatory financial records were received by the Harvard University Archives before 1980.
Processing Information
This finding aid was created in February 2022 by Dominic P. Grandinetti.
Collection title devised by the archivist.
Folder titles and dates supplied by the archivist appear in brackets.
The archivist attempted to retain and preserve the original arrangement and existing relationships of the records in this collection. Processing and arrangement details of each series are noted at the series level.
Alma ID
99155892232203941
Creator
- Harvard College Observatory (Organization)
- Title
- Harvard College Observatory financial records, 1863-1952: an inventory
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- hua08022
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461
archives_reference@harvard.edu