Lewis M. Rutherfurd Collection
name: label: Donor
content: Schmidling, David, Dr.
label: Author
content: Rutherfurd, Lewis Morris, 1816-1892
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Physical Sciences
topic: label: Topic
content: Telescopes -- 19th century
label: Topic
content: Astronomers
label: Topic
content: Photographers
label: Topic
content: Astronomy
label: Topic
content: Photographs -- Moon -- 19th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Dr. David Schmidling, November 13, 1989.
creator: label: Donor
content: Schmidling, David, Dr.
label: Author
content: Rutherfurd, Lewis Morris, 1816-1892
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lewis M. Rutherfurd Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection documents Lewis M. Rutherfurd's work related to astronomy.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Lewis Morris Rutherfurd (1816-1892), a native of New York, was a member of a prominent family and financially independent enough to permit his pursuit of scientific interests.  After graduation from Williams College he practiced law for 10 years before devoting himself to amateur astronomy.  Rutherfurd designed and made his own instruments for photography and spectroscopy in astronomical observations, often only demonstrating their capabilities before making them available to other scientists.  A member of the National Academy of Sciences and numerous professional societies, Rutherfurd was awarded the Rumford Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1874 for his "improvements in the processes and methods of Astronomical Photography."
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.3 Cubic feet (1 box, 1 oversized folder)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1846-1884
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was transferred from the Division of Physical Sciences to the Archives Center in December 1989.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0364
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Notebooks
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Lecture notes
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Don Darroch, volunteer, 1989.
bibliography: label: Bibliography
content: Gould, Benjamin A., "Memoir of Lewis Morris Rutherford, 1816-1892," National Academy of Sciences, Biographical Memoirs (Washington, D.C., 1895), 3:417-441.


Mann, Robert J., "Mr. Lewis Rutherfurd's Photographs of the Sun and Fixed Stars, Photographic News 15 (1871), pp. 294-295.


Rutherfurd, Lewis M., "Astronomical Photography," American Journal of Science 39 (1865), pp. 304-309.

Rutherfurd, Lewis M., "On the Construction of the Spectroscope," American Journal of Science, 39 (1865), pp. 129-132.

Warner, Deborah Jean, "Lewis M. Rutherfurd: Pioneer Astronomical Photographer and Spectroscopist," Technology and Culture, Vol. 12, No. 2 (April 1971), pp. 190-216.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Notebooks -- 1850-1900
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Lecture notes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection includes two papers by Rutherfurd published in the American Journal of Science, lecture notes apparently used by Rutherfurd in teaching, and two letters from Benjamin A. Gould, an astronomer and close friend of Rutherfurd's, as well as a draft letter of Rutherfurd to the editors of the American Journal of Science and Art.  Most of the collection is comprised of notebooks and loose notes in which Rutherfurd recorded his observations, calculations and designs relating to his professional activities.  Two bound notebooks record observations of stars, planets and comets by telescope in 1846-1849 and 1859-1861.  Other papers loose and less formally recorded on astronomical observations and the design and calibration of cameras and spectroscopes used by Rutherfurd, cover the period 1858-1874.  A number of photographs of the moon and other subjects related to his work are also included.