Harvard College Observatory History in Images

This is a personal project collecting and documenting early images of Harvard College Observatory, focusing on the site at Observatory Hill (previously Summer House Hill). Buildings, instruments, people, and observations.

Disclaimer: all content here is solely my own views, and in no way represents the views of my employer, or anyone else. Also, I'm documenting things as I learn about them, so expect frequent errors. Corrections will occur without notice and without a changelog at this point.

_related_Dome28_anim

This page shows a list of all images related pictures in the same group.

[link]1887

Image Credit: Thomas A. Fine

Construction of the dome to contain the 28-inch reflector donated by Mrs. Draper for the Draper Memorial project.

Eleven photos processed into an animated gif.

Some alternate copies of these images have penciled in dates, and based on this, the construction began before July 12, 1887 (when the platform was completed), and completed after September 1 of the same year (when the building skirt was added but the dome skirt was not in place).

A copy of the sixth image in the sequence has a date written on it, which dates the middle of the construction to July 27, 1887.^{olvwork432353(missing)} The position of the building makes it clear that this is the dome for the 28-inch reflector, which was the second of the three large additional domes that were built.

Use/Copyright: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

11 related images not shown

[link]1887/07

Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (177). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431829}

[link]1887/07/12

Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (178). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431830}

Alternate copy dated July 12, 1887.^{olvwork432351(missing)}

[link]1887/07/13ish

Earliest source: "[Platform for building in Cambride under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (179). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431831}

Date arbitrarily chosen based on other dated images.

[link]1887/07/16ish

Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (180). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431832}

Date arbitrarily picked to go between other dated images

[link]1887/07/19

Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (181). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431833}

Alternate copy dated July 19, 1887.^{olvwork432352(missing)}

[link]1887/07/27

Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (182). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431834}

Date of this photo comes from another print of this same photo, which has the date written on the border.^{olvwork432353(missing)}

[link]1887/08/04

Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (183). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431835}

Alternate copy dated August 4, 1887.^{olvwork432355(missing)}

[link]1887/08/10ish

Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (184). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431836}

Date arbitrarily picked to fit between other dated images

[link]1887/08/17

Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (185). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431837}

[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]

ca. 1910-1930

Creator: Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge

Alternate copy of this image is dated August 17, 1887.^{olvwork432357(missing)}

[link]1887/09/01

Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (186). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431838}

Alternate copy of this image is dated September 1, 1887.^{olvwork432358(missing)}

[link]1887/09/2 or later

Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (187). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431839}

Date chosen after other dated images in this sequence.

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	[link]1887 Image Credit: Thomas A. Fine Construction of the dome to contain the 28-inch reflector donated by Mrs. Draper for the Draper Memorial project. Eleven photos processed into an animated gif. Some alternate copies of these images have penciled in dates, and based on this, the construction began before July 12, 1887 (when the platform was completed), and completed after September 1 of the same year (when the building skirt was added but the dome skirt was not in place). A copy of the sixth image in the sequence has a date written on it, which dates the middle of the construction to July 27, 1887.^{olvwork432353(missing)} The position of the building makes it clear that this is the dome for the 28-inch reflector, which was the second of the three large additional domes that were built. Use/Copyright: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 11 related images not shown
	[link]1887/07 Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (177). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431829}
	[link]1887/07/12 Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (178). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431830} Alternate copy dated July 12, 1887.^{olvwork432351(missing)}
	[link]1887/07/13ish Earliest source: "[Platform for building in Cambride under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (179). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431831} Date arbitrarily chosen based on other dated images.
	[link]1887/07/16ish Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (180). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431832} Date arbitrarily picked to go between other dated images
	[link]1887/07/19 Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (181). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431833} Alternate copy dated July 19, 1887.^{olvwork432352(missing)}
	[link]1887/07/27 Earliest source: "[Building in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (182). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431834} Date of this photo comes from another print of this same photo, which has the date written on the border.^{olvwork432353(missing)}
	[link]1887/08/04 Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (183). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431835} Alternate copy dated August 4, 1887.^{olvwork432355(missing)}
	[link]1887/08/10ish Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (184). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431836} Date arbitrarily picked to fit between other dated images
	[link]1887/08/17 Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (185). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431837} [Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction] ca. 1910-1930 Creator: Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge Alternate copy of this image is dated August 17, 1887.^{olvwork432357(missing)}
	[link]1887/09/01 Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (186). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431838} Alternate copy of this image is dated September 1, 1887.^{olvwork432358(missing)}
	[link]1887/09/2 or later Earliest source: "[Telescope dome in Cambridge under construction]." Harvard University Archives / UAV 630.271 (187). Harvard Libraries, ^{olvwork431839} Date chosen after other dated images in this sequence.