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Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 7068

Avery, Robert Stanton, 1808-1894

Robert Stanton Avery Papers, 1855-1894

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Avery, Robert Stanton, 1808-1894
Title:Robert Stanton Avery Papers
Dates:1855-1894
Quantity:2.93 cu. ft. (2 record storage boxes) (1 document box) (1 12x17 box) (1 oversize folder)
Collection:Record Unit 7068
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These papers consist of correspondence with members of the United States Coast Survey chiefly concerning tide gauges; descriptions and drawings of working parts of clocks and tide gauges; mathematical equations and tables; records of data connected with Coast Survey work; office notes and vouchers; drafts for articles written and collected by Avery; USCS, mathematical, and scientific publications; and Avery's phonetic alphabet primers. Also included is correspondence concerning a proposal to print Avery's primers in Great Britain, and an obituary of Avery.

Notations within the papers are frequently done in stenography. Knowledge of stenography will be helpful in understanding this material. Correspondents include: Robert Stanton Avery, Alexander Dallas Bache, John Batchelder, Thomas Craig, Julius Erasmus Hilgard, Samuel P. Langley, Macmillan & Co., Levi W. Meech, Benjamin Peirce, Charles Anthony Schott, William Wesley and Son, and B. Westermann & Co.

Historical Note

Robert Stanton Avery (1808-1894) graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1846, but soon turned his attention to mathematics and its application to the physical sciences. Avery taught school in the South, and in 1853 joined the United States Coast Survey (USCS) where he became chief of the Tidal Division. His duties included receiving observer reports taken from tide gauges established on the coasts of the United States and computing tide estimates based on the data received. When Avery retired from the USCS in 1885, he devoted his remaining years to the development of the techniques of phonetic spelling.

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Introduction

This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.

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Descriptive Entry

These papers consist of correspondence with members of the United States Coast Survey chiefly concerning tide gauges; descriptions and drawings of working parts of clocks and tide gauges; mathematical equations and tables; records of data connected with Coast Survey work; office notes and vouchers; drafts for articles written and collected by Avery; USCS mathematical and scientific publications; and Avery's phonetic alphabet primers. Also included is correspondence concerning a proposal to print Avery's primers in Great Britain and an obituary of Avery.

Notations within the papers are frequently done in stenography. Knowledge of stenography will be helpful in understanding this material. Correspondents include: Robert Stanton Avery, Alexander Dallas Bache, John Batchelder, Thomas Craig, Julius Erasmus Hilgard, Samuel P. Langley, Macmillan & Co., Levi W. Meech, Benjamin Peirce, Charles Anthony Schott, William Wesley and Son, and B. Westermann & Co.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7068, Robert Stanton Avery Papers

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Container List

Series 1

CORRESPONDENCE. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY 1856-1894.

Box 1

A - C

Box 1 of 4

F - H

Box 1 of 4

L - M

Box 1 of 4

N - P

Box 1 of 4

R - W

Box 1 of 4

Miscellaneous correspondence

Box 1 of 4

Series 2

RECORDS OF DATA AND COMPUTATIONS.

Box 1

Astronomical

Box 1 of 4

Astronomical

Box 1 of 4

Astronomical, oversize (see Box 3)

Box 1 of 4

Lunar, Paris, Greenwich, Alcyone, 1850-1860

Box 1 of 4

Lunar, Boston, 1855, 1857

Box 1 of 4

Lunar, 1870-1873

Box 1 of 4

Lunar, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1877-1878

Box 1 of 4

Lunar, Sausalito, California, 1878

Box 1 of 4

Meteorological

Box 1 of 4

Tide, San Diego, California, 1854-1874

Box 1 of 4

Tide, Baltimore, Philadelphia, 1855

Box 1 of 4

Tide, Sitka, Alaska Territory, 1867

Box 1 of 4

Tide, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, 1875

Box 1 of 4

Tide, Tahiti, 1878

Box 1 of 4

Tide, oversize (see Box 3)

Box 1 of 4

Notes, figures, and tables (3 folders)

Box 1 of 4

Series 3

MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS AND TABLES.

Box 1

Geometric theories, equations, and solutions (3 folders)

Box 1 of 4

Logarithmic tables

Box 1 of 4

Metric system

Box 1 of 4

Tidal formulas

Box 1 of 4

Table of Products of All Integer Numbers Up to 100 Multiplied by 100, by Robert S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

Table of Products of Numbers up to 100, by Robert S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

Table of squares to 1000 squared

Box 1 of 4

Table of the Values of Sin Q, Sin 2Q, Sin 3Q, Cos Q, Cos 2Q, Cos 3Q in Time, by Robert S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

Tables of Factors for Reduction of Transit Observation

Box 1 of 4

Mathematical miscellaneous

Box 1 of 4

Series 4

CLOCKS AND TIDE-GAUGES.

Box 1

Drawings and descriptions of working parts of clocks and tide-gauges. See Box 3.

Box 1 of 4

Papers relating to tide-gauges, and meters

Box 1 of 4

Papers relating to clocks for tide-gauges

Box 1 of 4

Plans for putting up tide-gauges; transportation and accommodations, 1874-1876

Box 1 of 4

Avery's report of his visit to clock dealers, October 1870

Box 1 of 4

Series 5

OFFICE NOTES.

Box 1

Circular concerning working hours, 1867

Box 1 of 4

Travel expense vouchers

Box 1 of 4

Office notes miscellaneous

Box 1 of 4

Series 6

PHONETIC ALPHABET PROJECT.

Box 1

Papers concerning the Phonetic Alphabet

Box 1 of 4

Proofs and corrections for Avery's Phonetic Alphabet books

Box 1 of 4

Papers concerning electrotyping

Box 1 of 4

Series 7

HANDWRITTEN ARTICLE DRAFTS AND NOTES.

Box 1

A Brief History of Intemperance and Temperance, by William M. (?) Meech.

Box 1 of 4

A First Cause Proved from the Nature of Chance, by L. W. Meech.

Box 1 of 4

A Tabular Statement of Results Computed for Tide Tables for Charts of the Western Coast of the United States, by R. S. Avery.

Box 1 of 4

A Tide-gauge with Heating Apparatus, by R. S. Avery.

Box 1 of 4

Barometer

Box 1 of 4

Character Essential to Success in Life, author unknown.

Box 1 of 4

Clock

Box 1 of 4

Clock and Watchwork

Box 1 of 4

Corrections for the Moon's Parallax

Box 1 of 4

Description of a Heating Apparatus to use with a Tide-gauge

Box 1 of 4

Device for regulating the movements of the cylinders of a self-adjusting apparatus

Box 1 of 4

Dipleidoscope (extract)

Box 1 of 4

Direction for Starting the Tide-gauge at Fox Island - For the use of the observer

Box 1 of 4

Discussion by R. S. Avery of the Height of the Tides Observed at San Francisco in 1855

Box 1 of 4

Discussion by R. S. Avery of the Sidereal Time of Tides Observed at San Francisco in 1855

Box 1 of 4

Experiments with Spiral Springs

Box 1 of 4

Extracts from Historical Recollections of Connecticut, author unknown

Box 1 of 4

For Tide-gauge, Float and Tubes

Box 1 of 4

Forms for Some Computation in Harmonic Analysis, by R. S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

(No title) Logarithms

Box 1 of 4

Magnetic Survey, by Alexander Dallas Bache, circa 1862, pp. 3-51

Box 1 of 4

Magnetic Survey, by Alexander Dallas Bache, circa 1862, pp. 52-101

Box 1 of 4

Magnetic Survey, by Alexander Dallas Bache, circa 1862, pp. 102-161

Box 1 of 4

Mode of Forming a Brief Tidal Table for a Chart, by R. S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

Mode of Forming a Brief Prediction Tide Table, by R. S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

New Mode of Approximation

Box 1 of 4

New Style gauge for North Haven, Maine, and other papers

Box 1 of 4

Notebook

Box 1 of 4

Observing Current, by R. S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

Of the Tide at Papeete, Tahiti, by R. S. Avery, February 13, 1860

Box 1 of 4

On Recording Tidal Observations, by R. S. Avery

Box 1 of 4

(No title) relating to origin of language, author unknown

Box 1 of 4

Plan for a Box Tide-gauge, 1879

Box 1 of 4

Papers relating to tide observation in the Polar Region

Box 1 of 4

Preliminary Note on a New Tide Predicter by E. Robert (extract, 1879)

Box 1 of 4

Self-registering tide gauge

Box 1 of 4

Box 2

Suggestions Relative to Tidal Discussion, December 1856

Box 2 of 4

The Historians of Persia, author unknown

Box 2 of 4

The Time Argument for Tidal Computations, 1857

Box 2 of 4

Tide (extract, 1868)

Box 2 of 4

Tide-gauge with a suspended balance tube glycerine

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, September 1, 1858

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, April 5, 1859

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, June 14, 1859

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, September 22, 1859

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, September 30, 1859

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, December 23, 1859

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, February 26, 1860

Box 2 of 4

To Prof. A. D. Bache, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, from R. S. Avery, August 23, 1860

Box 2 of 4

Transformation of Mr. Meech's Formula for the Time of a Tide, by R. S. Avery, 1856

Box 2 of 4

Variation of the Needle (extract)

Box 2 of 4

Miscellaneous

Box 2 of 4

Series 8

PUBLICATIONS.

Box 2

A General Differential Equation in the Theory of the Deformation of Surfaces, by Thomas Craig, 1879

Box 2 of 4

Almanac, 1884

Box 2 of 4

Anti-Phonetic First-book, by Robert Stanton Avery, 1893

Box 2 of 4

The Astronomical Journal, 1855

Box 2 of 4

Avery's Phonetic Alphabet, by Robert Stanton Avery, 1893

Box 2 of 4

Catalogues

Box 2 of 4

Catalogues

Box 2 of 4

Civil Service Reform Association

Box 2 of 4

Committee for the Purpose of Promoting the Extension, Improvement, and Harmonic Analysis of Tidal Observation, 1870

Box 2 of 4

Directions for the Observation of Tides, 1852

Box 2 of 4

Directions in Regard to the Operations of the Coast Survey, 1855-1856

Box 2 of 4

Fluctuations in the Moon's Mean Motion by Simon Newcomb, 1909

Box 2 of 4

Laws and Regulations relating to the Coast and Geodetic Survey of the United States, 1881

Box 2 of 4

The Mathematical Magazine, January-October, 1882

Box 2 of 4

The Mathematical Magazine, January-October, 1883

Box 2 of 4

The Mathematical Magazine, January-October, 1884

Box 2 of 4

The Mathematical Visitor, July 1880

Box 2 of 4

The Mathematical Visitor, January 1881

Box 2 of 4

The Mathematical Visitor, January 1882

Box 2 of 4

The Motion of a Solid in a Fluid, by Thomas Craig, 1879

Box 2 of 4

Nature, August 9, 1883

Box 2 of 4

Newspaper article, October 8, 1894

Box 2 of 4

On a Method of Swinging Pendulums for the Determination of Gravity Proposed by M. Faye, by C. S. Peirce, 1879

Box 2 of 4

On Steady Motion in an Incompressible Viscous fluid, by Thomas Craig, 1880

Box 2 of 4

On the Tidal Current of New York Bay Near Sandy Hook, by A. D. Bache, 1868

Box 2 of 4

On Tides and Tidal Action in Harbor, by J. E. Hilgard, 1875

Box 2 of 4

Philosophic Society of Washington

Box 2 of 4

Phonetic First-book, by Robert Stanton Avery, 1893

Box 2 of 4

The Phonetic Primer, by Robert Stanton Avery, 1893

Box 2 of 4

Photograph of the Tycho region of the Moon

Box 2 of 4

Report of the Committee Approved for the Purpose of Promoting the Extension, Improvement, and Harmonic Analysis of Tidal Observation, 1872

Box 2 of 4

Roberts' Tide Predicting Machine, December 1879

Box 2 of 4

Science, January 4, 1884

Box 2 of 4

Science of the Tide, by William Whewill, 1834

Box 2 of 4

Self-Registering Tide Gauge; Instruction for Observers, by A. D. Bache, November 26, 1859

Box 2 of 4

Tidal Area of San Francisco Bay, 1881

Box 2 of 4

Tide and Tidal Phenomena, by Henri Mitchell, 1868

Box 2 of 4

Un Ensayo de Fotografia Lunar, Luis G. Leon, 1909

Box 2 of 4

United States Coast Survey, 1860

Box 2 of 4

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey publications, 1868-1875

Box 2 of 4

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey publications, 1879-1882

Box 2 of 4

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey publications, 1882-1884

Box 2 of 4

Papers printed in German

Box 2 of 4

Lists of publications

Box 2 of 4

Series 9

LARGE FORMAT MATERIALS.

Box 3

Drawings and notes for working parts of clocks and tidal gauges

Box 3 of 4

Tables, miscellaneous

Box 3 of 4

Box 4

Oversize

Calculations (unidentified) - Likely tidal calculations and calculations of mathematical functions, circa 1857

Oversize