Series 1. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1875-1961 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.
Series 2. MANUSCRIPT ON AUSTRALIAN TERTIARY BRYOZOA, CIRCA 1935.
Series 3. PHOTOGRAPHS, 1890-1921 AND UNDATED.
Ray S. Bassler (1878-1961) was born in Philadelphia. Bassler spent his
childhood in Cincinnati where he came into personal contact with some noted
geologists, including Charles Schuchert, Carl Ludwig Rominger, and Edward
Oscar Ulrich. While in high school, Bassler sold fossils for Ulrich. In 1902, Bassler received a B.A. degree from the University of Cincinnati
and received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1903 and 1905, respectively, from
George Washington University. From 1904 to 1948 he was an Assistant Professor
of Geology there. Bassler joined the United States National Museum
staff as Assistant Curator in the Department of Geology's Division of
Stratigraphic Paleontology in 1904. Three years later he was promoted to
Curator in the Department's Division of Invertebrate Paleontology. From 1910
to 1922 he was Curator of the Division of Paleontology, and from 1923 to 1928,
Curator of the Division of Stratigraphic Paleontology. In 1929 he was
appointed Head Curator of the Department of Geology, a position which he held
until his retirement in 1948 when he was appointed Associate in Paleontology.
Bassler's main interest was with the Tertiary Polyzoa of the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts. In this study, he collaborated with Ferdinand Canu of France
from 1905 to 1931. Box 1 of 10
INTRODUCTION
This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the
Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
HISTORICAL NOTE
DESCRIPTIVE ENTRY
These papers consist of Bassler's incoming and outgoing correspondence and a
manuscript on Australian Tertiary Bryozoa with plates created during his
tenure at the United States National Museum; and photographs, primarily of his
family. Correspondence documents the identification and exchange of specimens;
publications of scientific articles; the administration of the Department of
Geology; and the effects of World War II on European scientific research,
libraries, and museum geological collections. For the earlier years, there are
no copies of Bassler's outgoing correspondence. Also included is
correspondence addressed to Edward Oscar Ulrich and Charles D. Walcott. The
Tertiary Bryozoa manuscript with annotations and plates was written by Bassler
and Ferdinand Canu of France.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
SERIES 1.
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1875-1961 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.
| Folder | 1 | A, 1901-1956 | |
| Folder | 2 | Aldrich, Henry Ray, 1940-1959 | |
| Folder | 3 | Ba-Bo, 1903-1954 | |
| Folder | 4 | Br-Bu, 1900-1960 | |
| Folder | 5 | Bassler, R.S., biographical data, undated | |
| Folder | 6 | Bather, F.A., 1906, 1916 | |
| Folder | 7 | Ca-Ch, 1904-1960 | |
| Folder | 8 | Ci-Co, 1905-1959 | |
| Folder | 9 | Cr-Cu, 1902-1960 |
Box 2 of 10
| Folder | 1 | Bassler, Ray S., letters to Canu, Ferdinand, 1911-1932, 1940 | |
| Folder | 2 | Canu, Ferdinand, letters to Bassler, Ray S., 1905-1932, 1940 | |
| Folder | 3 | Carmichael, Leonard, 1959 | |
| Folder | 4 | Cloud, Preston E., 1934-1951 | |
| Folder | 5 | D, 1905-1961 | |
| Folder | 6 | Deiss, Charles F., 1932-1946 | |
| Folder | 7 | E, 1903-1956 | |
| Folder | 8 | Elias, Maxim Kondradovich, 1940-1956 | |
| Folder | 9 | F, 1904-1960 |
Box 3 of 10
| Folder | 1 | G, 1894-1958 | |
| Folder | 2 | Goldring, Winifred, 1924-1949 | |
| Folder | 3 | Ha, 1902-1958 | |
| Folder | 4 | He-Hy, 1906-1959 | |
| Folder | 5 | Hibbard, Raymond R., 1917-1955 | |
| Folder | 6 | Howell, Benjamin, F., 1925-1954 | |
| Folder | 7 | I, 1908-1957 | |
| Folder | 8 | J, 1906-1957 | |
| Folder | 9 | Ka-Ki, 1905-1958 | |
| Folder | 10 | Kl-Ku, 1905-1956 |
Box 4 of 10
| Folder | 1 | La, 1906-1956 | |
| Folder | 2 | Le-Ly, 1902-1959 | |
| Folder | 3 | Loeblich, Alfred R., Jr., 1938-1946 | |
| Folder | 4 | Ma, 1903-1957 | |
| Folder | 5 | Mc, 1906-1953 | |
| Folder | 6 | Me-Mu, 1902-1958 | |
| Folder | 7 | Miller, miscellaneous, 1875-1942 | |
| Folder | 8 | Moore, Raymond C., 1926-1961 |
Box 5 of 10
| Folder | 1 | Na-Ne, 1907-1960 | |
| Folder | 2 | Ni-Ny, 1910-1956 | |
| Folder | 3 | O, 1909-1960 | |
| Folder | 4 | Osborn, Raymond C., 1906-1955 | |
| Folder | 5 | Pa-Pl, 1904-1958 | |
| Folder | 6 | Po-Pu, 1905-1954 | |
| Folder | 7 | Q, 1934-1939 |
Box 6 of 10
| Folder | 1 | Ra-Ri, 1905-1954 | |
| Folder | 2 | Rob-Rod, 1914-1960 | |
| Folder | 3 | Rog-Rom, 1904-1959 | |
| Folder | 4 | Rot-Roy, 1904-1942 | |
| Folder | 5 | Ru, 1905-1947 | |
| Folder | 6 | Recommendation, Letters of, 1934-1952 | |
| Folder | 7 | Reimann, Irving G., 1931-1950 | |
| Folder | 8 | Resser, Charles Elmer, 1923-1931 | |
| Folder | 9 | Richter, Rudolf, 1926-1957 | |
| Folder | 10 | Sa, 1906-1958 | |
| Folder | 11 | Sc, 1901-1959 | |
| Folder | 12 | Se, 1931-1951 | |
| Folder | 13 | Sha, 1905-1951 | |
| Folder | 14 | Si, 1899-1956 | |
| Folder | 15 | Sl, 1905-1951 |
Box 7 of 10
| Folder | 1 | Sm, 1920-1959 | |
| Folder | 1A | Smithsonian Centennial, 1939-1946 | |
| Folder | 2 | Sn-So, 1931-1958 | |
| Folder | 3 | Sp, 1929-1954 | |
| Folder | 4 | Sta, 1934-1949 | |
| Folder | 5 | Ste-Sti, 1920-1945 | |
| Folder | 6 | Sto, 1914-1950 | |
| Folder | 7 | Stu, 1940-1958 | |
| Folder | 8 | Su, 1926-1940 | |
| Folder | 9 | Sw, 1916-1957 | |
| Folder | 10 | Sardeson, Frederick W., 1904-1959 | |
| Folder | 11 | Smith, Stanley, 1925-1950 | |
| Folder | 12 | Springer, Edward T., 1936-1956 | |
| Folder | 13 | Springer, Eva and Ada, 1943-1960 | |
| Folder | 14 | Springer, Frank, 1903-1927 | |
| Folder | 15 | Stach, Leo, 1933-1939 | |
| Folder | 16 | Strange Letters received by Merrill, George P., and Bassler, Ray S., 1901-1955 | |
| Folder | 17 | Strimple, Harrell L., 1934-1954 | |
| Folder | 18 | Swartz, Frank M., 1932-1950 |
Box 8 of 10
| Folder | 1 | Ta-Te, 1907-1958 | |
| Folder | 2 | Th, 1920-1956 | |
| Folder | 3 | Ti-To, 1920-1952 | |
| Folder | 4 | Tr-Tw, 1905-1947 | |
| Folder | 5 | Thomas, H. Dighton, 1932-1959 | |
| Folder | 6 | Train, Agnes and Percy, 1921-1943 | |
| Folder | 7 | Twenhofel, William Henry, 1911-1955 | |
| Folder | 8 | U, 1901-1959 | |
| Folder | 9 | Va, 1905-1959 | |
| Folder | 10 | Ve-Vo, 1909-1952 | |
| Folder | 11 | Voight, Ehrhard, 1922-1960 |
Box 9 of 10
| Folder | 1 | Wad-Wak, 1911-1947 | |
| Folder | 2 | Wal-Wan, 1906-1954 | |
| Folder | 3 | War-Wat, 1905-1950 | |
| Folder | 4 | Web-Wel, 1904-1949 | |
| Folder | 5 | Wen-Wes, 1926-1958 | |
| Folder | 6 | Wh, 1881-1959 | |
| Folder | 7 | Wib-Wie, 1913-1954 | |
| Folder | 8 | Wil, 1912-1948 | |
| Folder | 9 | Win-Wit, 1920-1938 | |
| Folder | 10 | Wo-Wr, 1908-1951 | |
| Folder | 11 | Ward, F.H. (Ward's Natural Science Establishment, Inc.), 1918-1947 | |
| Folder | 12 | Wetmore, Alexander, 1926-1947 | |
| Folder | 13 | W.P.A. (Assistants in Geology), 1936-1940 | |
| Folder | 14 | Y, 1930, 1956 | |
| Folder | 15 | Z, 1930-1946 |
Box 9 of 10
| Folders | 16-18 | "Observations on the Tertiary Bryozoa of Victoria, Australia," by Ferdinand Canu and Ray S. Bassler, circa 1935 |
Box 9 of 10
| Folder | 19 | Photographs (primarily of family), 1890-1921 and undated (prints) |
Box 10 of 10
Glass Plates (primarilty of family), c. 1895-1920
| Folder | 1 | The swimming place, Lebanon, Georgia | |
| Folder | 2 | Boy reading | |
| Folder | 3 | Small dog | |
| Folder | 4 | Woman, boy and dog on porch | |
| Folder | 5 | Man and woman holding newspaper with "Armistice Signed" headline | |
| Folder | 6 | Woman and dog on porch | |
| Folder | 7 | Dog "sits up and begs" for a treat | |
| Folder | 8 | Woman and dog on porch | |
| Folder | 9 | Woman and boy | |
| Folder | 10 | Group, Summer 1912, Long Beach, California | |
| Folders | 11-14 | Copy of studio portrait of little boy | |
| Folder | 15 | Mansion or hotel on cliff over looking beach | |
| Folder | 16 | Two boys - studying and with machinery | |
| Folder | 17 | Copy of studio portraits in folders 11-14 - Different pose | |
| Folder | 18 | Woman and boy (same as in folder 9) | |
| Folder | 19 | Boy in laboratory or darkroom | |
| Folder | 20 | Harper's Ferry, West Virginia | |
| Folder | 21 | Specimen cabinets in laboratory | |
| Folder | 22 | Man examining photographs; microscope in background | |
| Folder | 23 | Mr. Harper, 1897 | |
| Folder | 24 | Woman and boy on porch | |
| Folder | 25 | Woman and boy in office | |
| Folder | 26 | Interior - three women and boy | |
| Folder | 27 | Woman holding cat | |
| Folder | 28 | Interior - family group | |
| Folder | 29 | Man at microscope | |
| Folder | 30 | Boy with dog | |
| Folder | 31 | Studio portrait of boy | |
| Folder | 32 | Woman with dog, on steps of house | |
| Folder | 33 | Two men on porch | |
| Folders | 34-35 | Man and boy in office | |
| Folder | 36 | Man, boy and woman in office | |
| Folder | 37 | Woman and boy in laboratory | |
| Folder | 38 | Two men collecting rock samples | |
| Folders | 39-40 | U.S. Capitol, seen through trees |
Contact us at osiaref@si.edu
Revised: May 7, 2007