Joseph Henry
Series 1. ABSTRACTED LIST OF LETTERS AND PAPERS OF JOSEPH HENRY (HENRYANA) AND INDEX CARDS OF HUNTINGTON-HENRY.
Series 2. INDEX CARDS TO MICHELLE ALDRICH'S "CALENDAR OF THE UNKNOWNS."
Series 3. COPIES OF HENRY PAPERS FROM HUNTINGTON.
Series 4. OUTGOING LETTERS OF JOSEPH HENRY IN LETTERPRESS BOOKS, 1865-1878.
Series 5. CORRESPONDENCE WITH JAMES H. COFFIN, 1842-1873 AND UNDATED.
Series 6. INCOMING AND OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE, 1800-1878 AND UNDATED.
Series 7. POCKET AND DESK DIARIES AND NOTEBOOKS, 1835-1877; JOURNAL, 1826.
Series 8. BOUND VOLUMES OF RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND LECTURE NOTES; SCIENCE AND LECTURE NOTES; BOOKS OF LEVELS; "RECORD OF EXPERIMENTS," 1834-1862.
Series 9. EULOGY OF ALEXANDER DALLAS BACHE BY JOSEPH HENRY.
Series 10. ADDRESSES AND REPORTS; MATERIALS COMMITTED TO HONORING JOSEPH HENRY'S MEMORY.
Series 11. SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND PRINTED MATERIALS, MANUSCRIPTS AND PAPERS, POETRY, STUDENTS' NOTES ON HENRY'S LECTURES, NOTEBOOKS FROM HENRY'S 1837 VISIT TO EUROPE.
Series 12. LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD RELATED LETTERS, NOTEBOOKS, AND OTHER MATERIALS, 1855-1890 AND UNDATED.
Series 13. LETTERPRESS BOOK, DECEMBER 1867-JANUARY 1876.
Series 14. HONORS AND AWARDS, INVITATIONS AND NOTICES AND LOCKED BOOK EXTRACTS AS WELL AS CORRESPONDENCE, CLIPPINGS AND PASSPORTS.
Series 15. PUBLICATIONS: BY JOSEPH HENRY, FROM THE JOSEPH HENRY LIBRARY, MEMORIALS AND AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, AND INFORMATION ON THE TELEGRAPH.
Series 16. MEMORIALS, OF JOSEPH HENRY AND OF JOSEPH SAXTON BY JOSEPH HENRY.
Series 17. CORRESPONDENCE AND NON-CORRESPONDENCE PULLED FROM MARY HENRY PAPERS AND OTHER LOCATIONS.
Series 18. MARY A. HENRY DIARIES, JOURNALS, AND NOTEBOOKS (AUTHORSHIP IS SOMETIMES QUESTIONABLE).
Series 19. MARY A. HENRY MEMOIR
Series 20. FAMILY PAPERS: HARRIET HENRY PAPERS, 1825-1879 AND UNDATED; HENRY CHILDREN, JAMES HENRY, STEPHEN ALEXANDER, AND OTHER RELATIONS, WILLIAM HENRY AND UNKNOWN.
Series 21. INDEXES.
|
Joseph Henry |
On December 3, 1846, Henry's appointment from the Board of Regents to the office of Secretary of the new Smithsonian Institution was announced. He left Princeton for Washington on December 14, 1846, to assume his position as first Secretary of the Smithsonian. Henry intended to follow the letter of James Smithson's will, which had left the funds to the United States to establish the Smithsonian Institution for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge." To Henry that meant supporting knowledgeable and skilled persons doing original research and providing for the dissemination of the findings from those and other experiments through periodical publications. To encourage this Henry established a system for the exchange of publications between nations. This plan was presented to the Board of Regents on December 8, 1847, with his first report as Secretary and was titled Programme of Organization of the Smithsonian Institution.
The first major scientific undertaking of the Institution was the Smithsonian Meteorological Project, which directed the systematic collection of data from all over the United States. It was proposed with Henry's Programme of Organization, built into the budget in 1848, and begun in 1849. Between the years 1853 and 1855 Henry consolidated his position by dismissing assistant secretary Charles Jewett, the Institution's librarian. Initially the Regents had worked out a division of the Institution's funds between research and collection. Jewett had become the Institution's advocate for development of a national library. Henry believed as much of the funds as possible should be used for research, and that the library should be only for support. Henry was able to maintain control.
In 1858 the Institution began accepting the national collections from the United States government. Until this time Henry had resisted the assumption of the collections because he was concerned about the Institution becoming too much a part of the government and because of the cost of their maintenance. The acceptance of these materials brought with it the beginning of direct federal funding. Under Henry the Smithsonian gained its reputation as the nation's attic.
The cornerstone for the Smithsonian Castle was laid on May 1, 1847. The building was completed in 1858, although the Henry family began to inhabit the east wing in 1855. A fire on January 24, 1865, destroyed the Upper Main Hall and primary towers including Henry's offices in the south tower, taking with it many of Henry's papers, both personal and official.
The telegraph was a major point of contention in Henry's life. Samuel Morse was not the only individual who made discoveries along the lines of the electromagnetic telegraph; Henry was also a contributor. However, Morse patented the electromagnetic telegraph in 1840. Henry did not oppose Morse by applying for his own patent because he believed that patents prevented the sharing of scientific information. The telegraph controversy was finally settled in 1857 when an investigative board stated that Morse's claims against Henry were "positively disproved." In 1849 Henry was elected to the post of president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an organization he helped to found. Henry received an appointment to the Light-House Board at the time of its establishment in 1852. During the course of his capacities as a Light-House Board member Henry devoted himself to research and experimentation in the fields of sound, light, fog, fog signals, and illuminating oils. In recognition of his efforts Henry was appointed the board's chairman in 1871, a position he held to his death.
Henry was also an original member of the National Academy of Sciences, formed in 1863. In 1866 he became its vice-president and in 1868 its president. The Philosophical Society of Washington was founded in 1871. Henry was involved in its establishment and served as its president. He held both these positions until his death in 1878.
Henry's second trip to Europe was in 1870. While on this four-and-one-half month voyage he visited England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, and Germany. The main purpose of this expedition was to attend an international conference on the metric standard in Paris and to testify on the administration of science in London.
In 1871 the Institution supervised Professor John Wesley Powell's federal expedition of the Colorado River. The expedition not only surveyed the area but also collected specimens of various kinds. The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 also had a substantial impact on Henry's Institution. The display of specimens at the International Exposition was the major activity of the Institution in 1876. Items from the Exhibition became permanent parts of the Smithsonian's holdings. These items so expanded the collections that a new Material Museum Building was planned, which opened in 1879.
In December 1877 Joseph Henry became ill with nephritis, and on May 13, 1878 he succumbed to his illness. Congress approved the erection of a memorial statue on June 1, 1880. William W. Story's bronze likeness of Henry was unveiled on April 19, 1883. At the International Congress of Electricians held in Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair the standard unit of inductance was named the 'henry' in honor of Joseph Henry.
For more extensive information on Joseph Henry's life, see Joseph Henry--His Life and Work by Thomas Coulson, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1950; Notes on the Life and Character of Joseph Henry by James C. Welling, Collins Printer, Philadelphia, 1878; A Memorial of Joseph Henry, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1880; Joseph Henry's Lectures on Natural Philosophy: Teaching and Research in Physics, 1832-1847 by Charles I. Weiner, University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, 1965; A Scientist in American Life: Essays and Lectures of Joseph Henry, edited by Arthur P. Molella, et.al., Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1980; and The Papers of Joseph Henry, edited by Nathan Reingold, Maaet.al., eleven volumes, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., and Science History Publications, Sagamore Beach, MA, 1972-2006. For more detailed bibliographical information consult the articles on Joseph Henry by William F. Magie in the Dictionary of American Biography, Volume 4, pages 550-553, and by Nathan Reingold in the Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Volume 6, pages 277-281.
1797 born in Albany, New York to William and Ann Alexander Henry, 17
December circa 1806 by this time residing in Galway, New York with
relatives circa 1811 encounter with Fool of Quality by Henry
Brooke 1811 William Henry dies, October circa 1812 returns
to Albany circa 1813 apprenticed to John F. Doty, a watchmaker and
silversmith circa 1813-1816 involved in the Green Street Theater of
Albany circa 1815 encounter with Popular Lectures on Experimental
Philosophy, Astronomy, and Chemistry by George Gregory, shifts interest to
science 1819-1822 attends the Albany Academy 1825 heads a
surveying party in New York State from the Hudson River to Lake Erie 1826 elected to the professorship of mathematics and natural
philosophy at the Albany Academy 28 April; inauguration to the professorship
position, 11 September 1827 starts work in electricity and
magnetism, September 1830 married to Harriet Alexander, 3 May 1831 develops the "little machine," an electromagnetic engine; an
electromagnetic telegraph; and an electromagnet with a 2,300 pound capacity 1832 "On the Production of Currents and Sparks of Electricity and
Magnetism," published in the American Journal of Science 1832
receives an appointment to the chair of natural philosophy at the College of
New Jersey (Princeton University), October 1835 selected for
membership in the America Philosophical Society 1837 in Europe from
14 March to 10 August; Faraday and Henry meet 1838 delivers paper
on inducing currents of the third, fourth, and fifth orders before the
Philosophical Society 1838-1842 research done into the induction of a
current by another current; solar radiation; heat of sunspots; cohesion of
liquids and capillarity 1846 receives appointment from the Board of
Regents to the position of Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 3
December 1846 leaves Princeton for Washington, D.C., 14
December 1847 cornerstone of Castle laid, 1 May 1847
presentation of Programme of Organization of the Smithsonian
Institution before the Board of Regents, 8 December 1849
Smithsonian Meteorological Project begins 1849 elected president of
the American Association for the Advancement of Science 1852
receives appointment to Light House Board 1853-1855 dispute with
Charles Jewett over the nature of the Institution 1855 Castle
building completed 1855 Henry family begins inhabiting the east
wing of the Castle 1858 the Institution begins accepting the
national collections from the United States Government 1863 an
original member of the National Academy of Sciences 1866-1868
vice-president of the National Academy of Sciences 1868-1878 president
of the National Academy of Sciences 1870 voyage to Europe, June 1
to October 1871 becomes the first president of the Philosophical
Society of Washington 1871 appointed Light-House Board's
chairman 1876 Institution displays specimens at the Philadelphia
Centennial Exhibition 1877 Henry becomes ill with Nephritis,
December 1878 Joseph Henry dies, 13 May 1880 Congress
approves the erection of a memorial statue of Joseph Henry 1883
memorial statue by William W. Story unveiled, 19 April 1893
standard unit of inductance named the 'henry' in honor of Joseph Henry The Joseph Henry Collection documents Henry's personal, professional, and
official life as well as some activities of his family members. Included are
records from his time teaching and doing research at the Albany Academy
(1826-1832) and at the College of New Jersey now Princeton University
(1832-1846). There are likewise many materials from his years as the first
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1846-1878). Henry's records and
materials from his time with various organizations are also included in the
collection. The three main organizations with materials to document his
involvement are the Philosophical Society of Washington (1871-1878), the
National Academy of Science (1863-1878), and the Light-House Board
(1852-1878). Some of the collection postdates Henry's life, including
condolences to his family, memorial materials, newspaper clippings, as well as
letters of relatives. Series 4 is the first that contains original Henry
materials, letterpress books, which postdate the Smithsonian Institution fire
of 1865. Correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, is in the following two
divisions. Many of the letters are science and academic related. Science
correspondence is often concerned with the telegraph, electricity, meteorology,
light, and surveying. A portion of the letters are related to repairs of the
Castle following the 1865 fire, to preparing to build what would be the Arts
and Industries Building, as well as to Smithsonian activities. The volume of
letters drops off considerably for the years 1854-1864, most likely due to the
Smithsonian fire of 1865. There is a good deal of materials related to
Henry's scientific papers; both his notes and published materials as well as
experimental data and science records. Copies of his lectures and lecture
notes from his years at the Albany Academy and the College of New Jersey are
also in the collection, as well as several student notebooks from his
Princeton classes. There are also many addresses and reports and a copy of
volume one of Scientific Writings of Joseph Henry (1824-1846). In
various places throughout the collection are copies of Henry's memorials in
the forms of eulogies and memoirs. One series contains many invitations and
notices in addition to honors and awards received by Henry. The invitations
and notices are ordered alphabetically by sender. The honors and awards are in
chronological order; none exist for the years 1853-1864. Documenting
Henry's scientific thoughts and ideas between the years 1835 and 1877 are his
pocket notebooks, Series 7. The "Records of Experiments" (1834-1862) is the
single longest sustained account of his experimentation. Henry kept desk
diaries during his Smithsonian years, although not all survived; those that
are available are listed in the contents of boxes 14 and 15. There is a
three-volume set of notebooks documenting his 1837 trip to Europe; there is not
such an extensive set of documentation for the 1870 European voyage. In two
locations in the collection are extracts from the Locked Book, similar to a
personal diary, for the years 1850-1876. There are many papers and
materials that postdate Henry's life, including copies of memorials from clubs
and organizations to which he belonged, and one given during a session of the
House of Representatives. There is a set of two bound scrapbooks titled
Henry Memorial. The collection contains letters of condolence to the
Henry family and materials related to the erection of a memorial statue and
the naming of the standard unit of induction as the 'henry.' In the
same category as the postdated materials are those having to do with Joseph
Henry's daughter Mary and are contained in Series 18 and 19. The "Mary A.
Henry Memoir" division contains copies of letters, notes, and other Henry
materials as well as her work at composing a memoir of her father. The last
series of the collection is called "Family Papers" and contains the letters
between Joseph and his wife Harriet, other family members and letters between
family members after Henry's death. This series contains Henryana. Henryana is an abstracted list consisting of 295 typewritten pages with in-depth descriptions of what is in the Joseph Henry Collection. In the letters section of Henryana each letter is given a paragraph. The first line of the paragraph tells whom the letter was to and whom it was from. The date and location of the writing of the letter are also told if known. What follows is a description of what information can be found in the letter. All the names mentioned in the letter are underlined for easy locating. Henryana also contains descriptions of other written materials in the collection including the Mary A. Henry Memoirs. The problem with Henryana is that the collection is no longer organized in the same manner and therefore, although the information is useful it is not easily accessible. Box 1 of 65
CHRONOLOGY
DESCRIPTIVE ENTRY
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
SERIES 1.
ABSTRACTED LIST OF LETTERS AND PAPERS OF JOSEPH HENRY (HENRYANA) AND INDEX CARDS OF HUNTINGTON-HENRY.
| Folder | 1 | Henryana (pages 1-50) | |
| Folder | 1A | Henryana (pages 51-100) | |
| Folder | 1B | Henryana (pages 101-150) | |
| Folder | 2 | Henryana (pages 151-200) | |
| Folder | 2A | Henryana (pages 201-250) | |
| Folder | 2B | Henryana (pages 251-295) |
Box 2 of 65
This series contains copies of materials contained at the Henry E. Huntington Library, in Pasadena, California. The copies are of items that Rhees removed from the premises during the course of his employment at the Smithsonian Institution. After his death his wife sold the materials he had collected instead of returning them to the Smithsonian. Rhees had collected the materials in the hopes of someday writing a biography of Joseph Henry. The division primarily contains copies of letters, biographical and autobiographical data, and cards indexing the letters.
Box 3 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Correspondence from Joseph Henry, 1847-1878 (copied from a letterpress book) | |
| Folder | 2 | Correspondence from Alexander Dallas Bache, 1844-1863 | |
| Folder | 3 | Autobiographical data dictated to Rhees, January, 1869 | |
| Folder | 4 | Collected biographical information on Joseph Henry and an attempt at a biography | |
| Folder | 5 | Miscellaneous notes | |
| Folder | 6 | Index cards of Huntington-Henry |
The contents of the series have been placed on microfilm. Researchers should use the microfilm edition of the three letterpress books.
Box 4 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Private letters written by Joseph Henry, February 13, 1865-July 15, 1869 |
Box 4A of 65
| Folder | 2 | Private letters written by Joseph Henry, July 17, 1869-July 9, 1873 | |
| Folder | 3 | Private letters written by Joseph Henry, July 11, 1873-May 3, 1878 | |
| Folder | 4 | Index Private Book, undated |
This series contains letters written between James Coffin and Joseph Henry. The main interest of these letters is meteorology and astronomy. They are a prime example of the intellectual discussion and debate that took place between the great scientific minds of the period. The intellectual communication ended only with Coffin's death in February 1873.
Box 5 of 65
| Folder | 1 | 1842-1854 | |
| Folder | 2 | 1855 | |
| Folder | 3 | 1856 | |
| Folder | 4 | 1857 | |
| Folder | 5 | 1858 | |
| Folder | 6 | 1859 | |
| Folder | 7 | 1860 | |
| Folder | 8 | 1861-1873 | |
| Folder | 9 | Miscellaneous |
Box 6 of 65
This series primarily contains correspondence written to Joseph Henry and by Joseph Henry. The correspondence covers the length of his professional life, from his days at the Albany Academy to his death while serving as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The main subjects of the correspondence are science and experiment related. Specifically they regard the telegraph, electromagnetism, leveling, terrestrial magnetism, meteorology, astronomy, geophysics, and various topics in the general field physics. They help to illustrate Henry's increasing respect in the scientific community. The correspondence comes from many sources: from students, scientific organization members, university professors, and national and international scientists. In the first folder of box 7 there are a few letters written to Joseph Henry's father, William Henry, in the early years of Joseph Henry's life.
Box 7 of 65
| Folder | 1 | 1800-1824 | |
| Folder | 2 | 1825 | |
| Folder | 3 | 1826 | |
| Folder | 4 | 1827 | |
| Folder | 5 | 1829 | |
| Folder | 6 | 1830 | |
| Folder | 7 | January-May 1831 | |
| Folder | 8 | June-December 1831 | |
| Folder | 9 | January-March 1832 | |
| Folder | 10 | April-June 1832 | |
| Folder | 11 | July-December 1832 | |
| Folder | 12 | January-June 1833 | |
| Folder | 13 | September-December 1833 | |
| Folder | 14 | January-June 1834 | |
| Folder | 15 | July-December 1834 | |
| Folder | 16 | January-June 1835 | |
| Folder | 17 | July-December 1835 | |
| Folder | 18 | January-June 1836 | |
| Folder | 19 | July-December 1836 | |
| Folder | 20 | January-March 1837 | |
| Folder | 21 | April-June 1837 | |
| Folder | 22 | July-December 1837 | |
| Folder | 23 | January-June 1838 | |
| Folder | 24 | July-September 1838 | |
| Folder | 25 | October-December 1838 | |
| Folder | 26 | January-March 1839 | |
| Folder | 27 | April-June 1839 | |
| Folder | 28 | July-December 1839 | |
| Folder | 29 | 1840 |
Box 8 of 65
| Folder | 1 | January-March 1841 | |
| Folder | 2 | April-June 1841 | |
| Folder | 3 | July-December 1841 | |
| Folder | 4 | January-March 1842 | |
| Folder | 5 | April-June 1842 | |
| Folder | 6 | July-September 1842 | |
| Folder | 7 | October-December 1842 | |
| Folder | 8 | January-June 1843 | |
| Folder | 9 | July-September 1843 | |
| Folder | 10 | October-December 1843 | |
| Folder | 11 | January - February 1844 | |
| Folder | 12 | March-June 1844 | |
| Folder | 13 | July-December 1844 | |
| Folder | 14 | January-March 1845 | |
| Folder | 15 | April-May 1845 | |
| Folder | 16 | June 1845 | |
| Folder | 17 | July-September 1845 | |
| Folder | 18 | October-December 1845 | |
| Folder | 19 | January-March 1846 | |
| Folder | 20 | April-June 1846 | |
| Folder | 21 | July-September 1846 | |
| Folder | 22 | October 1846 | |
| Folder | 23 | November-December 5, 1846 | |
| Folder | 24 | December 7-15, 1846 | |
| Folder | 25 | December 17-31, 1846 | |
| Folder | 26 | January-March 1847 | |
| Folder | 27 | April-May 1847 | |
| Folder | 28 | June-July 1847 |
Box 9 of 65
| Folder | 1 | August-September 1847 | |
| Folder | 2 | October-December 1847 | |
| Folder | 3 | January 1848 | |
| Folder | 4 | February 1848 | |
| Folder | 5 | March 1848 | |
| Folder | 6 | April 1848 | |
| Folder | 7 | May 1848 | |
| Folder | 8 | June 1848 | |
| Folder | 9 | July 1848 | |
| Folder | 10 | August 1848 | |
| Folder | 11 | September 1848 | |
| Folder | 12 | October 1848 | |
| Folder | 13 | November 1848 | |
| Folder | 14 | December 1848 | |
| Folder | 15 | January 1849 | |
| Folder | 16 | February 1849 | |
| Folder | 17 | March 1849 | |
| Folder | 18 | April 1849 | |
| Folder | 19 | May 1849 | |
| Folder | 20 | June 1849 | |
| Folder | 21 | July 1849 | |
| Folder | 22 | August 1849 | |
| Folder | 23 | September 1849 | |
| Folder | 24 | October 1849 | |
| Folder | 25 | November 1849 | |
| Folder | 26 | December 1849 |
Box 10 of 65
| Folder | 1 | January 1850 | |
| Folder | 2 | February 1850 | |
| Folder | 3 | March 1850 | |
| Folder | 4 | April 1850 | |
| Folder | 5 | May 1850 | |
| Folder | 6 | June 1850 | |
| Folder | 7 | July 1850 | |
| Folder | 8 | August 1850 | |
| Folder | 9 | September 1850 | |
| Folder | 10 | October 1850 | |
| Folder | 11 | November 1850 | |
| Folder | 12 | December 1850 | |
| Folder | 13 | January 1851 | |
| Folder | 14 | February 1851 | |
| Folder | 15 | March 1851 | |
| Folder | 16 | April 1851 | |
| Folder | 17 | May 1851 | |
| Folder | 18 | June 1851 | |
| Folder | 19 | July 1851 | |
| Folder | 20 | August 1851 | |
| Folder | 21 | September 1851 | |
| Folder | 22 | October 1851 | |
| Folder | 23 | November 1851 | |
| Folder | 24 | December 1851 |
Box 11 of 65
| Folder | 1 | January 1852 | |
| Folder | 2 | February 1852 | |
| Folder | 3 | March 1852 | |
| Folder | 4 | April 1852 | |
| Folder | 5 | May 1852 | |
| Folder | 6 | June 1852 | |
| Folder | 7 | July 1852 | |
| Folder | 8 | August 1852 | |
| Folder | 9 | September and October 1852 | |
| Folder | 10 | November and December 1852 | |
| Folder | 11 | January-March 1853 | |
| Folder | 12 | April-June 1853 | |
| Folder | 13 | July-December 1853 | |
| Folder | 13A | September 10, 1853 (added in Accession 99-073) | |
| Folder | 14 | 1854 | |
| Folder | 15 | 1855-1856 | |
| Folder | 16 | 1857-1858 | |
| Folder | 17 | Correspondence from James P. Espy, 1857 | |
| Folder | 18 | 1859-1862 | |
| Folder | 18A | Joseph Henry to Francis Joseph Kron, March 26, 1861 (added inAccession 03-067) | |
| Folder | 19 | 1863-1864 | |
| Folder | 20 | January-March 1865 | |
| Folder | 21 | April-June 1865 | |
| Folder | 22 | July-December 1865 | |
| Folder | 23 | January-June 1866 | |
| Folder | 24 | July-December 1866 | |
| Folder | 25 | January-June 1867 | |
| Folder | 26 | July-December 1867 | |
| Folder | 27 | January-June 1868 | |
| Folder | 28 | July-December 1868 |
Box 12 of 65
| Folder | 1 | January-June 1869 | |
| Folder | 2 | July-December 1869 | |
| Folder | 3 | January-June 1870 | |
| Folder | 4 | July-December 1870 | |
| Folder | 5 | January-June 1871 | |
| Folder | 6 | July-December 1871 | |
| Folder | 7 | January-March 1872 | |
| Folder | 8 | April-December 1872 | |
| Folder | 9 | January-June 1873 | |
| Folder | 10 | July-December 1873 | |
| Folder | 11 | January-March 1874 | |
| Folder | 12 | April-December 1874 | |
| Folder | 13 | January-June 1875 | |
| Folder | 14 | July-December 1875 | |
| Folder | 15 | January-June 1876 | |
| Folder | 16 | July-December 1876 | |
| Folder | 17 | January-March 1877 | |
| Folder | 18 | April-December 1877 | |
| Folder | 19 | January-March 1878 | |
| Folder | 20 | April-May 1878 | |
| Folder | 21 | Undated, A-K | |
| Folder | 22 | Undated, L-Z |
The information contained in this series spans a large portion of Joseph Henry's professional career and is mainly concerned with his scientific interests. The notebooks in this series contain information regarding his trips to Europe, including the names and addresses of persons he had met on his trips; other travel notes and thought; experimental notes; notes on fog, lard oil, terrestrial magnetism, the telegraph, and meteorology; and his jottings on his various thoughts as they occurred to him. The desk diaries contained in the series are records of who was seen or called upon, who was written to and whom letters were received from, as well as what transpired at various meetings and gatherings and what will need to happen at later get-togethers.
There is an extensive listing of the contents of the pocket notebooks, Joseph Henry Miniature Notebooks, located in the Joseph Henry Collection control file. There is also a paper by Liberty Lassiter entitled The Pocket Notebooks of Joseph Henry 1833-77.
Box 13 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Journal, 1826. Notes of a tour from the Hudson River to Lake Erie in May and June of 1826. Canal Tower. | |
| Folder | 2 | Pocket notebook, April-June 1833. Notes on terrestrial magnetism. | |
| Folder | 3 | Pocket notebook, October 29, 1835. Notes on terrestrial magnetism. | |
| Folder | 4 | Pocket notebook, post-1858. Equipment and experiment procedure notes. | |
| Folder | 5 | Pocket notebook, 1837. Entry about visit with Dr. David Brewster; science experiment notes. | |
| Folder | 6 | Pocket notebook, 1837. Drawings and notes pertaining to science. | |
| Folder | 7 | Pocket notebook, circa 1870. Contains personal opinions of several subjects as well as notes on Addresses and scientific items and excursions and literature. | |
| Folder | 8 | Pocket notebook, 1847. Henry's notes himself and lists of things to do. | |
| Folder | 9 | Pocket notebook, 1848. Joseph Henry notation: "This notebook contains many of the germs of the operations of the S.I. jotted down not always at the time the idea was presented to the mind but generally so." | |
| Folder | 10 | Pocket notebook, 1849. Contents similar that of the 1848 pocket notebook. | |
| Folder | 11 | Pocket diary, 1851. Pocket sized weekly planner although it was also used as a notebook for personal notes. A Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad Co. free pass for Professor Henry and is dated 1848. |
Box 13A of 65
| Folder | 12 | Pocket notebook, 1854. Henry's notes to himself about what needs to be done and who and what he has seen. There are also sketches of apparatus. | |
| Folder | 13 | Pocket notebook, post 1863. Nine pages on fog. | |
| Folder | 14 | Pocket notebook, 1865. Principally concerning lard oil. | |
| Folder | 15 | Pocket diary, 1865. Pocket diary used as a notebook for personal notes. | |
| Folder | 16 | Pocket notebook, 1865-1866. Experiment at New Haven, Connecticut notes and trip entries. | |
| Folder | 17 | Pocket notebook, 1866. Travel notebook from Henry's trip to Partridge Island, Canada. | |
| Folder | 18 | Pocket notebook, 1867. Cover marked "Inspection of Oil and Inspection of Meters for Spirits." | |
| Folder | 19 | Pocket notebook, 1867. Math problems and odd notes. | |
| Folder | 20 | Pocket notebook, August-October 1868. Notes taken at Cambridge, Massachusetts concerning meteorology. | |
| Folder | 21 | Pocket notebook, 1866-1868. Experiments at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. | |
| Folder | 22 | Pocket notebook, May 1868, September 1872, May 1875. Inspection of oil. | |
| Folder | 23 | Pocket notebook, August-October 1868. Personal and science related notes taken while vacationing and traveling. | |
| Folder | 24 | Pocket notebook, 1869. Visit to Georgia. |
Box 13B of 65
| Folder | 25 | Pocket notebook, 1869. Six pages on Telegraph. | |
| Folder | 26 | Pocket notebook, 1869, 1872. Science notes. | |
| Folder | 27 | Pocket notebook, 1870. Concerns second trip to Europe. | |
| Folder | 28 | Pocket notebook, circa 1870. This notebook contains the names and addresses of men, most of who reside abroad. These names are listed under the heading of "Private Correspondence." | |
| Folder | 29 | Pocket notebook, 1871. Barometer data book with no data entries, contains only words and numbers on front inside cover and math problems on back inside cover. | |
| Folder | 30 | Pocket diary, 1871. Pocket diary used primarily as a notebook. | |
| Folder | 31 | Pocket mini-notebook, 1871. Notes on beginning journey to Baltimore, dimensions of rails, and a list of seven men. | |
| Folder | 32 | Pocket notebook, 1873. Relative to investigations of abnormal phenomena of sound, primarily at lighthouses. | |
| Folder | 33 | Pocket mini-notebook, 1874. Notes taken while traveling to and at Little Gull and Race Rock. | |
| Folder | 34 | Pocket notebook, 1874. Contains lists and plans as well as notes of what has been done and what needs to be done. | |
| Folder | 35 | Pocket notebook of vacation notes, May-September 1875 | |
| Folder | 36 | Pocket notebook of vacation notes, September 1875 |
Box 13C of 65
| Folder | 37 | Pocket notebook, circa 1876. Concerns experiments on sound at Gull Island. Notes on missionaries, Indians, and grammar and dictionary preparation. | |
| Folder | 38 | Pocket notebook, February 1876. Cover marked "Notes on Burners." The burners are those of Elihu Doty and Isaac Funck. Handwriting in notebook does not appear to be that of Joseph Henry. | |
| Folder | 39 | Pocket notebook, August 1876. Relative to experiments on fog signals and the aerial echo. | |
| Folder | 40 | Pocket notebook, September 1876. Notes relative to lighthouses. | |
| Folder | 41 | Pocket notebook, 1877. Contains notes on experiments on oil, predominantly Pease oil. Also concerns the introduction of kerosene oil. | |
| Folder | 42 | Pocket notebook, 1877. Relative to experiments on fog signals. Also contains a calling card from Edward Hamilton that lists on the back the men who participated in the tunnel observations on September 8, 1877. | |
| Folder | 43 | Pocket notebook, December 1867, September 1869, September 1874. This notebook is primarily concerned with experiments on different fog signals. | |
| Folder | 44 | Pocket notebook map of routes between Paris and London. |
Box 14 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Desk diary, 1849 | |
| Folder | 2 | Desk diary, 1850 | |
| Folder | 3 | Desk diary, 1852 | |
| Folder | 4 | Desk diary, 1858 | |
| Folder | 5 | Desk diary, 1859 | |
| Folder | 6 | Desk diary, 1865 | |
| Folder | 7 | Desk dairy, 1866 |
Box 15 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Desk diary, 1867 | |
| Folder | 2 | Desk diary, 1868 | |
| Folder | 3 | Desk diary, 1870 | |
| Folder | 4 | Desk diary, 1871 | |
| Folder | 5 | Desk diary, 1872 |
Box 15A of 65
| Folder | 6 | Desk diary, 1875-1876 |
A typescript copy of selected passages from Joseph Henry's notes on magnetic induction can be found in the Smithsonian Archives' reading room. Albert Gluckman prepared this typescript.
Box 16 of 65
Bound Volumes of Science and Research Notes and Lectures
| Folder | 1 | Henry's printed physics syllabus (part I) with interleaved notes | |
| Folder | 2 | Natural philosophy notebook: hydrostatics and hydrodynamics | |
| Folder | 3 | Natural philosophy notebook: heat and steam engine | |
| Folder | 4 | Natural philosophy notebook: electricity | |
| Folder | 5 | Natural philosophy notebook: electricity and magnetism | |
| Folder | 6 | Natural philosophy notebook: light and sound |
Box 16A of 65
| Folder | 7 | Natural philosophy notebook: principally mechanics. Table of contents of lectures and pages on inside cover. | |
| Folder | 8 | Architecture notebook | |
| Folder | 9 | Architecture notebook | |
| Folder | 10 | Architecture notebook | |
| Folder | 11 | A.S. Campbell's student notebook on natural philosophy, volume II (Lectures 30-45; 1,5,6); second half of notebook used by Henry |
Box 17 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Anonymous student notebook on natural philosophy, volume I | |
| Folder | 2 | Anonymous student notebook on natural philosophy, volume II | |
| Folder | 3 | Sylvester van Syckel student notebook on natural philosophy | |
| Folder | 4 | Anonymous student notebook on natural philosophy | |
| Folder | 5 | Science notes, "Aurora 22.23.57-62" | |
| Folder | 6 | Theory of electricity notebook, H.C. Pitney translation of Hauy | |
| Folder | 7 | Science notebook, "For the composition of an unchangeable cement" |
Box 17A of 65
| Folder | 8 | Research notebook with index in front cover. "J. Henry" on cover and end papers. | |
| Folder | 9 | Lecture notes, "See for Mr. Espy how blew..." | |
| Folder | 10 | Notebook of magnetic intensity and weather data | |
| Folder | 11 | "Stereographic projection of the sphere," September 1, 1821 | |
| Folder | 12 | "Astronomical Problems," November 22, 1821 | |
| Folder | 13 | Addresses of persons in Europe. Address book. |
Box 18 of 65
Lectures and Notes by Joseph Henry
| Folder | 1 | Introductory remarks and first lecture | |
| Folder | 2 | Lectures on Heat | |
| Folder | 3 | Lectures on Somatology, friction, mechanics, hydrostatics | |
| Folder | 4 | Lecture on the wave theory of light | |
| Folder | 5 | Lectures on steam | |
| Folder | 6 | Lectures on sound | |
| Folder | 7 | Lectures on magnetism, electricity, and the atmosphere | |
| Folder | 8 | Lectures on light | |
| Folder | 9 | Lectures on light continued | |
| Folder | 10 | Lectures on heat and light, electricity reading notes | |
| Folder | 11 | Lectures on air, light, statics, dynamics, curvilinear motion | |
| Folder | 12 | Geology: xylography drawings, lecture drafts |
Box 18A of 65
| Folder | 13 | Geology course | |
| Folder | 13A | Geology course | |
| Folder | 14 | C. M. Wetherill and Joseph Henry Experiments on flow of liquids, 1865-1866 |
Box 19 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Electricity and magnetism notes | |
| Folder | 2 | Notes on electricity | |
| Folder | 3 | Lectures on friction | |
| Folder | 4 | Notes by W. B. Taylor and W. L. Nicholson | |
| Folder | 5 | Notes by W. L. Nicholson | |
| Folder | 6 | Optics | |
| Folder | 7 | Notes for lectures on magnetism, galvanism, and electricity | |
| Folder | 8 | Notes of a paper on electricity | |
| Folder | 9 | Miscellaneous jottings | |
| Folder | 10 | Miscellaneous electricity and magnetism notes; closing lecture | |
| Folder | 11 | Miscellaneous | |
| Folder | 12 | Lectures |
The Peabody Lectures can be found in Essays and Lectures of Joseph Henry.
| Folder | 13 | Lectures: Peabody lectures folder 1 | |
| Folder | 14 | Lectures: Peabody lectures folder 2 | |
| Folder | 15 | Lectures: Peabody lectures folder 3 | |
| Folder | 16 | Lectures: Peabody lectures folder 4 | |
| Folder | 17 | Lectures: Peabody lectures folder 5 | |
| Folder | 18 | Lectures: Peabody lectures folder 6 | |
| Folder | 19 | Examination August 1840 |
Box 20 of 65
Books of Levels
| Folder | 1 | Book of levels from Kingston to Lake Erie | |
| Folder | 2 | Levels from Kingston to Binghampton, 1825. Books of levels numbered 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7. | |
| Folder | 3 | Book of levels beginning at the village of Owego, October 1, 1825 | |
| Folder | 4 | Book of levels from the Delaware to the Susquehanna Number 1 | |
| Folder | 5 | Number 2, book of levels from Windsor to Station 7. Beginning at the water edge of the Susquehanna at the village of Oquago in the town of Windsor, ending at the 7th Station between Binghamton and Owego. | |
| Folder | 6 | Book number 2 | |
| Folder | 7 | Book number 2 departing from Owego | |
| Folder | 8 | Book number 3 from Owego | |
| Folder | 9 | Number 3 Book of levels from station Number 7 to Owego. Beginning at Station No. 7 between Binghamton and Owego and ending at a sill 4.12 1/4 higher than the water edge of the Susquehanna at Owego. | |
| Folder | 10 | Book of levels Number 4, November 1, 1825. Commencing at the water edge at Portland Harbor of Lake Erie, ending near the height of ground between the Cosnadaga and Conawanga creeks. | |
| Folder | 11 | Number 4. "Duplicate of levels of James Henry and M. McPherson." | |
| Folder | 12 | Number 5 Book of Levels. Commencing near the height of ground between the Cosnadaga and Conawanga creeks, ending at Station 82. | |
| Folder | 13 | Number 6 Book of levels commencing at Station 82. |
Box 20A of 65
| Folder | 14 | Books of levels; Numbers 8,9,10,11,1,3,2. Book of Levels from between Binghamton and Owego to the town of Barton on the state road survey. | |
| Folder | 15 | James Henry's books of levels | |
| Folder | 16 | Book of Levels Number 3 from never-sink (State road survey) [copy] | |
| Folder | 17 | Pocket notebook, undated. Contains a map, accounts, lists of names, and Manner of Making the Great Cumberland road. |
Box 21 of 65
Record of Experiments. Record of Experiments Volumes I-III have been published with, and as part of, The Papers of Joseph Henry.
| Folder | 1 | Volume I | |
| Folder | 2 | Volume II |
Box 21A of 65
| Folder | 3 | Volume III | |
| Folder | 4 | Data pamphlet, 1837-1839 |
Box 22 of 65
Electricity, Magnetism, and Telegraph Notes
| Folder | 1 | Notes on Electricity in a bound volume |
Box 23 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Electricity and magnetism notes I | |
| Folder | 2 | Electricity and magnetism notes II | |
| Folder | 3 | Electricity and magnetism notes III | |
| Folder | 4 | Telegraph notes I | |
| Folder | 5 | Telegraph notes II | |
| Folder | 5A | Telegraph notes II |
Box 23A of 65
| Folder | 6 | Telegraph notes III | |
| Folder | 7 | Telegraph notes IV | |
| Folder | 8 | Handwritten page regarding Morse |
This series contains the various drafts and final copies of the eulogy of Alexander Dallas Bache that was prepared by Joseph Henry. Bache was born on July 19, 1806 and died on February 17, 1867. During his life he worked primarily in the in the field of physics, especially geophysics. Henry and Bache had become friends during the years when Henry was at Princeton and Bache was at the University of Pennsylvania, they remained close friends until Bache's death. Like Henry, Bache was a member of the American Philosophical Society, National Academy of Sciences, and the Light-House Board. Bache was also a member of the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents and was involved in persuading Henry to leave his position at Princeton and accept the Smithsonian appointment.
Box 24 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Eulogy of A.D. Bache by Joseph Henry. Early draft work I. | |
| Folder | 2 | Eulogy of A.D. Bache by Joseph Henry. Early draft work II. | |
| Folder | 3 | Eulogy of A.D. Bache by Joseph Henry. Later draft work III. | |
| Folder | 4 | Eulogy of A.D. Bache by Joseph Henry. Published and longhand copies. |
This series' contents are primarily addresses given by Henry and reports written by Henry. There are also drafts of articles and other scientific writings as well as several eulogy drafts. Towards the end of this series are located materials from after Henry's death in 1878: newspaper clippings of obituaries, information regarding the Joseph Henry Fund, a Henry Portrait, the 'henry' and the Henry Medallion, and recollections of Joseph Henry collected by Mary Henry and William Jones Rhees.
Box 25 of 65
Addresses and Reports
| Folder | 1 | National Academy of Science, History and Present character, undated | |
| Folder | 2 | National Academy of Science, annual address, 1877 | |
| Folder | 3 | National Academy of Science, address at the 11th session, undated | |
| Folder | 4 | National Academy of Science, address at the 12th session, undated | |
| Folder | 5 | National Academy of Science, draft of the address at the 12th session, undated | |
| Folder | 6 | National Academy of Science, address, post Civil War (pages 1-35) | |
| Folder | 7 | National Academy of Science, Report of the President 1876-1877 | |
| Folder | 8 | National Academy of Science, address on the life of Justus Von Liebig, post Civil War (added to the Folder 6 address) | |
| Folder | 9 | National Academy of Science, address, April 21, 1876 | |
| Folder | 10 | National Academy of Science, report on weights and measures | |
| Folder | 11 | Lecture prepared for the opening of an additional department at Princeton, 1873. I | |
| Folder | 12 | Lecture prepared for the opening of an additional department at Princeton, 1873. II | |
| Folder | 13 | National Academy of Science international standards commission, October 14, 1872. | |
| Folder | 14 | National Academy of Science, undated | |
| Folder | 15 | Moral influences on the polytechnic school, undated | |
| Folder | 16 | Teachers Association meeting in the Smithsonian Institution, undated | |
| Folder | 17 | Unidentified address draft, undated | |
| Folder | 18 | Museum related reports and addresses |
Box 25A of 65
| Folder | 19 | Ventilation reports and addresses | |
| Folder | 19A | Ventilation reports and addresses | |
| Folder | 19B | Ventilation reports and addresses |
Box 26 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Chair of Mathematics at Albany Academy acceptance draft, 1826 | |
| Folder | 2 | Fielding Bradford Meek funeral, December 22, 1876 | |
| Folder | 3 | Address to the association, undated | |
| Folder | 4 | Different sensibilities of eyes, undated | |
| Folder | 5 | Ice period, undated | |
| Folder | 6 | Columbia Institute for Deaf and Dumb (Gallaudet), November 16, 1864 | |
| Folder | 7 | Remarks by grave of Joseph Priestly [1874]. This can be found in Essays and Lectures of Joseph Henry. | |
| Folder | 8 | Works of practical mechanics, undated | |
| Folder | 9 | Eulogy of James M. Gillis, 1865 | |
| Folder | 10 | Civil Engineering for the Government, undated | |
| Folder | 11 | Anthropology, 1877 | |
| Folder | 12 | Explosion of steam boilers, post 1875 | |
| Folder | 13 | Speech at Tyndall Banquet in honor of John Tyndall, February 1873 | |
| Folder | 14 | Notes of lecture on Change, undated | |
| Folder | 15 | Rainfall in the United States, at a meeting in England, 1871 | |
| Folder | 16 | National Deaf-Mute College, April 19, 1876 | |
| Folder | 17 | Speech at dinner of Chamber of Commerce, New York, undated | |
| Folder | 18 | Letter about Scientific Investigations of Joseph Henry while at Princeton, December 4, 1876 | |
| Folder | 19 | Draft of article on Induction | |
| Folder | 20 | Lectures on the Smithsonian Institution before the Metropolitan Mechanics Institute [1853]. This can be found in Essays and Lectures of Joseph Henry. | |
| Folder | 21 | Eulogy of Charles Willson Peale [1827] | |
| Folder | 22 | Philosophical Society of Washington, 1871 | |
| Folder | 23 | Philosophical Society of Washington, 1874 |
Box 27 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Philosophical Society of Washington, November 24, 1877. | |
| Folder | 2 | Philosophical Society of Washington, Resolution on death of Louis Agassiz, undated. | |
| Folder | 3 | Philosophical Society of Washington acceptance address draft, November 20, 1874 | |
| Folder | 4 | Philosophical Society of Washington acceptance draft, 1874 | |
| Folder | 5 | Philosophical Society of Washington address, 1872, 1877 | |
| Folder | 6 | Certificates noting the reception of materials by the Smithsonian Institution from the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1855-1865 |
Materials Committed to Honoring Joseph Henry's Memory
| Folder | 7 | Henry Birth Date Substantiation, February 16, 1903 | |
| Folder | 8 | Letter to Mrs. Henry regarding the Joseph Henry Fund, June 3, 1878 | |
| Folder | 9 | Various newspaper clippings regarding Henry, post May 13, 1878 | |
| Folder | 10 | 1870 Programs, Cards of Invitations from European Trip | |
| Folder | 11 | Extracted writings by Henry from letters and papers as well as a listing of his scientific writings | |
| Folder | 12 | Paper work regarding a Henry Portrait, April 1879 | |
| Folder | 13 | Henry color blindness charts, undated | |
| Folder | 14 | Materials regarding the establishment of the 'henry,' post May, 1878 | |
| Folder | 15 | Extraction from a report on library and apparatus at Princeton College, November 13, 1890 | |
| Folder | 16 | Statement relative to books said to have been sold, belonging to Professor Henry, March 1, 1879 | |
| Folder | 17 | Henry Medallion, 1897 | |
| Folder | 18 | Recollections of Joseph Henry collected by Mary Henry and Rhees, post May 1878 |
This series contains loose notes, notebooks, poetry, a manuscript, and other materials. Henry prepared all the materials found in this series, unless otherwise noted.
Box 28 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Scraps of great importance from Albany Academy | |
| Folder | 2 | Miscellaneous scientific notes | |
| Folder | 3 | On frauds, Charlatans, etc. by Joseph Henry, undated | |
| Folder | 4 | Miscellaneous | |
| Folder | 5 | Scientific Notes | |
| Folder | 6 | Unsorted material and scientific notes | |
| Folder | 6A | Unsorted material and scientific notes | |
| Folder | 6B | Unsorted material and scientific notes | |
| Folder | 6C | Unsorted material and scientific notes | |
| Folder | 7 | Albany Academy Miscellaneous Accounts, 1830-1831 | |
| Folder | 8 | Notes by Mary Henry on Joseph Henry's Association with the Albany Academy | |
| Folder | 9 | Albany Academy Accounts for philosophical apparatus, 1827-1831 | |
| Folder | 10 | Apparatus related paper, August 1847 and correspondences, 1865-1866 | |
| Folder | 11 | Accounts 1837-1838 |
Box 29 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Morse's application to renew patent on telegraph, 1854 | |
| Folder | 2 | Copies of Morse's patent, 1840 and 1846 | |
| Folder | 3 | Telegraph notes, 1850 | |
| Folder | 4 | Telegraph notes regarding Morse's patent, etc., 1826-1840 | |
| Folder | 5 | Telegraph notes, various dated | |
| Folder | 6 | Telegraph memoranda and notes, undated | |
| Folder | 7 | Telegraph notes, undated |
The manuscript contained in Folders 8 through 12 regards Henry's 1837 visit to Europe and contains copies of his notebook and diary entries while there.
| Folder | 8 | Manuscript (pages 1-54) | |
| Folder | 9 | Manuscript (pages 55-113) | |
| Folder | 10 | Manuscript (pages 114-175) | |
| Folder | 11 | Manuscript (pages 176-218) | |
| Folder | 12 | Manuscript (pages 219-244, plus other materials) | |
| Folder | 13 | Articles and clippings concerning Henry | |
| Folder | 14 | Miscellaneous papers from Henry's 1837 Visit to Europe | |
| Folder | 15 | Copies of diary and notebook pages from Henry's 1837 Visit to Europe |
Box 30 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Smithsonian Institution notes and papers (Miscellaneous) | |
| Folder | 2 | Meteorology (Auroras) A | |
| Folder | 3 | Meteorology (Auroras) B | |
| Folder | 4 | Religion | |
| Folder | 5 | Moral and Philosophical | |
| Folder | 6 | Education | |
| Folder | 7 | Thoughts on Architecture. [1849] The contents of this folder can be found in the Essays and Lectures of Joseph Henry. | |
| Folder | 8 | Weights and Measures | |
| Folder | 9 | Power | |
| Folder | 10 | Light and Vision | |
| Folder | 11 | Liquids and Capillarity | |
| Folder | 12 | Sound | |
| Folder | 13 | Henry papers | |
| Folder | 14 | Henry. Miscellaneous, small pieces for experiments. | |
| Folder | 15 | Smithsonian Institution Account by Henry, 1853 | |
| Folder | 16 | Henry Illustrative Material | |
| Folder | 17 | Poetry |
Box 31 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Halsey notes on Philosophy, 1841-1842 Volume I | |
| Folder | 2 | Halsey notes on Philosophy, 1841-1842 Volume II | |
| Folder | 3 | William Cattell notes on Natural Philosophy, 1847 | |
| Folder | 4 | Notes on Philosophy [Oversize removed to Box 31A] | |
| Folder | 5 | Student Work |
Box 31A of 65
| Folder | 1 | Notes on Philosophy |
Box 32 of 65
| Folder | 1 | Notebook from 1837 trip to Europe, Volume I | |
| Folder | 2 | Notebook from 1837 trip to Europe, Volume II | |
| Folder | 3 | Notebook from 1837 trip to Europe, Volume III |
The materials contained in this series are related to the Light-House Board. President Fillmore established the Light-House Board in 1852. It was at this time that Henry was appointed be a part of the Board. He continued to serve the Board in various capacities until the time of his death in May 1878. Henry did experimental and test work regarding light, sound, and fog signals, and lard and sperm oils. His Light-House Board work, along with other materials and letters, are contained in this series.
Box 33 of 65
| Folder | 1 | 1855-1858. Light-House at Point Bonita, North Head, San Francisco Bay California 1855-1856; Pamphlet titled "Instructions for testing sperm oil for the United States Light-House Establishment," 1858. | |
| Folder | 2 | 1861-1863. A list of the number of hours of fog at the stated days and the force and direction of the wind, July 1861 and August 1863; Data note 1862; Joseph Henry on Oils, in Boston, Ma. September 28, 1863; Diagram of expansion of oil, December 1, 1863; Printed letter from Levin Myne Powell, U.S.N., to the members of the board on Fog-Signals, 1863; Statement of the number of hours of fog on the days stated, with the force and direction of the wind, September 1863-September 1866. | |
| Folder | 3 | June 1864. Report of Professor Henry in behalf of the Committee on Experiments relative to inspection of Lard Oil. June 6; Buildings Special Committee on Staten Island, New York. June 6; Prevention of Damage to Vessels by Worms, June 11. | |
| Folder | 4 | 1865. Substituting Steam Whistles for Fog-bells at certain stations, January 21; Letter Henry from William A. Goodwin, March 13; Letter from Gisborne Paint Co. to Henry, March 20; Scrap of paper with paint sample, March 21; Office Light-House Engineer 3rd District, July 11; Fog-Signals, July 13; Observations on "Sunbeam" and "Narragansett," October 14; Observations on "Sunbeam," October 17; Memoranda, December 12; E. McKinney's method of burning petroleum. | |
| Folder | 5 | 1866. Griffiths Standard Head Light Oils, January 5; Letter to Andrew A. Harwood from Benjamin H. Lightfoot, January 24; Letter to Henry from W. A. Goodwin, February 1; Letter to W. B. Shubrick from John Allen, February 23; Experiments on candles, gas, lamps, etc., April 5; Report by Henry on Lard Oil offered by the N.Y. Manhattan Oil Company, April 20; Note by Charles M. Cresson, May 7; Letter to W. B. Shubrick from Dr. A. C. Vaughan, May 11; Oil from Meprs Vaughan and Guthrie by Henry, May 18; Letter to Henry from W. A. Goodwin, June 19; Letter to Henry from L. M. Powell, June 20; Telegram to Henry from L. M. Powell, July 5; Letter to L. M. Powell from Henry, July 7; Page from letterpress book, September 27; Letter to Henry from W. A. Goodwin, October 27; Letter to Henry from W. A. Goodwin, November 10; Letter, November 17; Ten Horse Power Steam Engine, December 3. | |
| Folder | 6 | Report by Joseph Henry on the oil offered for inspection by the Manhattan Oil Co., 1866 | |
| Folder | 7 | 1867. Kerosene lamp notes, March 14; Letter connected with J. Allen, March 18; Lamp notes dated March 21-22; Letter to John Torrey from John R. Wigham, March 23; Page dated April 16 to My Dear Dr. with no signature; Letter to Henry from John Butler, April 19; Letter to Henry from C. Tiers Myers, April 13; Letter to W. B. Shubrick from C. T. Myers, May 18; Letter to Henry from Gould Machine Co. dated May 24; Specific Gravity of Building Stone Offered for Waugashance Light House, August 9; Letter to Henry from H. Wilde, September 11; Letter to Henry from A. A. Harwood, September 28; Letter to Henry from Joseph Lederle, October 26; Letter to Henry from A. A. Harwood, December 10. | |
| Folder | 8 | Oil offered for Inspection by the Manhattan Oil Co. N.Y. Submitted by Henry, April 19, 1867. | |
| Folder | 9 | Lard Oil Offered by Manhattan Co. Submitted by Henry, September 26, 1867. | |
| Folder | 10 | Trial of Fog-Signal, October 10-18, 1867. Both original and copy. | |
| Folder | 11 | 1868-1869. Photometric power of various kinds of lamps as compared with a standard sperm candle, October 30, 1868; Cover note for the trial of lamps dated November 3, 1868; Experiments in the Laboratory at the Staten Island Depot submitted by Henry, November 20, 1868; Small Lamps for Lard Oil on Lake Champlain, submitted by Henry, January 8, 1869; Letter to Captain A. Ludlow Case from John W. Williams, January 26, 1869; Petroleum Oil Use in Light-Houses submitted by Henry, February 12, 1869; Letter to Honorable O. N. Browning from Alex W. Randall, March 13, 1869; Fog-Signal at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, submitted by Henry, May 21, 1869; J. R. Wigham's Patent Gas Apparatus submitted by Henry, June 7, 1869; Note dated June 30, 1869; Joseph Funck patent materials, August 17, 1869; Letter to W. B. Shubrick from J. E. Todhunter, September 18, 1869; Letter to Henry from J. Edmundson, October 23, 1869; Note relative to Light-House Board dated 1869. | |
| Folder | 12 | Abstract of expenditures of oil, wicks, and chimneys, March 31, 1869-December 31, 1871 | |
| Folder | 13 | 1870-1871. Letter to Henry from W. B. Shubrick, May 10, 1870; Letter to Robert Allen Esq. from Henry, 13, December 1870; Letter to Henry from A. C. Beazeley, September 28, 1871; Data chart dated, October 16, 1871; Report on Oil by Henry, October 1, 1871; Report on Light on Western Rivers, November 27, 1871. | |
| Folder | 14 | Experiments upon Steam Whistles, made at Light House Depot, House Ld. Portland Harbor, Maine 1871 written on February 2, 1872 | |
| Folder | 15 | 1872. Letter to Henry from C. Chandler, January 2; William M. Habirshaw note, January 12; Letter to Admiral Thornton A. Jenkins from Alex C. Beazeley, January 15; Letter to General J. C. Woodruff from J. Funck, January 24; Letter from A. C. Beazeley, February 23; March 15 The Grocery News and Oil Journal pages 115-116; Draft of letter to General James A. Garfield, March 21; Relative to the back work of the office of the Light-House Board, and a plan to bring it up within a year April and May; Letter to T. A. Jenkins from A. C. Beazeley, June 20; Letter to Henry from A. C. Beazeley, June 20; Letter to A. C. Beazeley from George H. Elliot, July 22; Letter to Henry from Arnold B. Johnson, October 21; Letter to Henry from J. H. Strong, October 26; Bond of Indemnity to Henry from Hector Bayer, October; Letter to Henry from William Harkness, November 9; One page of notes. | |
| Folder | 16 | Originals of Professor Henry's on Sound and Fog-Signals, December 11, 1872 |
Box 34 of 65
| Folder | 1 | 1873. Pamphlet "Application de l'huile minerale mars 29; Note dated May 1873; Tables dated July 1873; Last page of a paper "Investigations in regard to sound and fog signals," August 27; Notes on Fog-Signal experiments, August; N.Y. Tribune piece "Academy of Sciences," by Henry, October 23; Letter, November 15. | |
| Folder | 2 | Report on Inventions submitted to the Light-House Board as Improvements on Aids to Navigation by Henry, May 1873 | |
| Folder | 3 | January-September 1874. Letter from John Wiley & Son, March 10; Executive Order regarding Rules Regulating Admissions to the Light-House Board from President U. S. Grant, March 29; Improved Method of Lighting Bridges on Western Rivers by Henry, March 30; Extract from Board Minutes, June 17; Fog-Signals 3rd District, June; J. P. Colne's Claim for Work for Float Chambers for Funck Lamps by Henry, August 6; Fog by Henry, August 8; Letter to a Major Peter C. Hains from A. B. Johnson, September 18; | |
| Folder | 4 | To be inserted in the appendix - Left out of the report of the Light-House Board, August 1874 (pages numbered 22-41) | |
| Folder | 5 | Draft of a report to the Honorable Benjamin Helm Bristow, Secretary of the Treasury of the Light-House Board, September 15, 1874 | |
| Folder | 6 | Copy of an article by Henry on Fog-Signals for Barnard Cyclopedia, September 17, 1874 | |
| Folder | 7 | Data sheets connected with September 23 and 24, 1874 aboard the "Cactus," "Mistletoe," and "Putnam" | |
| Folder | 8 | Memoranda of Woodruff and Davis from the September 1874 "Cactus, "Mistletoe," and "Putnam" journey | |
| Folder | 9 | Draft of Investigation relative to Fog-Signals on board the "Putnam," August and September 1874 | |
| Folder | 10 | Small groups of pages not connectable to the larger groupings from September 1874 and "Cactus," "Mistletoe," and "Putnam" | |
| Folder | 11 | Single pages or part of pages or crossed out pages from September 1874 and "Cactus," "Mistletoe," and "Putnam" | |
| Folder | 12 | Report submitted to the Honorable B. H. Bristow, Secretary of the Treasury of the Light-House Board, September 1874 | |
| Folder | 13 | October-December 1874. Report of the Operations of the Light-House Board Relative to Fog-Signals, Henry, October; "Notes on the Experiments in French and English Wicks at L.H. Depot, November 7" (3 pages); Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, November 10; For Joseph Henry, Light-House Board Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, November 27; French and English Dioptric Lights, November; A Synopsis of British Gas Lighting Compiled from the London Journal of Gas Lighting; "Penton's Reversible Memorandum Book;" Group-Flashing Lights by J. Hopkinson; John Tyndall's report. | |
| Folder | 14 | January-April 1875. Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, January 28; Letter to J. C. Woodruff from J. Funck, January 28; Letter to J. C. Woodruff from J. Funck, February 8; Letter to Henry from P. C. Hains, February 12; Letter to Light-House Board from Mrs. G. W. Thomson, March 16; Memoranda from Henry, March 18; Letter to Henry from J. G. Walker, April 1; Letter to Henry from J. G. Walker, April 3; Letter to B. H. Bristow from Henry, April 22; Letter to B. H. Bristow from Henry, April 27; Letter to B. H. Bristow from Henry, April 28. | |
| Folder | 15 | May - July 1875. Funck's project to substitute lens apparatus for reflectors on light ships by Henry, May 6; Report on investigation relative to the use of mineral oil for Light-House purpose by Henry, May 26; Comparative Table of Mineral Oils, May 28; Letter to Henry from the Manager of Elain Oil, May 31; Lighthouse apparatus diagrams, May; Extract from Light House Board Minutes, June 2; Lard Oil consumption per hour, June 2; Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, June 4; Letter to Henry from R. Allen, June 25; Information sheet, July 5; "Meyer's Electrical Fog-Signal" by Henry, July 9; Letter to Henry from Orrin Dinsmore L.H., July 9; Lamp experiment data tables, July 29; Notes from Light-House Depot, Staten Island, New York July 31. |
Box 35 of 65
| Folder | 1 | August 1875. Observations on board Light-House Steamer "Putnam," August 9; Instructions for 2nd experiment on board "Mistletoe" and "Putnam," August 9; Notes on Sound at Block Island, R.I., August 9; Notes taken on the 10th aboard "Putnam" and "Mistletoe;" Observations on board Light House Steamer "Putnam," August 10; List of figures, August 10; Letter to Henry from A. B. Johnson, August 28. | |
| Folder | 2 | September 1875. Data and diagram sheets from the 2nd to the 8th at Little Gull Island connected with work from the "Mistletoe" and "Cactus;" Notes, data, and diagrams from Little Gull Island experiments from the "Mistletoe" and "Putnam," 2nd to 8th; Copy of letter to Captain C. P. Patterson from Henry, 16th; "Funck's and Doly's patents for Lamps for Mineral Oil in Lt. Houses," 18th. | |
| Folder | 3 | Report materials connected with the "Cactus," "Mistletoe," and "Putnam" expeditions, August and September 1875; The investigations in August 1875 is in regard to sound in its relation to Fog-Signals at Block Island, R.I.; The investigation in regard to the effects of the wind (on sound); Experiments on the effect of elevations on the audition of sound; Experiments at Little Gull Island. | |
| Folder | 4 | October - December 1875. Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, October 30; Comparison between Balestier and Range lens, November 16; Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, November 19; Letter to J. C. Woodruff from J. Funck, November 20; Letter to P. C. Hains from J. Kenward, November 22; Letter to Count D. de Sylva from J. Allen at Trinity House, November 24; Letter to Henry from P. C. Hains referring to the Committee on Experiments, papers relative to alleged inferiority of English Lenses, December 18; Diagrams relative to oil and lamps left out of the report 1875. | |
| Folder | 5 | Investigations relative to Sound in its application to Fog-Signals in 1875, I ; Introduction pages 1-28; Investigations in August 1875 at Block Island, R.I., pages 29-54; Experiments on the effect of Elevation on the perception of Sound pages 55-80. | |
| Folder | 6 | Investigations relative to Sound in its application to Fog-Signals in 1875, II; Investigations in regard to the effect of Wind on Sound at Block Island, R.I. pages, 81-105; Experiments at Little Gull Island, September 1875, pages 106-120; Experiments on the effect of Elevation on the perception of Sound at Little Gull Island, pages 120-134. | |
| Folder | 7 | "Investigation Relative to Sound in its Application to Fog-Signals, by the U.S. Light-House Board, in 1875, Under Direction of the Chairman, Joseph Henry" | |
| Folder | 8 | 1876. Consumption of Lard and Kerosene Oils for the 1st and 2nd quarters of 1875-1876; Fauckners' Island Consumption of Kerosene 1875 and 1876; Letter to J. C. Woodruff from J. G. Walker, January 12; Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, January 13; Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, January 13; Letter to J. C. Woodruff from J. Funck, January 26; Letter to Henry from J. C. Woodruff, January 27; "S. 373. In the Senate of the United States, January 31, 1876;" Report on Lard and Mineral oils as light house illuminants, February 18; "S. 373. In the Senate of the United States, February 21, 1876;" Write up of Patent Office on J. Funck's improvements in burners for lighthouse lamps, March 22; Report on Illuminating Materials, April 8; Letter to Henry from W. P. McCann, April 24; "The Dioptric Lights of Chance brothers & Co.," May 1; Pocket notebook, June 29; Comparative Table of the Intensity of Lard and Mineral Oils, July; Experiments at Little Gull Island, August; Notes taken while at Little Gull Island, in August and Septem |