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Record Unit 7003,  Langley, Samuel P, 1834-1906,  Samuel P. Langley Papers, 1867-1906

Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator: Langley, Samuel P, 1834-1906
Title: Samuel P. Langley Papers
Dates: 1867-1906
Quantity: 12.88 linear meters and oversize.
Collection: Record Unit 7003
Language of Materials: English
Summary:

These papers document important aspects of Langley's scientific and administrative career. Most of the material documents the progress of his aeronautical research from his first flying model of 1891 through the failure of his Aerodrome A of 1903. Also, information files housed in the National Air and Space Museum Library include secondary accounts and photographs relating to Langley's aeronautical studies. Related materials in the NASM Library include the Stephen M. Balzer papers, 1898-1902, which consist of correspondence with Langley and his associate, Charles M. Manly, regarding Balzer's aerodrome engines.

Descriptive Entry

Samuel P. Langley (1834-1906) was the third Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Apparently, many of Langley's papers were accidentally burned after his death. Langley papers in the Smithsonian are housed in the Smithsonian Archives and the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). The Allegheny Observatory holds papers from Langley's years there, from which copies of Langley's correspondence, 1867-1887, have been made for this collection.

These papers document important aspects of Langley's scientific and administrative career. Most of the material documents the progress of his aeronautical research from his first flying model of 1891 through the failure of his Aerodrome A of 1903. Also, information files housed in the National Air and Space Museum Library include secondary accounts and photographs relating to Langley's aeronautical studies. Related materials in the NASM Library include the Stephen M. Balzer papers, 1898-1902, which consist of correspondence with Langley and his associate, Charles M. Manly, regarding Balzer's aerodrome engines.

Materials in this collection consist of publications, including a bound collection of writings, and original manuscripts of many of Langley's publications, 1869-1905; diaries and shorthand notebooks, mostly kept by Langley's secretary, 1889-1905; bolograph curve and line spectrum readings; microfilm and photocopies of Langley's outgoing correspondence from the Allegheny Observatory, 1867-1887; astrophysical research correspondence; scrapbooks, 1890-1903; aeronautical research, including correspondence, wastebooks, and notes of Langley and Manly and their assistants, E. C. Huffaker, L. C. Maltby, B. L. Rhinehart, and R. L. Reed; and oversize aerodrome drawings and bolometer readings.

This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.

Name

Subject

Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection

Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7003, Langley, Samuel P, 1834-1906, Samuel P. Langley Papers

Container List

Box 1

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley, 1891-1901

Box 1 of 38

Box 2

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley, 1897-1905

Box 2 of 38

Box 3

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley, 1889-1891

Box 3 of 38

Box 4

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley - Reports, 1887-1905

Box 4 of 38

Box 5

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley, 1869-1882

Box 5 of 38

1900 Solar Eclipse Expedition of APO [Astrophysical Observatory], 1904

Box 5 of 38

Total Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878, Observations at Pike's Peak, Colorado, and Experiments in Aerodynamics by Samuel P. Langley, 1891

Box 5 of 38

The Internal Work of the Wind, by Samuel P. Langley, 1893

Box 5 of 38

Samuel P. Langley's Private Copy of Experiments in Aerodynamics, 1891

Box 5 of 38

Box 6

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley, 1883-1889, Numbers 69-104

Box 6 of 38

Box 7

Collected Writings of Samuel P. Langley, 1883-1889, Numbers 690-104

Box 7 of 38

Box 8

Photocopies of Letterpress Book from Allegheny Observatory, pages 1-352

Box 8 of 38

Box 9

Photocopies of Letterpress Book from Allegheny Observatory, pages 353-479

Box 9 of 38

Box 10

Miscellaneous correspondence, reports, articles and ephemera. Mostly concerns Langley's appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian in 1887, but also includes materials on his aerodynamics research.

Box 10 of 38

Notices and Reviews of Works by Langley

Box 10 of 38

Material relating to Langley as made available to Mr. White for preparation of his "tribute" published in Smithsonian publications

Box 10 of 38

Publications by Langley and List of Books Read by Langley

Box 10 of 38

Lecture on Air by Langley

Box 10 of 38

The Internal Work of the Wind by Langley

Box 10 of 38

Box 11

Publications and Articles (3 folders)

Box 11 of 38

Newspaper Clippings

Box 11 of 38

Publications and Articles (4 folders)

Box 11 of 38

Box 12

Publications and Articles (4 folders)

Box 12 of 38

Newspaper Clippings Concerning Langley

Box 12 of 38

Box 13

Program for Dinner given by the American Railway Guild in Honor of the Permanent Commission of the International Railway Congress, 1905

Box 13 of 38

Constitution and By-Laws of the Metropolitan Club, 1904

Box 13 of 38

Diary of "O & F" Work for Smithsonian, 1899

Box 13 of 38

Diary of "O & F" Work for Smithsonian, 1900

Box 13 of 38

Diary of "O & F" Work for Smithsonian, 1901-1902

Box 13 of 38

Box 14

Notebooks. Includes G.B. Wells, "O & F" Account, 1900; Address Book for Langley (kept by G.B. Wells), 1900; and Notebook of Expenses, 1900; Appointment Book, 1905.

Box 14 of 38

The Strollers Constitution and By-Laws

Box 14 of 38

Diary, 1889-1891

Box 14 of 38

Diary, 1891-1892

Box 14 of 38

Diary, 1893

Box 14 of 38

Diary, 1893-1894

Box 14 of 38

Diary, 1895

Box 14 of 38

Diary, 1900

Box 14 of 38

Box 15

Diary, 1893

Box 15 of 38

Diary, 1897

Box 15 of 38

Diary, 1899

Box 15 of 38

Diary, 1900

Box 15 of 38

Diary, 1898

Box 15 of 38

Box 16

Diary, 1901

Box 16 of 38

Diary, 1902

Box 16 of 38

Diary, 1903

Box 16 of 38

Diary, 1904

Box 16 of 38

Diary, 1905

Box 16 of 38

Box 17

Newspaper Clippings Regarding Langley's Death, 1906

Box 17 of 38

Correspondence, 1906. Some of these letters were written by Samuel P. Langley shortly before his death. Most correspondence is between John W. Langley with the Smithsonian concerning Langley's effects.

Box 17 of 38

Langley Memorial Remarks and Correspondence

Box 17 of 38

Langley Memorial Remarks and Lists of Invited Guests

Box 17 of 38

Box 18

Spectrum Reports, 1898 (4 folders)

Box 18 of 38

Box 19

Personal correspondence, 1889-1897

Box 19 of 38

Personal correspondence, 1890

Box 19 of 38

Personal correspondence, 1882-1898. Much of this concerns Langley's experiments.

Box 19 of 38

Personal correspondence, 1886-1889

Box 19 of 38

Correspondence concerning the Estate of William Thaw, 1891

Box 19 of 38

Personal correspondence, 1895. Copy book of outgoing correspondence.

Box 19 of 38

Account Book 1888-1906

Box 19 of 38

Personal correspondence, 1866-1869

Box 19 of 38

Box 20

Outgoing correspondence, 1904-1906

Box 20 of 38

Outgoing correspondence, 1886-1893

Box 20 of 38

Outgoing correspondence, 1893-1900

Box 20 of 38

Box 21

Card Index of People Langley Knew (3 folders)

Box 21 of 38

Invitations to Langley Memorial

Box 21 of 38

Box 22

Unidentified Correspondence, 1889-1904

Box 22 of 38

Receipts and Experiment Charts. Appear to concern velocity and aerodynamic studies.

Box 22 of 38

Correspondence Regarding Solar Eclipse, January 1, 1889

Box 22 of 38

Private Letters on Samuel P. Langley Matters, 1906

Box 22 of 38

Box 23

Langley Bird Research and Aeronautics Correspondence and Notes

Box 23 of 38

Langley Correspondence in reference to Aerodrome

Box 23 of 38

Langley - Data on his Aerodrome (3 folders)

Box 23 of 38

Box 24

Solar Eclipse Images (3 folders)

Box 24 of 38

Smithsonian Institution Fire (1865). Annotated envelope.

Box 24 of 38

Article on Aeronautics by O. Chanute

Box 24 of 38

1900 Solar Eclipse Expedition of the Astrophysical Observatory, 1904

Box 24 of 38

The Astrophysical Observatory by Samuel Langley, 1897

Box 24 of 38

Box 25

Yearly Time Book - Aerodrome Work, 1902

Box 25 of 38

Yearly Time Book - Aerodrome Work, 1903

Box 25 of 38

Notes and Correspondence Regarding Aerodrome Work

Box 25 of 38

Scrapbook Containing a Summary of Principal Events re: to Langley's Aerodromic Work in the Order of Dates Beginning with 1897

Box 25 of 38

Associations to which Langley Belonged

Box 25 of 38

Receipts for Letters Sent by the Secretary

Box 25 of 38

Box 26

Letters about Langley's Illness

Box 26 of 38

Letters Regarding Cyrus Adler's Biographical Sketch of Langley

Box 26 of 38

Langley's Memoirs (incomplete)

Box 26 of 38

Langley Biography

Box 26 of 38

Newspaper Clippings. Includes photographic portrait of Langley.

Box 26 of 38

Time-Service Matter

Box 26 of 38

Publication of New Astronomy

Box 26 of 38

Letters to Langley

Box 26 of 38

Cyrus Adler Correspondence Regarding Langley

Box 26 of 38

Subscriptions for Langley Portrait

Box 26 of 38

Box 27

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, pages 329-479

Box 27 of 38

Box 28

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, Vol. I, pages 1-328

Box 28 of 38

Box 29

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, Vol. I, c. 1887-1891

Box 29 of 38

Box 30

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, Vol. II, c. 1884-1898

Box 30 of 38

Box 31

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, Vol. III, pages 2-417

Box 31 of 38

Box 32

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, Vol. II, c. 1885-1887

Box 32 of 38

Box 33

Photocopies of Allegheny Observatory Letterpress Book, Vol. III, c. 1886-1887

Box 33 of 38

Box 34

Drawings and Tables Regarding Pressure Recorder

Box 34 of 38

Box 35

Langley Correspondence, 1895-1897 (Accession 91-008)

Box 35 of 38

Huffaker's Report on Whirling Table, 1895

Box 35 of 38

Experiments on Soaring Speed

Box 35 of 38

Drawing of Langley Aerodrome

Box 35 of 38

Box 36

Langley Aerodrome Photographs

Box 36 of 38

Eclipse Photographs, Wadesboro, North Carolina, May 28, 1900

Box 36 of 38

Allegheny Observatory Photographs

Box 36 of 38

Box 37

"Wastebook" (5-512). Contains photographs (signed by T. W. [Thomas William] Smillie) and technical descriptions of Aerodromes.

Box 37 of 38

Box 38

Wind Tunnel Data from Allegheny Observatory, 1888-1890

Box 38 of 38

Wind Tunnel Data Disks, 1888

Box 38 of 38

Wind Velocity Tests, c. 1890

Box 38 of 38

Oversize

Propeller Hub Technical Drawing

Oversize

Balloon Experiment Drawing

Oversize

O&F Account Cyanotype

Oversize

Aerodrome Exhibition Poster

Oversize

Placard Describing Langley's Aircraft (possibly used in an exhibit)

Oversize

Mechanical Drawings (4 on linen, 1 cyanotype, 1 paper)

Oversize

Chalk Drawing of Sun/Eclipse/Solar Corona (possibly by Langley)

Oversize

Gouache Drawings of Sunspots (?)

Oversize

"Official Secretarial Portrait (photographic) of Langley"

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Charts Showing Location of Houseboat, Flight Paths

Oversize

"Lunar Halo and Meteor Observed at Fort Dodge, Iowa," January 20, 1885

Oversize

"Configuration of the Heavens at the Death of President James A. Garfield," September 19, 1881

Oversize

"Nativity Chart of James A. Garfield" and "Configuration of the Heavens at the Birth of Howard B. Hess," 1882

Oversize

"Annual Eclipse of the Sun," June 15, 1885

Oversize

"Graphs on Linen Draft Paper - Plate II," c. 1880s

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"Sifting Train," 1888

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Diagram of Screen Used in Spectrometer - "Energy and Vision"

Oversize