The papers of Henry Norris Russell were given to Princeton University by his family between 1957-1969 (accession number AM15959).

Correspondence and reprints of several of Russell's publications were given to the library by Charlotte M. Sitterly in 1974 (AM21398) and 1979 (AM80-50).

Finally, Martin Schwarzchild donated the manuscript of Russell's paper "On the Probable Distance of Orion" (FL77-35). The accession number is indicated on each folder of the papers. Also, letters with an accession number other than AM15959 have their accession number indicated on the reverse side of the letter, in the upper right hand corner.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by Peggy Kidwell with the assistance of John O'Rourke and Eve Thompson in 1979. Finding aid written by Peggy Kidwell in 1979 .

Acknowledgments: The arrangement of the Henry Norris Russell Papers have been a joint project of the Princeton University Library and the Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics. Jean Preston, Curator of Manuscripts at Princeton, has provided patient, intelligent and cheerful supervision, for which I am most grateful. David DeVorkin has generously shared his own knowledge of Russell's life and work. I thank him and his colleagues at the Center for History of Physics for their encouragement and practical suggestions. I also am indebted to Charlotte Moore Sitterly, not only for her bibliography of Russell's publications but for generous answers to my inquiries. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the hospitality of the staff of Mudd Manuscripts Library. Finally, John O'Rourke deserves thanks for his help in arranging the papers, and so does Eve Thompson for typing this guide. Lexy deGraffenreid updated the Conditions Governing Access note in January 2025.

Those using the Russell Papers may also wish to consult the following collections at Princeton:

File on Henry Norris Russell, Princeton University Archives, S. G. Mudd Library

Papers of the Department of Astronomy, Princeton University Archives, S. G. Mudd Library

Papers of R. S. Dugan, Princeton University Manuscripts, Firestone Library

Papers of N. L. Pierce, Firestone Library

Papers of J. Q. Stewart, S. G. Mudd Library

No appraisal information is available.

Organization

• Princeton University
• Princeton University. Class of 1897.

Subject

• Astronomical observatories -- United States -- 20th century
• Astronomical research -- United States -- 20th century
• Astronomy -- Study and teaching -- New Jersey -- Princeton. -- 20th century
• Astronomy -- United States -- 20th century
• Double stars
• Eclipses, Lunar -- 1900
• Eclipsing binaries
• Lunar eclipses -- 1899
• Navigation (astronautics)
• Solar activity
• Solar eclipses -- 1922
• Solar eclipses -- 1932
• Solar eclipses -- 1937
• Stars -- Observations
• Stars -- Spectra
• Stars -- Structure
• Variable stars

Occupation

• Astronomers. -- 20th century
• Physicists. -- 20th century

Publisher

Manuscripts Division

Finding Aid Date

1998

Sponsor

The Russell Papers project was sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation to Spencer Weart and David DeVorkin.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Access to glass-plate negatives is restricted due to their fragility. Where prints of the negatives are present, the prints are open for research use. Though digitization may not be possible for every negative, researchers may make requests to digitize material via the Ask Special Collections, form according to Special Collections' policy on digitization.

Use Restrictions

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.