Janus: Inventories of Instruments, Art, Furniture, etc.

RGO Archives contains:
<-- See earlier
RGO 46	Papers of Leslie John Comrie
RGO 47	Anglo-Australian Telescope papers
RGO 48	Papers of the Radcliffe Observatory
RGO 5	Papers of John Pond
RGO 50	RO and RGO Solar Plates
RGO 51	RO and RGO Solar Plates Contact Prints
RGO 52	The Astronomical Almanac
RGO 54	Papers of William Ellis
RGO 55	Papers of the Board of Visitors
RGO 56	Papers of Herstmonceux Conferences
RGO 57	Kew Observatory sunspot observations
See later -->

More information

Please feel free to contact the repository.

Inventories of Instruments, Art, Furniture, etc.

Title	Inventories of Instruments, Art, Furniture, etc.
Reference	GBR/0180/RGO 39
Creator	Royal Observatory, Greenwich; Royal Greenwich Observatory
Covering Dates	1840–1990
Extent and Medium	9 volumes, 5 folders + 3 envelopes; paper
Repository	Royal Greenwich Observatory Archives

Content and context

Inventories of instruments, works of art, furniture and other moveable property belonging to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

The inventories were produced internally.

Access and Use

Please cite as Royal Greenwich Observatory Archives, Inventories of Instruments, Art, Furniture, etc., RGO 39

Further information

A partial catalogue is available in the Manuscripts Reading Room. Indexed

This description was created by Robert Steiner, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives.

RGO Archives/RGO 39 contains:

Inventory of instruments and furniture. An inventory of instruments and furniture dated at the start 15 May 1840. On the facing pages are notes made at later dates, detailing the movement of items to other parts of the Observatory or on loan to other observatories up to 1852. There is an accompanying copy of a letter from G.B. Airy to Lieutenant Becker R.N., Secretary to the Board of Visitors, 19 June 1840, sending him a copy of the inventory.
1 volume.

1840-circa 1852

List of catalogue additions. A set of papers entitled 'Additions to the Catalogue', dated 5 June 1841. There are additions for the years 1846, 1848, 1849, 1850 and 1851, which also include small sections of G.B. Airy's reports to the Board of Visitors for these dates.
1 envelope.

1841–1851

Inventory of instruments and furniture. An inventory of instruments and furniture dated 3 June 1854. At the end is a list of additions to property for the years 1855-1862.
1 volume.

1854–1862

Inventory of instruments and moveable property. An inventory of instruments and moveable property, with the exception of furniture, based on a survey made during 1911. The inventory includes remarks added in later years on the repair, condition and movement to other parts of the Observatory of various items of equipment, running up to 1929.
1 volume.

1911–1929

Inventory of instruments and moveable property. An inventory of instruments and moveable property, with the exception of furniture, based on a survey made during 1926. The inventory includes remarks added in later years on the repair, condition and movement to other parts of the Observatory of various items of equipment, running up to 1933. At the front of the volume is a note of 1 September 1928 containing a short list of items not accounted for in the old inventory that were carried over to this one. There are also various loose papers, including two bundles of papers entitled 'Proposed Transfer of Magnetic Instruments to Science Museum' and 'List of Hydrographic Department Instruments in Charge of Royal Observatory' respectively.
1 volume.

1926–1933

Inventory of instruments and moveable property. An inventory of instruments and moveable property, with the exception of furniture, based on a survey made during 1933. The inventory includes remarks added in later years on the repair, condition and movement to other parts of the Observatory of various items of equipment, running up to 1945.
1 volume.

1933–1945

Inventory of fire-fighting appliances. An inventory of fire-fighting appliances at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and at Abinger Hammer and Abinger Common. There are also handwritten notes made during the preparation of the inventory.
1 envelope.

19 Aug. 1941

Inventory of instruments and moveable property. 'Rough Draft for New Inventory' containing a complete inventory of instruments and moveable property, including dates taken on charge, details of issues and returns, and remarks on condition. The volume is undated, but mentions dates ranging from 15 May 1849 to 2 April 1913.
1 volume.

Inventory of instruments. An inventory of instruments dated at the beginning 19 April 1848, including notes on the items' location and transfer to other institutions. There is also a small volume containing a list of instruments belonging to the Observatory, with a note on the front recording that it was found among Royal Society papers and placed in the hand of the Astronomer Royal in 1852.
1 envelope.

circa 1848-circa 1852

Inventory of instruments. 'Inventory of Scientific Instruments, Fittings and Accessories thereto, Models, Medallions, Marble busts etc, also mounted and framed Charts, Pictures, Engravings, Photographs etc belonging to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich', Vol. 1, 'Principal Instruments etc.', including a list of schedules and a record of issues and returns. The volume is undated, but mentions dates from 1893 to 1910.
1 volume.

circa 1893-circa 1910

Inventory of instruments. 'Inventory of Scientific Instruments etc. Vol. 2. Museums', including a list of schedules and a record of issues and returns. The volume is undated, but mentions dates from 1895-1910.
1 volume.

circa 1895-circa 1910

Inventory of instruments. 'Inventory of Scientific Instruments etc. Vol. 3. Furniture', listing items by room and including remarks on breakages, removals, etc. There is a table of contents at the beginning. A note at the front of the volume records that it was first compiled in December 1895. A column recording dates taken on charge contains subsequent entries, covering the years 1895-1902.
1 volume.

1895–1902

Inventory of art and furniture. An inventory of art, antique furniture, etc., comprised of lists, letters and delivery notes.
1 folder.

circa 1955-circa 1973

Inventory of antique furniture. An inventory of antique furniture, etc., with correspondence, notes and other papers.
1 folder.

circa 1973-circa 1982

Inventory of chronometers and stopwatches. An inventory of chronometers, stopwatches, etc., comprised of lists, correspondence, memoranda and delivery notes.
1 folder.

circa 1965-circa 1982

Inventory of clocks and chronometers. An inventory of clocks and chronometers comprised of lists, correspondence, records of transfer and memoranda.
1 folder.

circa 1965-circa 1982

Inventories of moveable property. Inventories of the moveable property of Herstmonceux Castle compiled prior to the Royal Observatory's move to Cambridge, including details of the items' disposition. There are also annotated maps of the castle used in compiling the inventories.
1 folder.

1988–1990