Papers of William Christie

(1) Financial orders, 1887-1923

Orders and notices from the Astronomer Royal to Royal Observatory staff on the rate of pay for observing duties and overtime payments for extra computing, 1887-1912.

Summary of payments made to computers during the years 1910-1923, and notice of the rates of pay for observing duties, 1910-1923.

Orders and notes from the Astronomer Royal to Royal Observatory staff on the rates of pay for observing duties, 1905-1909.

Orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to individual members of staff on routine matters, such as the wages of the labourers and workmen, with occasional orders relating to observing duties, 1893.

(2) Astronomical orders, 1884-1910

Orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to the assistants assigned to observing duties on the transit circle, 1884-1910.

Orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to the assistants assigned to observing duties on the altazimuth telescope, 1896-1909

Miscellaneous orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to assistants relating to the use of instruments and instructions for observations, 1895-1910, including the following:

1. Transit circle, 1896.

2. Star corrections.

3. Star corrections, 1897.

4. Observers for 1898.

5. Notes on correction to refraction tables for variation of gravity.

6. Meridian reductions.

7. London County Council Generating Station, 1908.

8. Arrangements for the observing of the eclipse of Sun, 28 June 1908.

9. Preparation of the Annual Report.

10. Planetary ledgers, 1908.

(3) Chronometer and time orders, 1893-1918

Orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to staff assigned to the Time Department, 1893-1918, including the following:

1. Failure in Greenwich Time Ball.

2. Chronometer oven.

3. Repairs to chronometers and deck watches.

4. Sunday duty.

5. Mistakes of assistants in winding chronometers, 1893.

6. Report on special services, 1914.

7. Trials of chronometers and watches.

(4) Astrographic orders, 1889-1908

Orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to assistants assigned to duties relating to the astrographic telescope and chart, 1889-1908, including the following:

1. Focus of 4-inch pilot object glass.

2. Orientation of the photographic equatorial.

3. Duration of development for each plate.

4. List of photographs to be taken in selected regions.

5. An instruction to the effect that a copy of the 'Instructions for use' for the astrographic telescope be placed in the Photographic Dome.

6. Observations of guiding stars with the transit circle.

7. An instruction to the effect that all photographic plates are to be taken of even degrees of declination.

8. Changes of orientation.

9. Note on the 'measurement of Catalogue Plates.'

10. Note on the adjustments to be made when 'Measuring stellar photographs.'

11. 'Measurement of 20s[econd] images Photo 444'.

12. Note to the effect that the 'Hypobath' should not be taken into the darkroom or the washing room.

13. Note to the effect that all photographs must be numbered in the 'North East Corner.'

14. Note to the effect that all chart plates should be taken in zones of odd declination if zones of even declination are not available.

15. Photographs of the Pole for adjustments of Polar axis.

16. 'Catalogue of chart plates of the Oxford field or the pole should be taken whenever the opportunity arises.'

(5) General orders, 1894

Correspondence with the Heliographic Department resulting in the issuing of orders and instructions by the Astronomer Royal on the following subjects, 1894:

1. Overtime payments.

2. Examination of proof sheets.

3. Cost of papers, plates and chemicals.

4. Use of the photographic spectroscope.

5. Position of the Sun's pole.

6. Morning duty with the photoheliograph.

(6) Magnetic and meteorological orders, 1894-1910

General orders and instructions from the Astronomer Royal to the staff of the Magnetical and Meteorological Branch on the following subjects, 1894-1910:

1. Daily expenditure on photographic paper.

2. Orders to individual members of staff.

3. Timetable of daily work.

4. Observations of the Leonid Meteors.

5. The sunshine average.

6. Printing of meteorological observations in the Greenwich annual volumes.

7. Daily consumption of photographic paper.

8. Magnetic disturbances.

9. Measure of sunshine.

10. Maximum temperature.

11. Ozonometer.

Indexed