| Title |
'The Seattle Korean (?) Planisphere' |
| Reference |
SCC2/77 |
| Covering Dates |
1974–13 Oct. 1984 |
| Extent and Medium |
Paper |
|
| Content and context |
The documents relate to Joseph Needham's purchase of a 'Chinese-style planisphere manuscript written in colour on silk' from the Wolbert family of Bellingham near Seattle, U.S.A. |
| Index Terms |
| Astronomy |
| Needham/NRI2/SCC2/77 contains: |
|
1
|
Three letters from Ralph Wolbert of Bellingham ,Washington, U.S.A., asking for help with the identification of 'our Chinese star chart', copies of similar requests by Wolbert to other scholars and photographs of the chart. Other scholars approached by Wolbert include Dr. Shea, Curator of the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada and Gilbert N. Grosvenor of 'National Geographic Magazine'.
Creator: Wolbert, Ralph.
10 sheets; Paper and photograph. |
18 Nov. 1974–20 June 1975 |
|
2
|
Letter from Dorothy Bacon of Time Life Books, London, requesting help with the chapter on early Chinese navigation from a book on 'Offshore Boating'. Joseph Needham notes at the top of the letter '? Would they buy the star map for us?'.
Creator: Bacon, Dorothy.
3 sheets; Paper. |
9 Oct. 1975 |
|
3
|
Copy of a letter from Joseph Needham to Ralph Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., about the identification of his 'Mediaeval Chinese star-map' and annotated draft of same. Needham states that 'so far as I can make out the closest relative of your planisphere is the Korean star-map of +1395..'. He also asks the question of whether Wolbert would be willing to donate or sell the planisphere to the East Asian History of Science Library.
7 sheets; Paper. |
16 Oct. 1975 |
|
4
|
Letter from Ralph Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., explaining the provenance of the chart and expressing a wish to sell it, and copy of Joseph Needham's reply. Wolbert explains that the star chart was found amongst the papers of his wife's father who died in 1957. His father-in-law was an investment banker and was responsible for the preliminary work on the Seattle World Fair held in the 1940s and 1950s. He may have acquired the chart as a gift from business contacts. Needham offers Wolbert US$200 for the chart.
Creator: Wolbert, Ralph; Needham, Joseph.
2 sheets; Paper. |
29 Oct. 1975–24 Nov. 1975 |
|
5
|
Correspondence with Ralph Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., about the translation of the Chinese characters on the chart and its sale. Joseph Needham states that he is 'willing to consider any reasonable sum'.
Creator: Wolbert, Ralph; Needham, Joseph.
3 sheets; Paper. |
6 Jan. 1976–19 Feb. 1976 |
|
6
|
Letters from Michael [?] Head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge and Jim Bennett, Curator of the Whipple Science Museum, Cambridge, about the value of the planisphere. Michael's letter has an attached photocopy of a 'poster advertising the auction of an extraordinary planetarium'. He goes on to explain that 'there is no knowledge of what happened to the machine, exept for the note 'sent to China''.
Creator: Bennett, Jim.
6 sheets; Paper. |
10 Apr. 1979–30 Apr. 1979 |
|
7
|
Letter from Lois Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., advising Joseph Needham of the death of her husband Ralph and reopening negociations on the sale of the star chart.
Creator: Wolbert, Lois.
1 document; Paper. |
29 Mar. 1979 |
|
8
|
Copy of a letter from Joseph Needham to Maria Luisa Bonelli-Righini of 'Physis', about a copy of an illustration from his paper, 'A Korean Astronomical Screen..from the Royal Palace of the Yi Dynasty (Choson Kingdom, 1392 to 1910)'.
1 document; Paper. |
13 July 1979 |
|
9
|
Copy of a letter from Joseph Needham to Shigeru Nakayama of Tokyo, Japan, asking for his opinion on origin and date of the star chart and Nakayama's reply.
Creator: Nakayama Shigeru; Needham, Joseph.
2 sheets; Paper. |
13 June 1979–23 June 1979 |
|
10
|
Copy of a letter from Joseph Needham to Lois Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A. about the date and value of the chart and Wolbert's reply.
2 sheets; Paper. |
13 June 1979–16 July 1979 |
|
11
|
Copy of a letter from Joseph Needham to Tom Chase of the Freer Gallery Laboratory, Washington D.C., U.S.A., asking for his help in dating the silk and ink of the star chart. The documents also include a reply from Chase; letter from John Winter of the Laboratory accompanying a 'Laboratory Examination Report' for the chart.
Creator: Chase, Tom; Needham, Joseph; Winter, John.
7 sheets; Paper. |
13 June 1979–12 Oct. 1979 |
|
12
|
Letter from Lois Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., expressing disappointment at the lack of a date for the planisphere and reasserting her wish to sell, and copy of Joseph Needham's reply. Needham raises his offer to US$500.
Creator: Wolbert, Lois; Needham, Joseph.
2 sheets; Paper. |
9 Mar. 1980–1 Apr. 1980 |
|
13
|
Letter from Lois Wolbert of Bellingham, U.S.A. accepting Joseph Needham's offer to purchase the chart for US$500, copy of Needham's reply and related documents. The related documents comprise a shipping invoice and import papers.
Creator: Wolbert, Lois; Needham, Joseph.
7 sheets; Paper. |
10 Apr. 1980–4 June 1980 |
|
14
|
Two letters from Lois Wolbert of Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A., about shipment of the planisphere to Joseph Needham.
Creator: Wolbert, Lois.
2 sheets; Paper. |
9 June 1980–10 June 1980 |
|
15
|
Letter from Kao Mei-Ching of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, about the delivery of 'the antique map' to Joseph Needham.
Creator: Kao Mei-Ching.
1 document; Paper. |
13 Oct. 1984 |
|
16
|
Related Joseph Needham note.
1 document; Paper. |
1974–1976 |
|
17
|
Joseph Needham's original file title.
1 document; Paper. |
1974–1976 |
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