Grades 8-12. This project describes to students the great hurdle in the Hale Telescope’s construction: successfully transporting the 40-ton, 200-inch mirror and its packing materials from upstate New York to the top of Palomar Mountain in southern California. Documents include shipping manifests, conversations regarding the movement of the mirror, and photographic documentation of the mirror’s journey up Palomar Mountain. These sources can be used for inquiry-based learning exercises.
Archival Education
From Dream to Reality: Building the Hale Telescope Primary Source STEAM Workshop
Explore Further
Environment
Global Engagement
Timeline
Timeline: American Philanthropy, Agriculture, and the Challenges of Feeding the World
From demonstration farms launched when farming was still unmechanized to confronting climate change in the twenty-first century, American philanthropy has played a key role in shaping and supporting efforts to lift rural communities out of poverty through agriculture.
New Research: Saudi Arabian Reform, West African Museums, Agrarian East Pakistan, and Robert Kokernot
This set of reports cites records from the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as the papers of Robert Kokernot and Kenneth Smithburn.
Arts & Culture
Global Engagement
Photo Essay
Photo Essay: “Masterpieces of Asian Art in American Collections,” a 1960 Exhibition of the Asia Society
Asia Society’s first public exhibition in 1960, “Masterpieces of Asian Art in American Collections,” launched decades of exhibitions aimed at bringing Asian arts and cultures to American audiences. Photos show the broad range of diverse media and geographical areas represented in the exhibition.