This Month in Physics History
April 13, 1942: Death of Annie Jump Cannon
https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/202004/history.cfm
The Hollis Archives at Harvard holds papers for her, including her journal while in South America
https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/1102754
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/annie-jump-cannon Alexander 2020
Born December 11, 1863 in Dover, Delaware. as a kid, she and her mother built a small observatory on the roof of their house in Dover and opened the trapdoor to access it and watch the stars. enrolled at Wellsely, studied physics and astronomy. Studied with Sarah Frances Whiting, and worte her biography for the Popular Astronomy journal. Graduated in 1884, the valedictorian of her class. After graduation she went home nad focused on photography/ Traveled extenisvely an d took pictures, and in 1893, her published book of photography was used as a souvenir of the Chicago World Rair.
In 1894, her mother died, and she went back to Wellesley amd began working as a pjunior physics teacher and taking graduate classes. She enrolled as a "special student" at Racliffe to study astronomy. Pickering hired her in 1896, the same year she participated in the first x-ray experiments. She was part of the computer group at Harvard, to finish the Henry Draper Catalogue of stars. She published her first catlaog of stars in 1901 and developed the OBARGKM sequence of spectral classification at Harvard. 1921, Doctor of Astronomy from Groningen. A suffragette, a member of the National Women's Party. 1923
1907 got her master's degrees from Wellesley. 1911, appointed to the Curator of Observational Photographs. Not the greatest reference in the world.
https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/202004/history.cfm Anonymous obi in the APS says she and mom observed the stars form the family attic. Recalled being fascinated by prisms.
December 11, 1863- April 1941, Dover, Delaware. Began to work after Wellesley and Radcliffe, hired by E Pickering in 1896 as a computer to catalogue and classify stars.
Anon 2004, "stars and prisms" entertained her as a child, mentee of Sarah Frances Whiting, a physics prof at Wellesley. graduated valedictorian in 1884. Travelled a bit, throughout Europe taking pictures with a box camera. Published a book of the images from Spain in 1893, distributed at the Columbian exposition. Mother died in 1894, and she wrote to Whiting about a job, who told Pickering about her. She was hired in 1896, to help complete the Henry Draper Catalog, intended to map and define every star in the night sky by their optical spectra. Good at classification using those made by Mina Fleming and Antonia Maury, but found them unadequate to the job and devised her oen. OBAFGKM, formally adopted in 1922, when she spent six months photographing stars in Peru. After Pickering died in 1919, she took over the editing of the Draper Catalog. Honorary Doctrate from Oxford, NAS's Henry Draper Medal. Established the AJC Prize. 1938, William C. Bond Astronomer nad Curator of Astronomical Photographs, which she kept until she died on April 13, 1941.
alexander
Curator of Obserbational Photographs in 1911
1921 first woman to receive a Doctor of Astronomy degree from Groninghen
anon 2004
valedcitorain at wht is now Wellesley College, under Sarah Frances Whiting, graduated with a degree in physics in 1884 as valedictorian
worked as a tutor in math & history, developed skill in photography, traveled throughout Europe taking pictures with a box camera. A pamphlet of her photos in Spain was exhibited at the Chicago Worl'ds Columbian Exhibition in 1893.
Survived a bout with scarlet fever but lost much of her hearing. Her mother died in 1894 and she was hired as a junior physics teacher at Wellesdly, then pursued graduate studies in physics and astronomy, learing about spectroscopy, and enrolled at Radcliffe, hoping to get access to a better telescope and the HCO.
hired as a Harvard Computer in 1896, calssifyng stars by the photographic plates, became one of the few women who were allowed to conduct work in the observatory; developed a classification system ofor spectra, building on that of her co-workers Fleming and Maury
1919, continued editing the last six volumes of the Henry Draper Catalog after Pickering died
1922, her classification system was accepted by the International Astronomical Union on May 9
Merrill
Traveled to Spain in 1892 to observe an eclipse of the sun.
EC Piekering appointed her assistant in the HCO,
1911 Curator of Astronomical Photographs, she completed spectral anlaysis on 350.000 stars.
1914, honorary member of the Royal Astronoimcal Society
1907, Wellesley College gave her a Bachelor's in 1884, a Master's in 1907, and an LLD in 1925.
born on December 11, 1863 in Delaware. In May of 1922 she was 58
1922 first International Astronomical Union in Rom, approved her classification system.
Welther
In 1892 she did a "grand tour" of Europe with her new camera. The booklet was for the Blair Camera Co, used as a souvenir for the World's Fair in 1893. she treasured Christmas cards, in 1922 she sent one that had a sonnet writtn to commermorate the season i Peru. in 1924 she moved into her home across from the Observatory on Bond Street, sending out a picture and a poem of the "Star Cottage.
Zrull
started as a volunteer--it was Pickering who said no women in the observatory/ {aod 25 cents an hour, higher staff made 30. Boarded with Mina Felming, and AJC lived in Star Cottage with her sister. Didn't make enough money to live on her own, worked long hours and took home work. Donald Menzel (1932-1971) was a tryant of a Director oat HCO, temporarily halting tohe glass plate project and proposing to discard 1/2 of the collection. At least 216 women worked on the glass plates between 1875 and 1975.
,sfr
I am not convinced she went to Machu Picchu. I may have jumped the shark. She definitely went to Cuzco and Sacsaywayman
Temple of the Sun, Sacsaywayman, Cuzco cathedral, etc. next couple of pages https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZKv
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMl and following 1924
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMM mars stuff
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZN4 Lake Titicaca
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNs ?
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNQ
Not sure: Annie's lantern slides included one for the "Temple of the Sun" and I interpreted that as being the observatory, now called the Torreon. But is that right? Not sure. Dave Dearborn was confinced that the Torreon was an observatory.
Temple of the Sun, Sacsaywayman, Cuzco cathedral, etc. next couple of pages https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZKv
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMl and following 1924
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMM mars stuff
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZN4 Lake Titicaca
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNs ?
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNQ
Chichu
Casa Blanca
Auto carril at Arequipa station
Lake Titicaca (SIB)
Balso
Chuquibambilla
Cuzco
La Merced from Plaza
La Campania Cathedral
Cuzco Cathedral Main
San Lago on Corpus christi day
Temple of Sun (SIB)
Sacsayhuaman
Inca Throne (LC)
Stone Carving SIB
Inca idol SIB
Mollendo LC
Train SIB
Picographic Rocks
Our Paige auto in Yanahuanca
Arequipa Cathedral,
The Bruce building SIB
The Boyden bilding SIB
Prof. Bailey at Bruce
Mr. Campbell at Bruce
Morning and San Cristobal
Yareta (I think this is a person)
Servants Maria & Fortunata
Steps at Arequipa station LC
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMl
actually think these are a list of lectures, not lantern slides
Camp Wrigley
Lick Obs.
but this one includes some slides
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMo
Landing at Mollendo (LC
Arequipa & El Misti
Summer scene at station
Island Villa Hotel, Catalina
ff
Peruvian fuel (guessing dung) LC
Arequipa street scene with llamas
Llama "English Lady" L.C.
Railway sedan
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZN4
Still using the Temple Sun in 1934
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZRF
"the only spot - an opening with the awful solitude of unoccupied space" Froude about Coal Sack
and again in 1934
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZS9
she lists Lake Titicaca as belonging to her, but I wonder.
and 1935
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZSD
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZSV
and 1936
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZT1
Alexander, Kerri Lee. "Annie Jump Cannon." National Women’s History Museum. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/annie-jump-cannon. Accessed September 11, 2025.
Anonymous. "April 13, 1942: Death of Annie Jump Cannon." APS News: This Month in Physics History. American Physical Society https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/202004/history.cfm. Accessed September 11, 2025.
Merrill, Paul W. "Obituary Notices: Annie Jump Cannon." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 102, 1942, pp. 74–76, https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/seri/MNRAS/0102//0000074.000.html.
Sobel, Dana. The Glass Universe. Viking, 2016. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wcq-CwAAQBAJ.
Welther, Barbara L. "Highlights of an Exhibit to Honor Annie Jump Cannon." Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (JAAVSO), vol. 7, 1978, pp. 85–87, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978JAVSO...7...85W.
Zrull, Lindsay Smith. "Women in Glass: Women at the Harvard Observatory during the Era of Astronomical Glass Plate Photography, 1875–1975." Journal for the History of Astronomy, vol. 52, no. 2, 2021, pp. 115–46, doi:10.1177/00218286211000470.
April 13, 1942: Death of Annie Jump Cannon
https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/202004/history.cfm
The Hollis Archives at Harvard holds papers for her, including her journal while in South America
https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/1102754
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/annie-jump-cannon Alexander 2020
Born December 11, 1863 in Dover, Delaware. as a kid, she and her mother built a small observatory on the roof of their house in Dover and opened the trapdoor to access it and watch the stars. enrolled at Wellsely, studied physics and astronomy. Studied with Sarah Frances Whiting, and worte her biography for the Popular Astronomy journal. Graduated in 1884, the valedictorian of her class. After graduation she went home nad focused on photography/ Traveled extenisvely an d took pictures, and in 1893, her published book of photography was used as a souvenir of the Chicago World Rair.
In 1894, her mother died, and she went back to Wellesley amd began working as a pjunior physics teacher and taking graduate classes. She enrolled as a "special student" at Racliffe to study astronomy. Pickering hired her in 1896, the same year she participated in the first x-ray experiments. She was part of the computer group at Harvard, to finish the Henry Draper Catalogue of stars. She published her first catlaog of stars in 1901 and developed the OBARGKM sequence of spectral classification at Harvard. 1921, Doctor of Astronomy from Groningen. A suffragette, a member of the National Women's Party. 1923
1907 got her master's degrees from Wellesley. 1911, appointed to the Curator of Observational Photographs. Not the greatest reference in the world.
https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/202004/history.cfm Anonymous obi in the APS says she and mom observed the stars form the family attic. Recalled being fascinated by prisms.
December 11, 1863- April 1941, Dover, Delaware. Began to work after Wellesley and Radcliffe, hired by E Pickering in 1896 as a computer to catalogue and classify stars.
Anon 2004, "stars and prisms" entertained her as a child, mentee of Sarah Frances Whiting, a physics prof at Wellesley. graduated valedictorian in 1884. Travelled a bit, throughout Europe taking pictures with a box camera. Published a book of the images from Spain in 1893, distributed at the Columbian exposition. Mother died in 1894, and she wrote to Whiting about a job, who told Pickering about her. She was hired in 1896, to help complete the Henry Draper Catalog, intended to map and define every star in the night sky by their optical spectra. Good at classification using those made by Mina Fleming and Antonia Maury, but found them unadequate to the job and devised her oen. OBAFGKM, formally adopted in 1922, when she spent six months photographing stars in Peru. After Pickering died in 1919, she took over the editing of the Draper Catalog. Honorary Doctrate from Oxford, NAS's Henry Draper Medal. Established the AJC Prize. 1938, William C. Bond Astronomer nad Curator of Astronomical Photographs, which she kept until she died on April 13, 1941.
alexander
Curator of Obserbational Photographs in 1911
1921 first woman to receive a Doctor of Astronomy degree from Groninghen
anon 2004
valedcitorain at wht is now Wellesley College, under Sarah Frances Whiting, graduated with a degree in physics in 1884 as valedictorian
worked as a tutor in math & history, developed skill in photography, traveled throughout Europe taking pictures with a box camera. A pamphlet of her photos in Spain was exhibited at the Chicago Worl'ds Columbian Exhibition in 1893.
Survived a bout with scarlet fever but lost much of her hearing. Her mother died in 1894 and she was hired as a junior physics teacher at Wellesdly, then pursued graduate studies in physics and astronomy, learing about spectroscopy, and enrolled at Radcliffe, hoping to get access to a better telescope and the HCO.
hired as a Harvard Computer in 1896, calssifyng stars by the photographic plates, became one of the few women who were allowed to conduct work in the observatory; developed a classification system ofor spectra, building on that of her co-workers Fleming and Maury
1919, continued editing the last six volumes of the Henry Draper Catalog after Pickering died
1922, her classification system was accepted by the International Astronomical Union on May 9
Merrill
Traveled to Spain in 1892 to observe an eclipse of the sun.
EC Piekering appointed her assistant in the HCO,
1911 Curator of Astronomical Photographs, she completed spectral anlaysis on 350.000 stars.
1914, honorary member of the Royal Astronoimcal Society
1907, Wellesley College gave her a Bachelor's in 1884, a Master's in 1907, and an LLD in 1925.
born on December 11, 1863 in Delaware. In May of 1922 she was 58
1922 first International Astronomical Union in Rom, approved her classification system.
Welther
In 1892 she did a "grand tour" of Europe with her new camera. The booklet was for the Blair Camera Co, used as a souvenir for the World's Fair in 1893. she treasured Christmas cards, in 1922 she sent one that had a sonnet writtn to commermorate the season i Peru. in 1924 she moved into her home across from the Observatory on Bond Street, sending out a picture and a poem of the "Star Cottage.
Zrull
started as a volunteer--it was Pickering who said no women in the observatory/ {aod 25 cents an hour, higher staff made 30. Boarded with Mina Felming, and AJC lived in Star Cottage with her sister. Didn't make enough money to live on her own, worked long hours and took home work. Donald Menzel (1932-1971) was a tryant of a Director oat HCO, temporarily halting tohe glass plate project and proposing to discard 1/2 of the collection. At least 216 women worked on the glass plates between 1875 and 1975.
,sfr
I am not convinced she went to Machu Picchu. I may have jumped the shark. She definitely went to Cuzco and Sacsaywayman
Temple of the Sun, Sacsaywayman, Cuzco cathedral, etc. next couple of pages https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZKv
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMl and following 1924
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMM mars stuff
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZN4 Lake Titicaca
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNs ?
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNQ
Not sure: Annie's lantern slides included one for the "Temple of the Sun" and I interpreted that as being the observatory, now called the Torreon. But is that right? Not sure. Dave Dearborn was confinced that the Torreon was an observatory.
Temple of the Sun, Sacsaywayman, Cuzco cathedral, etc. next couple of pages https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZKv
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMl and following 1924
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMM mars stuff
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZN4 Lake Titicaca
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNs ?
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZNQ
Place names in Peru (from Lantern Slides in 54010)
Carmen Alto churchChichu
Casa Blanca
Auto carril at Arequipa station
Lake Titicaca (SIB)
Balso
Chuquibambilla
Cuzco
La Merced from Plaza
La Campania Cathedral
Cuzco Cathedral Main
San Lago on Corpus christi day
Temple of Sun (SIB)
Sacsayhuaman
Inca Throne (LC)
Stone Carving SIB
Inca idol SIB
Mollendo LC
Train SIB
Picographic Rocks
Our Paige auto in Yanahuanca
Arequipa Cathedral,
The Bruce building SIB
The Boyden bilding SIB
Prof. Bailey at Bruce
Mr. Campbell at Bruce
Morning and San Cristobal
Yareta (I think this is a person)
Servants Maria & Fortunata
Steps at Arequipa station LC
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMl
actually think these are a list of lectures, not lantern slides
Camp Wrigley
Lick Obs.
but this one includes some slides
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZMo
Landing at Mollendo (LC
Arequipa & El Misti
Summer scene at station
Island Villa Hotel, Catalina
ff
Peruvian fuel (guessing dung) LC
Arequipa street scene with llamas
Llama "English Lady" L.C.
Railway sedan
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZN4
Still using the Temple Sun in 1934
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZRF
"the only spot - an opening with the awful solitude of unoccupied space" Froude about Coal Sack
and again in 1934
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZS9
she lists Lake Titicaca as belonging to her, but I wonder.
and 1935
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZSD
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZSV
and 1936
https://transcription.si.edu/view/54010/ETZT1
Alexander, Kerri Lee. "Annie Jump Cannon." National Women’s History Museum. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/annie-jump-cannon. Accessed September 11, 2025.
Anonymous. "April 13, 1942: Death of Annie Jump Cannon." APS News: This Month in Physics History. American Physical Society https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/202004/history.cfm. Accessed September 11, 2025.
Merrill, Paul W. "Obituary Notices: Annie Jump Cannon." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 102, 1942, pp. 74–76, https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/seri/MNRAS/0102//0000074.000.html.
Sobel, Dana. The Glass Universe. Viking, 2016. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=wcq-CwAAQBAJ.
Welther, Barbara L. "Highlights of an Exhibit to Honor Annie Jump Cannon." Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (JAAVSO), vol. 7, 1978, pp. 85–87, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1978JAVSO...7...85W.
Zrull, Lindsay Smith. "Women in Glass: Women at the Harvard Observatory during the Era of Astronomical Glass Plate Photography, 1875–1975." Journal for the History of Astronomy, vol. 52, no. 2, 2021, pp. 115–46, doi:10.1177/00218286211000470.