James H. Armsby Papers

Papers of James H. Armsby  Information

Restrictions: None. Manuscripts cannot be used for publication without regard for common law literary rights, copyright laws, and laws pertaining to libel.

Content Note

The papers of Dr. James H. Armsby contain incoming correspondence, newspapers and a few pamphlets that were included in five letterbooks. Dr. Armsby was Secretary of the Dudley Observatory Board of Trustees and kept incoming correspondence addressed to other members of the Board, including Thomas Olcott and Robert H. Pruyn. The contents of the letterbooks were removed from the acidic and deteriorating bindings and placed in acid-free folders. Before removal, each item was numbered in pencil on the verso. These numbers appear in the notes field of the container listing.

The first book (Box # 1 Folders #1-20) held incoming correspondence regarding a bazaar that was held in Albany in 1865 to raise money to support the United States Sanitary Fund which provided aid for sick and wounded Union soldiers. Various photographs, autographs and works of art were sold or raffled off. One item included in the sale was a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation in Abraham Lincoln’s handwriting. Most of the correspondence is comprised of simple requests for raffle tickets. There is a small number of requests for donations and replies from donors.

The second letterbook (Box # 1 Folders # 21-30) was labeled “University Letters” and contained incoming correspondence (1850 -1856) from Ormsby M. Mitchell about the directorship of Dudley Observatory. Other correspondence in this letterbook concerns the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the establishment of a National University in Albany. The selection of foreign guests and the solicitation of free transportation for them filled one section of the letterbook.

The third letterbook (Box # 1 Folders #31-48) contained correspondence addressed to several members of the Dudley Observatory Board of Trustees in 1856 and 1857.

The fourth letterbook (Box #1 Folders #49-66) contained correspondence about the establishment in Albany, NY of a National University, 1851-1853.

The last letterbook (Box # 2) contained correspondence from Benjamin Apthrop Gould, Jr. to Dr. Armsby and Thomas Olcott about the Dudley Observatory, 1855 to 1858; from Benjamin Pierce, 1858; from A.D. Bache, 1856 to 1857; and from Joseph Henry, 1857.

Container Inventory

Box # Fldr # Series Sub-series Contents Dates Notes
1 1 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 2 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 3 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 4 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 5 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 6 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 7 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 8 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 9 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 10 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 11 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 12 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 13 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 14 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 15 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 16 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 17 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 18 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 19 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 20 Armsby Army relief bazaar Correspondence 1864
1 21 Armsby University letters (1 of 10)
1 22 Armsby University letters (2 of 10)
1 23 Armsby University letters (3 of 10)
1 24 Armsby University letters (4 of 10)
1 25 Armsby University letters (5 of 10)
1 26 Armsby University letters (6 of 10)
1 27 Armsby University letters (7 of 10)
1 28 Armsby University letters (8 of 10)
1 29 Armsby University letters (9 of 10)
1 30 Armsby University letters (10 of 10)
1 31 Armsby Correspondence (1 of 7) 1856 1-5
1 32 Armsby Correspondence (2 of 7) 1856 6-10
1 33 Armsby Correspondence (3 of 7) 1856 11-15
1 34 Armsby Correspondence (4 of 7) 1856 16-20
1 35 Armsby Correspondence (5 of 7) 1856 21-25
1 36 Armsby Correspondence (6 of 7) 1856 26-30
1 37 Armsby Correspondence (7 of 7) 1857 31-35
1 38 Armsby National University Association 1852-1855
1 39 Armsby Working Plan for Foundation of a University 1856
1 40 Armsby Dudley Observatory [letter from Scientific Council] 1856
1 41 Armsby [letterbook boards]
1 42 Armsby Letters [2] 1856-1857
1 43 Armsby Letters [2] 1856-1857
1 44 Armsby Letters [2] 1856-1857
1 45 Armsby Letters [2] 1857
1 46 Armsby Letters [2] 1856-1857
1 47 Armsby Letters [2] 1856-1857
1 48 Armsby Letters [2] [letterbook boards]
1 49 Armsby Letters Received 1853 1-5
1 50 Armsby Letters Received 1853 6-10
1 51 Armsby Letters Received 1853 11
1 52 Armsby Letters Received 1853 12-14
1 53 Armsby Letters Received 1853 15-16
1 54 Armsby Letters Received 1853 17-18
1 55 Armsby Letters Received 1853 19.1-19.15
1 56 Armsby Letters Received 1853 19.16-19.27
1 57 Armsby Letters Received 20-23
1 58 Armsby Letters Received 24-25
1 59 Armsby Letters Received 1855 26-29
1 60 Armsby Letters Received 1851-1852 30-34
1 61 Armsby Letters Received 35-37
1 62 Armsby Letters Received 1851-1853 38-46
1 63 Armsby Letters Received 1852-1853 47-52
1 64 Armsby Letters Received [clippings Mitchel obit][1862] 53
1 65 Armsby Letters Received [index & clippings]
1 66 Armsby Correspondence [Olcott to Nuggles] 1852
1 67 Armsby reprint [Peters to Armsby] 1858
Box # Fldr # Series Sub-series Contents Dates Collation #s
2 1 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1855 1-9
2 2 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 10-19
2 3 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 20-29
2 4 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 30-39
2 5 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 40-49
2 6 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 50-59
2 7 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 60-69
2 8 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 70-79
2 9 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 80-89
2 10 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 90-99
2 11 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 100-109
2 12 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 110-119
2 13 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 120-129
2 14 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856 130-139
2 15 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1856-1857 140-149
2 16 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 150-159
2 17 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 160-169
2 18 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 170-179
2 19 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 180-189
2 20 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 190-199
2 21 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 200-209
2 22 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857 210-219
2 23 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1857-1858 220-229
2 24 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1858 230-239
2 25 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr. 1858 240-249
2 26 Armsby Correspondence B.A. Gould, jr., Benjamin Pierce 1858, [1855?] 250-259
2 27 Armsby Correspondence A.D. Bache 1856 260-269
2 28 Armsby Correspondence A.D. Bache 1856 270-279
2 29 Armsby Correspondence A.D. Bache, Joseph Henry 1856-1857 280-289
2 30 Armsby Correspondence Joseph Henry 1857 290-295
2 31 Armsby Correspondence Index (blank) [index]