The Annals of the IGY at the American Philosophical Society

I was away for a week, helping son #1 get ready to move back east from California. On the way home, I spent a day in Philadelphia and visited (as an official researcher) the American Philosophical Society Library. It has a full 48-volume set of the Annals of the IGY, not to be confused with the Bulletin of the IGY which I have been reviewing.

According to the APS website,

The American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin [more on him below] for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.” ... We serve scholars through a research library of manuscripts and other collections internationally recognized for their enduring historic value. 

APS Library building

The Annals series was described in Science, Vol. 125, No. 3260 (Jun. 21, 1957), p. 1239:

Pergamon Press has announced publication of the Annals of the International Geophysical Year, which will be the official journal of the IGY Central Committee (CSAGI). The Annals will describe the inception, the planning, the preparations, and the program of the IGY, and in due course the progress and some of the main results. 

Harold Spencer Jones will serve as general editor with the aid of an editorial advisory board that consists of A. H. Shapley (World Days), J. Van Miegheim (meteorology), V. Laursen (geomagnetism ), S. Chapman (aurora and airglow), W. J. G. Beynon (ionosphere), Y. Ohman (solar activity), J. A. Simpson (cosmic rays ), A. Danjon (longitude and latitude ), James Wordie (glaciology), G. Laclavere (oceanography), L. V. Berkner (rockets and satellites), V. V. Beloussov (seismology), P. Lejay ( gravity measurement), and M. Nicolet (nuclear radiation).

 It is anticipated that from four to six volumes of the Annals will be published during 1957 and 1958. Subscription rates are £6 or $17 per volume.

ScienceDirect makes the title and subject index from volume 48 of the Annals publicly available.

The first couple of volumes of the Annals that I looked at were intimidating in scope and length (maybe 10,000 pages total). I will peruse further volumes in future visits to the Library, and likely use some supplementary material, but I think the IGY Bulletin will remain my primary guide to the doings of the IGY.

I received a small grant from the American Philosophical Society early in my career: "Archaeomagnetic Secular Variation and Dating in Israel" ($2100, 1986). It covered most of my expenses for a short visit to Israel to collect some archaeomagnetic samples, and lay the groundwork for further work in this area. I appreciated that assistance from the APS, and now the use of its research library. 

F&M seal

Benjamin Franklin was honored in the name of Franklin College, now Franklin & Marshall College after merging with (John) Marshall College, for providing £200 in seed money for its establishment in 1787. I spent most of my career at F&M, teaching there for 33 years.

First day cover from my collection "franked" with the Ben Franklin stamp (Scott #1073, 1956) commemorating the 250th anniversary of Franklin's birth. Franklin was Postmaster General of [colonial] America from 1753-1774.

This postcard that I own shows the painting Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky by Benjamin West (1816), on which the above stamp design is based.

I just noticed that a Ken Burns two-part documentary on Benjamin Franklin premiers on PBS next week. Could be worth watching!