Meteorology Collection

Mss.551.5.M56

Date: 1748-1822 | Size: 30 volume(s)
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Abstract

Featuring the work of at least ten different authors, this collection includes several, unrelated meteorological observations from the mid-18th Century to the early 19th Century. While the majority of these records depict weather patterns in Philadelphia, there are also descriptions for Delaware, New England, London, and South America among others.

Scope and content

This collection contains miscellaneous and unrelated meteorological observations from the mid-18th Century to the early 19th Century profiling locations as diverse as Philadelphia, South America, and London. The majority of the records contain daily charts noting the prominent weather indicators, some of which include remarks by the respective authors.

Collection Information

Provenance

Presented by the authors and others, various dates.

Preferred citation

Cite as: Meteorology Collection, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Recatalogued by RWS, 2006.

Alternate formats available

Collection also available on microfilm (Film 1467, Reel 1).

Early American History Note

This collection contains a group of metrological observations made between the 1750-1800. The data was compiled at different locations and by different people. There are fifteen volumes kept by a member of the Pemberton family in the collection. These contain weather data for Philadelphia from the colonial and revolutionary era. There are also observations from England and elsewhere. Some of the data includes graphs and other detailed information.

Indexing Terms


Genre(s)

  • Meteorological Data

Personal Name(s)

  • Adair, William
  • Curson, Samuel
  • Dunbar, William, 1749-1810
  • Haines, Reuben, 1786-1831
  • Hazard, Samuel, 1784-1870
  • Legaux, Peter, 1748-1827
  • Madison, James, 1751-1836
  • Pemberton, Phineas
  • Reichel, Charles Gotthold, 1751-1825
  • Various
  • Williams, Samuel, 1743-1817

Subject(s)

  • Meteorology - Delaware - Observations
  • Meteorology - New England - Observations
  • Meteorology - Observations
  • Meteorology - Pennsylvania
  • Meteorology - South America - Observations
  • Science and technology
  • Weather


Detailed Inventory

 Meteorology Collection
1748-1822ca. 30 items
I Pemberton, Phineas.
Meteorological observations taken in and around Philadelphia
1748-177615 notebooks

D. 15 notebooks. Various sizes. (see Meteorological material, No. I.) Abstracted and printed in APS Trans., n.s., vol. VI, 395ff. Presented by James Pemberton; 1791. Cf. Minutes. 1. Aug.-Nov.1748:Dec.4,1748-Sept.30,1749. 2. Jan.1758-Feb.1760. 3. Jan.1767-April 1768: Jan.-Aug.28,1769: April-Nov.1770. 4. Jan.1768-Dec.1769. 5. Jan.-Dec.1770. 6. Dec.1770-Feb.1771: Dec.1770-July 24, 1772. 7. Jan.1771-Dec.1772. 8. Jan.-April 25, 1772: July 25-Oct.31, 1772.

II Pemberton, Phineas.
Meteorological journals
1758, 1767, 1768 

D. 34 leaves. Various sizes. This seems to have been abstracted from the Meteorological observations...No.I of this group. Presented by James Pemberton; 1791. Cf.Minutes.

III Pemberton, Phineas.
1749-1778 
 Account of barometer and thermometer at Bridgewater, England and Philadelphia
1767-1768 
 Meteorological observations, taken at London, England (extracts)
1751-1761 
 Meteorological observations, taken at Maryland
1753-1754 
 Meteorological observations, unidentified location
1749, 1766-1767 
 Meteorological observations, taken at Philadelphia
1770, 1774, 1777-1778 
IV Meteorological observations, taken at Philadelphia
1768 
V The highest and lowest stations of the barometer and thermometer in London
1771 
VI Williams, Samuel.
Meteorological observations taken in New England, and account of a hurricane in New England
1771, 1773 
VII Adair, William.
Meteorological observations at Lewes, DE.
1773-1775 
VIII Tables of meteorological observations taken at Philadelphia
1773-1777 
IX Reichel, Charles Gotthold, 1751-1825.
Meteorological observations, taken at Nazareth, PA.
1787-1790 
X Madison, James, 1751-1836.
Meteorological observations
1798-1802 
XI Dunbar, William, 1749-1810.
Meteorological observations, sent to John Vaughan, Natchez
1803 
XII Hazard, Samuel.
Observations on the warmth of the sea water, etc. from Smyrna to Philadelphia
1815 
XIII Curson, Samuel.
Barometrical observations made in South America
[1817] 
XIV Legaux, Peter, 1748-1827.
Meteorological observations made at Spring Mill, PA
1820-1821 
XV Haines, Reuben, 1786-1831.
Meteorological observations made at Germantown, PA
1820-1821 
XVI Remarks on meteorological observations
[ca. 1822]