Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Oscar W. Richards Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0343
Creators:
Richards, Oscar W., Dr.
Dates:
1848-1989
Languages:
Collection primarily in
English
, but also contains materials in
German
,
Russian
and
French
.
Physical Description:
6 Cubic feet
18 boxes
Repository:
This collection is made up of materials collected by Dr. Oscar W. Richards on various topics related to microscopes.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of materials related to Richards' consulting work on the history and development of microscopes. Included are scholarly articles, publications, trade literature, photographs and negatives, photographic slides, correspondence, conference programs, bibliographies, advertising clippings, and a card catalogue. Prior to acquisition, Richards organized his materials into folders by subject. Where possible, folders reflect his organizational methods, but with new folder titles to provide clarity.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged into 6 series.
Series 1: Historical Materials, 1848-1989
Series 2: Bibliographies, 1916-1973
Series 3: Topics in Microscopy, 1887-1988
Series 4: Trade Literature, 1926-1976
Series 5: Slides and Clippings, 1890-1947
Series 6: Card Catalogue, 1923-1988

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Oscar W. Richards (1902-1988) was a biologist and researcher on optics and microscopy. Born at Butte, Montana, Richards received his B.A. (1923) and M.A. (1925) from the University of Oregon and a PhD in Zoology from Yale in 1931. Richards worked as a professor and lecturer at various academic institutions, including the University of Oregon (1925-1926), Clark University (1928-1930) and Yale University (1931-1937) and Pacific University after 1967.
Richards also worked with the American Optical Company, where he conducted research on microscopes and related instruments. His research focus shifted over time to encompass optics and human vision, especially as they related to night driving of automobiles. In addition to his teaching and work in optics, Richards was also a long-time consultant at the Medical Museum of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, where he advised on the museum's collection of historical microscopes.

Administration

Author
Miles Lawlor and Robert W. Ageton
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by Dr. Richard E. Richards, May 25, 1989.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Robert Ageton, 1990. Collection reprocessed by Miles Lawlor; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist, July 2019.
Accruals
Approximately 1.5 cu. feet of material was added to the collection between 2017-2018. Its immediate source of acquisition is unknown. Materials transferred from Division of Work and Industry.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Oscar W. Richards Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Articles -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade catalogs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microscopy Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microscopes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microbiology Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Biology Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reprints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sales catalogs -- 1900-1960 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microbiologists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence -- 1930-1950 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Biologists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Richards, Oscar W., Dr. (biologist) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Optical Company Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
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