[McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountains]

Description

Photograph of two domed buildings on a mountaintop; they contain telescopes that are part of the McDonald Observatory. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The McDonald Observatory was constructed on Mt. Locke in the Davis Mountains in the 1930's with money given to the University of Texas by William Johnson McDonald. The site was chosen because of its high percentage of clear nights and its isolation from brightly lighted cities. The observatory is sixty-eight hundred feet above sea level, and until 1948, the 82-inch lens was the larges in the world. In 1968, a new 107-inch lens … continued below

Physical Description

1 photograph : col. ; 8 x 8 cm.

Creation Information

Creator: Unknown. Creation Date: Unknown.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Marfa, Diversity in the Desert and was provided by the Marfa Public Library to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 190 times. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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Marfa Public Library

Marfa gained a public library in 1947 with the current building donated in 1973. Through the help of organizations such as the Friends of the Marfa Library, the Library has been able to continue to provide residents with access to materials, programs, and city history.

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Titles

  • Main Title: [McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountains]
  • Added Title: My Land, My Heritage, My Hope: Slide 82

Description

Photograph of two domed buildings on a mountaintop; they contain telescopes that are part of the McDonald Observatory. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The McDonald Observatory was constructed on Mt. Locke in the Davis Mountains in the 1930's with money given to the University of Texas by William Johnson McDonald. The site was chosen because of its high percentage of clear nights and its isolation from brightly lighted cities. The observatory is sixty-eight hundred feet above sea level, and until 1948, the 82-inch lens was the larges in the world. In 1968, a new 107-inch lens was installed in a new building adjacent to the original plant" (pp. 9-10).

Physical Description

1 photograph : col. ; 8 x 8 cm.

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Relationships

Collections

This photograph is part of the following collection of related materials.

Marfa, Diversity in the Desert

These photographs document the local history of Marfa and the surrounding area, as well as local families and the ghost town of Shafter.

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Related Items

My Land, My Heritage, My Hope (Paper)

My Land, My Heritage, My Hope

Paper submitted to the Junior Historical Society state writing contest held by the Texas State Historical Society, discussing historical landmarks, landscape, and people of Marfa. This written speech accompanied photographic slides (noted in the text with slide numbers).

Relationship to this item: (Is Referenced By)

My Land, My Heritage, My Hope, ark:/67531/metapth39396

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Creation Date

  • Unknown

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Coverage Date

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Aug. 29, 2008, 8:12 p.m.

Description Last Updated

  • April 1, 2015, 6:33 p.m.

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Total Uses: 190
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Coordinates

  • 30.679163, -104.028608

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[McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountains], photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39627/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Marfa Public Library.

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