Harold Eugene Edgerton, 1903-1990.
Papers, 1889-1990.
Manuscript
Collection - MC 25
Introduction and Biographical Note | Series Descriptions | Scope and Content Note | How to Use the Collection | Related Collections
This note on sources attempts to map out strategies for the efficient and thorough use of the interconnected documentation in this collection.
The chronology of the life and work of Harold E. Edgerton (HEE) on pages 5-14 of the finding aid, as well as published material located in box 4, folder 8, and box 5, folders 1-2, provides a good overview of significant names and dates in the Edgerton papers. Familiarity with these biographical sketches and outlines will help users of MC 25 navigate the collection's interconnected and complementary resources.
The series descriptions on pages 16-21 of the finding aid delineate what is found in each of the seven series in MC 25. The scope and content note on pages 22-25 identifies specific topics and directs researchers to relevant materials in all series. These descriptive essays should be read as a preliminary to research.
HEE's laboratory notebooks (Series III) are a central source of information for his research activities from 1930 to 1990 as well as many other personal and professional activities. Researchers interested in what HEE was doing at a particular time should look first in the chronologically- maintained notebooks. Notebook entries reveal names of projects in progress, equipment used, and people involved. Researchers may then consult names listed under subject correspondence (Series II), research projects (Series III), and technical specifications and plans (Series III) in the finding aid to attempt to locate additional information pertaining to those projects, equipment, or people. Also, HEE often published his research findings within months after obtaining results in the laboratory. Researchers should look at articles with appropriate dates in the list of writings (Series VII).
An alternative research strategy would be to scan the list of writings (Series VII) by HEE to find topics of interest among the titles. Dates of publication often followed laboratory results by several months. The researcher should note dates of articles and then consult the laboratory notebook entries (Series III) immediately preceding the published work. These entries should contain names that will enable the researcher to continue as outlined above.
HEE's trip notebooks supplement the laboratory notebooks, and are especially significant for his underwater research and other summer activities from 1950 to 1989. These are filed in Series VI by date of trip. A researcher interested in what HEE did in a particular type of underwater investigation, or at a particular site, should scan the list of trips files in the finding aid to locate a project of interest and then make a note of pertinent dates and names found in the relevant folder. A thorough search for additional material would include looking for the names of people, equipment, and projects in the subject correspondence (Series II), technical specifications and plans (Series III), and research projects files (Series III). The researcher should also consult the sonar records (Series III) and laboratory notebooks (Series III) by date, and writings (Series VII) by date or by scanning for relevant titles in the writings.
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