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COLLECTION Identifier: MS Am 1345

William Morris Davis papers

Overview

Papers of American geographer and geologist William Morris Davis.

Dates

  • Creation: 1869-1931

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on physical access to this material. Collection is open for research.

Extent

3.5 linear feet (7 boxes)

Contains geological and geographical notebooks with field notes Davis kept on his scientific expeditions all over the world, especially in the United States and Western Europe; drafts of articles and lectures; and drawings that document his career. Also portraits of Davis and biographical material.

Biographical / Historical

Davis, an American geographer and geologist, was a world authority on physical geography, a creator of the science of geomorphology, and called the father of physiography. He taught geology at Harvard University (1876-1912), traveled throughout the world, founded the Harvard Travelers Club and the Association of American Geographers, and also contributed to the fields of astronomy and meteorology.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

53M-183. Transferred from the Institute of Geographic Exploration; received: 1954.

Processing Information

There was a folder (formerly called Box 8) shelved on top of Box 7. The folder contained inserts removed from items in Box 5. That folder is now shelved inside Box 5.

Title
Davis, William Morris, 1850-1934. William Morris Davis papers, 1869-1931: Guide.
Author
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
Language of description
und
EAD ID
hou01209

Repository Details

Part of the Houghton Library Repository

Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.

Contact:
Harvard Yard
Harvard University
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
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