Alexander Dawes DuBois papers, 1890-1977.
Collection Number: 3803

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Alexander Dawes DuBois papers, 1890-1977.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
3803
Abstract:
Patents, articles and clippings concerning electrical engineering; correspondence with Arthur A. Allen, catalog of glass negatives and photo albums.
Creator:
DuBois, Alexander Dawes, 1875-1966.
Quanitities:
5.3 cubic feet.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Alexander DuBois, an electrical engineer, was a graduate student at Cornell University from 1908 to 1910. He taught at Cornell and Purdue Universities, and devised specialized photographic equipment for nature photography. Also an ornithologist, his field notes, articles and photographs appeared in THE CONDOR, THE AUK, THE WILSON BULLETIN, BENT'S LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, and BRITISH BIRDS. He also authored GLIMPSES OF BIRD LIFE, published posthumously in 1973.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Patents, articles and clippings concerning electrical engineering; thesis for graduate degree in electrical engineering, University of Illinois, 1912; manuscript of book THE POWER-FACTOR (not published). Also, bibliography, clippings and correspondence relating to DuBois' work as an ornithologist, especially his photography. Includes correspondence with Arthur A. Allen. Also, a catalog of glass negatives and photo albums organized by bird species as well as other black and white photographs and ornithological notes.

RELATED MATERIALS

The Arthur Augustus Allen papers, #21-18-1255.
The Olin Seawall Pettingill, Jr. papers, #4047 also includes a catalog of bird photographs.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:

Alexander Dawes DuBois. Papers, #3803. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

SUBJECTS

Names:
Allen, Arthur A. (Arthur Augustus), 1885-1964.
Subjects:
Photographers.
Ornithologists.
Electric engineers.
Photography -- Equipment and supplies.
Nature photography.
Ornithology.
Electrical engineering.
Form and Genre Terms:
Photographs.
Glass negatives.
Wet collodion negatives.
Bibliographies.
Patents.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Box 1
Series I. Electrical Engineering Papers
Box 1 Folder 1
Alexander Dubois Ph.D. Thesis
1912
Scope and Contents
"Variable-Speed Direct-Current Motors"
Box 1 Folder 2
Copies of Engineering Materials
undated
Box 1 Folder 3
Engineering Article by Alexander DuBois
1912-1923
Box 1 Folder 4
Engineering Articles and Clippings by DuBois
1903-1927
Box 1 Folder 5
Manuscript Materials
undated
Box 1 Folder 6
The Power-Factor Book (1)
1926
Box 1 Folder 7
The Power-Factor Book (2)
1926
Box 1 Folder 8
Patent Materials
1906-1908
Box 1 Folder 9
Patent Materials for Methods and Means for Measuring and Recording Interval Demand for Apparent Power
1923
Box 1 Folder 10
Patent Materials for Torque Equalizing Systems
1928
Box 1 Folder 11
Patent Materials for Methods and Means for Measuring and Recording Apparent Power
1931
Series II. Ornithological Work
Correspondence, Manuscripts and Data Collection
Box 2 Folder 1
Correspondence Letter File - A
1905-1921
Box 2 Folder 2
Correspondence Letter File - B
1891-1921
Box 2 Folder 3
Correspondence Letter File - C
1904-1910
Box 2 Folder 4
Correspondence Letter File - D-G
1905-1909
Box 2 Folder 5
Correspondence Letter File - H-O
1892-1909
Box 2 Folder 6
Correspondence Letter File - P-R
1905-1919
Box 2 Folder 7
Correspondence Letter File - S
1891-1909
Box 2 Folder 8
Correspondence Letter File - T
1905-1910
Box 2 Folder 9
Correspondence Letter File - U-Z
1904-1909
Box 2 Folder 10
General Correspondence
1909-1934
Box 2 Folder 11
General Correspondence
1940-1974
Box 2 Folder 12
Ornithology Correspondence
1914-1919
Box 2 Folder 13
Ornithology Correspondence
1915-1918
Box 2 Folder 14
Cornell University Zoology Notes
undated
Box 2 Folder 15
Biography and Writings
undated
Box 2 Folder 16
Montana Notes - Diary
1914-1915
Box 2 Folder 17
List of Published Writings
undated
Box 2 Folder 18
Articles and Manuscripts by Dubois
undated
Box 2 Folder 19
Appendix to Sketches from Bird Life
undated
Box 2 Folder 20
Unpublished Manuscript "Field Sparrow"
undated
Box 2 Folder 21
"Birds and their Ways" Notes and Legend
undated
Box 2 Folder 22
List of Photographs for use of "The Ways of Birds"
undated
Box 2 Folder 23
Legends to Photos of Birds According to Habitat for "Birds and their Ways"
undated
Box 2 Folder 24
"Birds Observed at Station"
1915
Box 2 Folder 25
Roll Book; Bird Notes
undated
Box 2 Folder 26
Rufous Hummer Materials
undated
Box 2 Folder 27
Worksheets for Egg Collection
undated
Box 2 Folder 28
Egg Collection Card Data
undated
Box 2 Folder 29
Collection of Eggs, Nests and Mounted Birds Records
undated
Box 2 Folder 30
Clippings and Materials regarding photographs in magazines
undated
Box 2 Folder 31
Scientific Names and Photographic Data
undated
Box 2 Folder 32
Texas Bird Photographs
1950
Box 2 Folder 38
Paper Samples
undated
Journals and Indexes
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 1
1890-1900
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 2
1904-1907
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 3
1908
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 4
1909-1911
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 5A
1912
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 5B
1916
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 5C
1917-1918
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 5D
1921-1935
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 6
1913-1915
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 7
1936-1944
Box 2
Ornithological Journal: Volume 8
1942-1950
Box 2
Field Book
1951-1958
Box 2
Accession Records: Bird Eggs
1890s-1950s
Box 2
Index to Bird Journal
undated
Box 2 Folder 33
Photo lists; key to the location of Specimen data in field journals
undated
Box 2 Folder 34
Index to Plates - arranged by species
undated
Box 2 Folder 35
Legends to Photographs
undated
Box 2 Folder 36
Bird Photographs: Index Cards
undated
Box 2 Folder 37
Lists of Photos: Mainly non-birds
undated
Box 2 Folder 39
Notes to Photographic Plates
undated
Box 2
Nesting Dates: Cayuga Basin; Illinois and elsewhere
undated
Box 2
Field Observation of Wood Warblers; Bird Field Book and Museum Notes and a small journal with notes on photography
1900s-1930s
Box 3
Bird Ledger: Volume II
1891-1944
Scope and Contents
Birds (American Ornithological Union numbers 475-768) and nest lists
Box 3
Partial Life List; Birds; Nest Data
1890-1932
Box 3
Notes sent to A.C. Bent for "The Life Histories of North American Birds"
1940s
Photographic Materials
Box 3
Index to Bird Photos: Volume I
1893-1936
Scope and Contents
Photo album of negative numbers 9-503
Box 3
Index to Bird Photos: Volume II
1936-1951
Scope and Contents
Photo album of negative numbers 504-875
Box 3
Index to Bird Photos: Volume III
undated
Scope and Contents
Photo album of AOU species number 567-766 (some numbers not represented)
Box 3
Photos of Birds I
undated
Scope and Contents
Photo album of Species numbers 3-375 (some numbers not represented)
Box 3
Photos of Birds Volume II
undated
Scope and Contents
Photo album of Species numbers 387-563 (some numbers not represented)
Box 4
Box A: Photographic prints of Water Birds, Marsh Birds, amd Shore Birds
undated
Box 4
Box A2: Photographic prints of Bitterns, Egrets, and Herons
undated
Box 4
Box C: Photographic prints of Owls, Goatsuckers, Hummers, Kingfishers and Woodpeckers
Box 4
Box D: Photographic prints of Flycathers, Larks, Swallows, Jays, Raven, Chickadee, Wrens, and Pewee
undated
Box 4
Box D2: Photographic prints of Thrushes, Catbird, Mockingbird, Thrashers, and Bluebird
undated
Box 4
Box F: Photographic prints of Sparrows, Juncos, and Longspurs
undated
Box 4
Box of large size duplicate negatives
undated
Box 4 Folder 1
Photographic prints of Songspurs
undated
Box 4 Folder 2
Photographic prints of Doves, Grouse, Bob-whites and Misc.
Box 4 Folder 3
"Extra Prints" includes Baltimore Orioles, Herons, Egrets, Cranes, Franklin's Grouse, and Misc
undated
Scope and Contents
Also includes some Bird photograph index cards
Box 4 Folder 4
Photo album of DuBois in the field
undated
Box 5
Photographic Notes
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes notes on chemistry, exposure, camera, paper etc.
Box 5
Photographic Notes and References
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes notes on chemistry, exposure, camera, paper etc.
Box 5
Box of hand colored glass lantern slides by E. Harold
undated
Box 5
Wooden box of lantern slides with some notes
undated
Box 5
2 boxes of unmounted glass lantern slides
undated
Box 5
Wooden box of 5x7 glass negatives. Includes Negatives 417-587 from catalog and other duplicates.
1923-1953
Box 5
Cigar Box with 35mm slides; other color transparencies; negatives; and notes
undated
Box 5 Folder 1
35mm negatives and notes
undated
Catalog of Glass Plate Negatives of Birds, Nests and Eggs
Scope and Contents
See Box 3 & 4 for prints from these negatives and Box 2 for printed indexes to plates
Box 6
Negatives 9-197
1906-1913
Box 7
Negatives 198-339
1913-1917
Box 8
Negatives 340-569
1917-1938
Scope and Contents
Some of these are 5x7 plates in Box 5
Box 9
Negatives 570-835
1938-1952
Box 5
Negatives 836-876; positives; tests; and negatives with different numbering system
1952-1958