Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
heart-solid My Visit Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution IK development site for ODI
Press Enter to activate a submenu, down arrow to access the items and Escape to close the submenu.
    • Overview
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Museum Maps
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
    • Overview
    • Exhibitions
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
    • Overview
    • Topics
    • Collections
    • Research Resources
    • Stories
    • Podcasts
    • Overview
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
    • Overview
    • Our Organization
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
    • Newsdesk
heart-solid My Visit Donate

Solar Spectrum

American History Museum

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Object Details

maker

Draper, Henry

Description

Henry Draper (1837-1882) was a New York physician who did pioneering work with astronomical photography and spectroscopy. He was particularly proud of having seen bright lines, which saw as evidence of oxygen, in the solar spectrum. This image is marked “DISCOVERY OF OXYGEN IN THE SUN BY PHOTOGRAPHY, BY PROFESSOR HENRY DRAPER, M.D. 1876.”
Ref: Henry Draper, “Discovery of Oxygen in the Sun by Photography, and a new Theory of the Solar Spectrum,” American Journal of Science 14 (1877): 89-96.
George F. Barker, “Memoir of Henry Draper,” Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences 3 (1895), pp. 81-139.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

John William Christopher Draper and James Christopher Draper

date made

1876

ID Number

PH.333976

accession number

304826

catalog number

333976

Object Name

photograph, spectrum
photograph

Physical Description

paper (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 14 in x 28 in x 1/4 in; 35.56 cm x 71.12 cm x .635 cm
overall: 71 cm x 14 cm x .8 cm; 27 15/16 in x 5 1/2 in x 5/16 in

See more items in

Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Subject

Science

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-3713-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record ID

nmah_1183955

Discover More

solar wall

Our Star: Our Sun

arrow-up Back to top
Home
  • Facebook facebook
  • Instagram instagram
  • LinkedIn linkedin
  • YouTube youtube

  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
  • Shop Online
  • Job Opportunities
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use