Archive of J.C. Kapteyn

Brief overview

Name of the archive: Archive Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn

Provenance: Kapteyn, Jacobus Cornelius (1851-1922)

Dated: 1878-1879

Size: 2cm (68 letters)

Language of the materials: Dutch

Summary:

Letters from astronomer J.C. Kapteyn (1851-1922) to Catharina Elizabeth Kalshoven

Collection number: ubg007

Institute: University Library Groningen

Retainer: University Library Groningen

Provenance and acquisition

Biography

Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn (1851-1922) was born in Barneveld and studied physics and mathematics at the University of Utrecht. After receiving his doctorate in 1875, he started work at the Leiden Observatory. Three years after this Kapteyn became professor of astronomy, probability theory and mechanics at the University of Groningen. In 1879, Kapteyn married Catharina Elizabeth Kalshoven. The letters in this archive are from the time they were engaged.

Kapteyn’s most important work was done on the Cape Photographic Durchmusterung star catalog (1896-1900) in collaboration with David Gill from the Cape Town Obsevatory. Furthermore, Kapteyn is best regarded for his work on the structure of the star system.

A selection of Kapteyn’s published works:

• Publications of the Astro-nomical Labatory at Groningen, several years

• Verslagen van de Koninklijke Academie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam, Afd. Natuurkunde, several years

• Skew Frequency Curves in biology and statistics, Groningen 1903

• Plan of Selected Areas, Groningen 1906

• 'Durchmusterung of the selected areas', in Annals of the astro-nomical observatory of Harvard College (1918-1924) with E.C. Pickering and P.J. van Rhijn

• Mount Wilson Catalogue of photographie magnitudes in selected areas, with F.H. Seares and P.J. van Rhijn, Washington 1930

Acquisition

The collection was bought by the University Library Groningen in 2000.

Future additions

No additions are expected.

Contents and collation

The collection contains letters between the J.C. Kapteyn and Catharina Elizabeth Kalshoven, from the time they were engaged to be married.

Instructions for users of the archive

Accessibility

The collection is accessible for research purposes. To look at the collection, a University Library Access Pass is required.

Limitations to use

The materials in this collection are available for viewing only. They cannot be borrowed. When consulting this collection, the rules set out in the Reglement voor de gebruikers van de Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit Groningen apply. Reproductions, insofar as they are allowed are to be made in line with the rules set out in the Tarieven en diensten Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

The copyright is held by Kapteyn’s heirs. As owners of the collection, The University Library Groningen has the right to publish (parts of) the collection.

Accessing the collection

An inventory of the letters is available.

Citations

When referencing (parts of) the archive, the following information must be provided in full at least once.   After this, an abbreviated citation will suffice.

• Archive: University Library Groningen, Archive Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn

• Individual items: Groningen, UB, Kapteyn [number]

Requests

Materials from this archive can be requested by sending an email to Special Collections department.

Appendix

Literature

• H. Hertzsprung-Kapteyn: J.C. Kapteyn, zijn leven en werken (Groningen 1928). (English translation: The Life and Works of J.C. Kapteyn. An annotated translation with preface and introduction by E. Robert Paul [Dordrecht, 1993])

• A. Blaauw et al. (ed.), Sterrenkijken bekeken. Sterrenkunde aan de Groningse Universiteit vanaf 1614, Groningen 1983

• P.C. van der Kruit and K. van Berkel (eds.), The legacy of J.C. Kapteyn. Studies on Kapteyn and the development of modern astronomy, Dordrecht 2000

• A. Blaauw, 'Kapteijn, Jacobus Cornelius (1851-1922)', in Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland. http://www.inghist.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/BWN/lemmata/bwn2/kapteijnjc

• 'Lieve Lize' : de minnebrieven van de Groningse astronoom J.C. Kapteyn aan Elise Kalshoven, 1878-1879, edited, introduced and annotated by Klaas van Berkel and Annelies Noordhof-Hoorn. Groningen, Rijksuniversiteit, 2008

Portrait

• In 1908, a portrait of Kapteyn was painted during his annual stay at The Monastery, a residence for astronomers visiting Mount Wilson Observatory in California.

• A 1918 portrait by Jan Veth, made on the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of Kapteyns’ professorship is on display in the Kapteynhall of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute.

• A 1921 portrait by Jan Veth is on display in the Senateroom of the Academybuilding in Groningen. For more information about this portrait, see R.E.O. Ekkart and J. Schuller tot Peursum-Meijer, Groninger Academieportretten, Groningen 1978, nr. 133.