Series of expedition views from photographer William H. Rau's Transit of Venus expedition to Chatham Island in December 1874 depict crude wooden structures in a rural landscape., Title supplied by cataloger., Photographer's imprint on mounts., Orange mounts with rounded corners., Manuscript note on verso of item P.9517.1: "Rear view of one observatory", Manuscript note on verso of item P.9517.2: "Cabin built by the wrecked crew of the American whaler "Alabama" 1868"., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Philadelphia photographer William H. Rau was included in one of eight observation parties sponsored by the United States government to gather information about the December 8, 1874 Transit of Venus. His party travelled to the Chatham Islands, an archipelago off the coast of New Zealand, to view the astronomical phenomenon, but inclement weather there prevented Rau from collecting decent images of the event.
Creator
Rau, William Herman, 1855-1920
Date
[ca. 1875]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Rau - Views [P.9517.1-2]
