Processed in March of 2005
The materials in this collection were purchased in conjunction with the Newel Hart papers in 1984 by USU Special Collections & Archives for inclusion in the Marie Eccles-Caine Archive of Intermountain Americana. The correspondence in Box 1, Fds 33-37 were transferred to USU in 2015 by the Kevin Sheehan, Collections Manager at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Ridgway Family Papers must
be obtained from the
Robert was born on July 2, 1850 in Mount Carmel, Illinois to David and Harriet Ridgway. By the age of 14 Ridgway had been sent away from home, to work for an uncle. Thus some of the earliest letters in the collection are from this time period, 1864-65. Even at this early age his correspondence reveals Robert's keen interest in ornithology. This interest in ornithology and illustration also surfaced in letters written to Spencer Baird, chief ornithologist, and second in command at the Smithsonian Institution. By 1865, the two had developed a lively correspondence that revolved around ornithology.
Robert returned to Washington, D.C. in the fall of 1868 and went to work for the Smithsonian Institution. His primary duty was to prepare a report on his fieldwork. In 1869 he returned to the West to rejoin the expedition at Salt Lake City, Utah. He spent the summer of 1869 working on specimen collection around the Great Salt Lake and in the Wasatch Mountains. This short trip to Salt Lake City generated five letters to and from Ridgway and his mother and Baird. The remainder of the correspondence is mainly between Robert and his mother, while he worked at the Smithsonian. The contents of these letters usually involve family matters, local Illinois' happenings, and Robert's work. This set of correspondence ends in 1875. The remainder of the correspondence to Ridgway comes from a variety of people and some are dated as late as the 1920s. Of interest in this correspondence are a group of letters from Amelia Ridgway, an English relative. These letters discussed Ridgway's English family genealogy.
At the tender age of 17, Ridgway accepted an invitation, by survey director Clarence King, to join the expedition as a zoologist. This opportunity became the starting point for an extremely successful career as a naturalist. The expedition was manned by men in their mid 20s and 30s, so a 17 year old was an oddity, even among this group of young professionals. Due to his age, and his boyhood enthusiasm, the thirteen letters that the young ornithologist wrote home, during the two year survey, offer the scholar a point of view of the American West and of the survey work that is extraordinary. These letters range in content from a detailed list of the expedition's equipment, to descriptions of steamship travel through the Caribbean Sea, land travel through Panama, and travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains and through the Great Basin desert.
Born in 1859, John Ridgway rose to prominence in the field of scientific illustration. By the end of his career he had held the position of chief illustrator for the United States Geological Survey, and scientific illustrator for the California Institute of Technology and the Carnegie Institution.
The Ridgway papers constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of scientific research in the American West during the 1860s and of American scientific illustration during the latter part of the 19th century. The collection spans a period from 1864 through the early 1940s and chronicles the lives of two important American naturalists, John and Robert Ridgway. The fact that the two were brothers, and that their collection contains a great deal of family material, adds a unique perspective to the collection. A portion of the collection relates to the preparation and participation of Robert Ridgway as a zoologist on the 1867-68 United States Geological Fortieth parallel Survey. The material on Robert also covers his work at the Smithsonian Institution during the 1870s. Unlike the material pertaining to Robert, the papers that belong to John Ridgway are illustrative. Because of these two distinct differences within the collection it has been organized into three areas: correspondence, miscellaneous, and art.
The correspondence selection pertains totally to Robert Ridgway. This early correspondence with Baird gave Ridgway an entree to be included in the U.S.G.S. Fortieth Parallel Survey of 1867.
In contrast to these letters, the correspondence that Ridgway received from his family portrays different concerns and interests. First and foremost, in the minds of his parents was a concern for his well-being. They worried about him falling off cliffs, being chased by Indians and other images that his parents conjured up about the wild West. The letters also desired to share in Robert's excitement, as they asked for photographs and fresh reports on his work. This correspondence clearly demonstrates the strong sense of family ties between the Ridgways.
The correspondence has been arranged in an alphabetical and chronological order. The outgoing correspondence, from Robert Ridgway, has been placed in chronological order, while the incoming correspondence has been arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Folders 1a, 1b, and 1c are an addendum to this collection and consist of twenty-one letters between Ridgway and Baird from 1844—1866. This correspondence provides a rich view of Ridgway's early artwork, bird watching, and involvement in the sciences. The materials in these three folders are photocopies of the originals housed in the Smithsonian Institute Archives, Record Unit 7167. The Smithsonian's citation numbers have been retained on these letters.
The material about and by John Ridgway is mainly artwork. In this collection are oil paintings, pencil drawings, brush drawings and pen and ink illustrations done by John. The earliest dated piece was done in 1889 and the latest dated piece was finished in 1942. The finest material, done by John, in the collection are a series of drawings and proof prints that have been placed into a scrapbook. Many of these pieces are unpublished.
The remainder of the material is miscellaneous and has been processed topically. The material consists of photographs, printed material, and family items.
Conservation Note: Conservation measures that have been taken for this collection are as follows. With the exception of the art, the remainder of the papers have been de-acidified in a solution of Wei T'O. Where necessary, the letters and other items have been repaired and encapsulated. The Ridgway papers have been placed into acid free folders and then housed in acid free Pohlig Brothers Boxes. Any nitrate photo negatives were removed and placed in cold storage.
Incoming correspondence has been arranged in alphabetical and chronological order while outgoing correspondence has been arranged chronologically.
44 drawings have been removed and placed in the Art and Book Arts Collection and can be found via the online catalog.
Nitrate photo negatives were removed and placed in cold storage. Patrons must request to view these negatives 3 hours in advance.
Items removed to Art and Book Arts Collection:
One of John Ridgway's notebooks containing artist proofs and original pen and ink drawings that Ridgway drew while serving as the chief illustrator for the United States Geological Survey, and the scientific illustrator and artist for the California Institute of Technology and Carnegie Institution of Washington. (Portfolio Shelf 2-5, Box 251-R1)
Two art portfolios containing: 6" x 10" watercolor of two partridges by Robert Ridgway, 13-1/2" x 18" painting of two road runners by John Ridgway, 15" x 20" painting of two road runners by John Ridgway, 12-1/2" x 15" two red winged black birds by John Ridgway (1941), 13" x 16" painting of three birds by John Ridgway, 14-3/4" x 19" three purple crackles with a California city in the background by John Ridgway (1920), 10-1/2" x 15-1/2" painting of two mockingbirds mounted on a board by John Ridgway (1920), 7" x 10" drawings of a globe mounted on a board by John Ridgway (1920), 10" x 14" brush drawing of a foot-bone of a fossil elephant from a specimen at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, 4" x 9" oil painting of a vase with flowers by John Ridgway (1889), 9-1/2" x 4" oil painting of a vase signed "Study" by John Ridgway, 8" x 9" oil portrait of a woman artist by unknown artist, 11" x 15" painting of a northwestern mountain by unknown artist, 12" x 16" painting of two trees with mountains in the background by unknown artist, 10-1/2" x 12" pencil drawing of Mt. Caramel, Illinois, by unknown artist, 10-1/2" x 13" pencil drawing of two men in a newspaper office by unknown artist, 12-1/2" x 13" two drawings sketched on either side of a piece of illustrators paper by unknown artist, and 10" x 13-1/2" pastel of a river scene (probably set in the Midwest) by unknown artist. (Portfolio Shelf 2-5, Box 351-R1 and Box 351-R2)
Ridgway was inquiring of Baird for the names of several birds that he had observed. Baird returned the letter, dated it August 17, 1864, with the names of the birds in question written into the letter.
(photocopies from Smithsonian Institute Archive, Record Unit 7167)
Discusses types of birds and the number of eggs found in each bird's nest, he also requests the "Pacific Rail Record Report"
Replies to letter and explains his individual bird drawings
Discusses his individual bird drawings and inquires why he has received no response to his September 3 letter
Acknowledges response to September 3 letter and asks for a catalogue on North American birds
Discusses birds and asks why no response has been given his letters
(photocopies from Smithsonian Institute Archive, Record Unit 7167)
Discusses his observations on Bald Eagles
Letter explains drawings attached
Criticizes photographer and other artists and then discusses his bird drawings
Reports on summer work
Discusses his observations of birds
States that he needs paint and attaches a detailed report of his observations and studies
Discusses bird eggs and plans for the next summer
Discusses his upbringing and personal life
Discusses his observations of birds
(photocopies from Smithsonian Institute Archive, Record Unit 7167)
Discusses work outlook for the year
Complains for lack of paper to draw on and discusses his observations of birds
Discusses three new egg types not found in bird manual
Discusses his observations of birds
Note concerning a shipment of eggs
Discusses his artwork
The letter, sent form Cincinnati, Ohio gave details to his father about his current trip to Washington, D.C., to meet Spencer Baird
The letter, sent from the Smithsonian institution, discussed Ridgway's upcoming meeting with Clarence King, in New York City, his trip west to San Francisco on the steamship "Henry Chauncey", and his ornithological work at the Smithsonian.
The letter detailed to Robert's father what kind of equipment he had been outfitted with for the U.S.G.S. expedition.
The letter mailed from the steamer "Chauncey" at sea in the Caribbean told his father about his travels in the Caribbean and in the Panama area, with specific attention given to the flora and fauna of the areas
This letter again described to his father his travels through Panama and into the Pacific Ocean. It was mailed from the steamer "Constitution" at sea off of the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico
This letter, titled Sacramento, California, Camp no. 1, U.S.G.S. described to his mother the establishment of the survey party's first camp. A second letter is torn in half with no date and no addressee. It was most likely sent to Harriet Ridgway, as the contents mention the word mother. The letter was postmarked by Ridgway's hand, from Carson City, Nevada and includes several hand drawn bird stamps
This letter was sent from Camp #12 at Big Bend of Truckee, Nevada. The letter described to his mother his trip from Sacramento, California through the Sierra Nevada mountain range, into Nevada. Of particular interest was his description of Chinese railroad workers blasting granite on the Central Pacific railroad grade. He finishes with an outline of his upcoming trip to Pyramid Lake, Nevada
This letter was sent from Camp #17, "Banks of the Humboldt River," and it described, to his father, his trip with Mr. Parker (an Indian agent) and Mr. O'Sullivan (the U.S.G.S. photographer) to Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Part of this letter is missing
This letter was sent from "Camp #19 Buena Vista" and discussed his summer's field work. Of particular interest in this letter was a list of Piute Indian names for birds and simple expressions that Ridgway has put together
This letter was sent from "Headquarters U.S. Geological Exploration 40th Parallel", Carson City, Nevada and detailed photographs that he had sent home with the letter. These photographs were not in this collection
postmarked the Great Salt Lake City, Utah. Part of this letter is missing, but the existing piece discussed survey events, and it mentions some of the party members. This letter was likely mailed during the middle of the summer of 1868
This letter was sent from the Smithsonian institution and was his first letter written home after returning to the east. The letter described his three day trip on the Union Pacific Railroad back to Washington, D.C. It also mentioned a discovery that he had made on western hawks
This letter was sent from the Smithsonian Institution and it discussed specimen collecting that was done the previous year on the survey
This letter was sent from the Smithsonian Institution. It discussed the report that he was compiling from his survey work and a book that he was currently preparing about North American raptors
This letter was sent form the Smithsonian Institution . It told his father about Clarence King's decision to drop zoology and botany from the next year's expedition. Ridgway had been offered a trip to the west, anyway, but the only compensation would be to have his expenses paid
This letter was sent from the U.S.G.S. headquarters, Salt Lake City, Utah. It mentioned family matters, Granville Turner, and Spencer Baird
This letter was sent from the Smithsonian institution and mentioned his completed manuscript compiled from his survey trip. He went onto tell his mother that he was currently helping Baird on the "Manual of the Birds of North America."
This letter was sent form the Smithsonian Institution and it requested his mother to send him a Black Hawk specimen.
The letter asked Hubbard assist Ridgway in preparing for his upcoming trip, with Clarence King, to the West
Letter includes a sheet of paper entitled "Persons to whom Mr. Ridgway is especially recommended."
This letter announced that Ridgway had been awarded the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal and Hornoalum from the National Academy of Sciences
The letter congratulates Ridgway on the recent publication of part viii of his Birds of North America publication
This letter explained to Ridgway were he could find a copy of Baird's book, Birds of North America
The above letters all answered Ridgway's ornithology questions
These two letters discussed bird specimens that Ridgway had sent to Baird
To Ridgway in Salt Lake City, Utah. It discussed Utah specimens that Ridgway had sent to Baird and ones that he was to collect
To Ridgway in Salt Lake City, Utah. The letter mentioned items Ridgway had collected in the Wasatch Mountains
The letter concerns Ridgway's move toward publishing his work on "Color standards"
A twelve page letter discussing birds that Daniel had seen in Virginia.
The letter explained to Ridgway now he was to meet with Clarence King, in Chicago, in order to receive money to return west
This letter acknowledges receipt of parts III and IV of the Birds of North America
The letter explained to Ridgway the importance of his book on Color Standards was to his company, Niagra, Lithograph
The letter acknowledges the receipt of Ridgway's Color Standards book
Amateur naturalist living in the Adirondacks of New York State asking for information about ornithology
Inquired if Ridgway would be interested in seeing specimens of hawks and owls from Minnesota and Arkansas
Comments on his writings and enquired about his family genealogy. Amelia was writing from Fernbrook College, North Wales.
A chatty letter that informed Ridgway about his English family ties
This letter discussed the Ridgway family and described her family home in North Wales
The letter contained material from Amelia: A photograph of Ellen Ridgway, and essay entitled Sheplegh Court, Blackawton, S. Devon, the Late Colonel's Home, a flyer about Dr. John Ridgway, and a flyer about the Fernbrook school
This folder includes three, undated, letters form Ridgway's wife. Evelyn Perkins Ridgway, that describe her last will and testament. Also included in the folder are insurance policy receipts, and the Ridgway's Marriage license
This letter was written to Robert while he was away from home working for his uncle. It discussed primarily family matters
This letter discussed family concerns
This letter was sent to Robert while he was on the expedition. It outlines the family's concern for his well-being and fills him in on family happenings
This letter requested photographs from Robert and told him about the family
These letters express topics such as their concern for Robert, his brother John, his father's illness, and family financial troubles
This letter discussed family matters
This letter discussed happenings in Olney and Mount Carmel, Illinois and Robert's forthcoming visit home
This letter mentioned Robert's attendance at the inauguration of President Grant, his work with Spencer Baird, and family concerns
Ridgway received this letter in Salt Lake City, Utah and it discussed family matters
These letters follow a similar theme of family and local happenings
Again these letters revolve around the themes of family and local occurrence
This letter discussed deaths in the family and the family drugstore
This letter discussed Robert's brother John's talent for drawing and the family's financial troubles
This letter addressed family matters
This letter discussed Robert's brother john's schooling and work with biological specimens
This letter discussed family matters, brother John and Miss Perkins, Ridgway's future bride, and Lucien Turner's trip to Alaska
These last three letters discuss family and community matters
These letters discuss family issues and local matters
This letter thanks Robert for his hospitality in showing his cousin Lydia around Washington, D.C. It also gives an excellent account of the Ridgway family in America
This letter discussed a shipment of bird eggs and birds from a Dr. Abbott and a Mr. Duln. The specimens were sent from Haiti
This letter acknowledges the receipt of Ridgway's book on color standards
(Medium: DR, graphite; 1985.24.1)
This folder contains 48 pages of hand-written bibliographic cards and reference notes, presumably for his article "Birds of North and Middle America."
Folders 1-6: Hand written bibliographic information in alphabetical order by folder.
17 items
10 items
21 items
19 items
47 items
11 items
These folders contain editor or author proofs of "The Birds of North and Middle America", Bulletin U.S. National Museum, no 50, Part III, 8 Vols
2 envelopes, 2 scraps of letters proof of essay, "The Ligneous Flora of Richland County, Illinois" by Robert Ridgway
[Note: the following folders are in the Art and Book Arts Collection: Fd 9, Fd 10, Fd 11, Fd 12, Fd 13]
(33 pages) This is most likely an early draft of John Ridgway's book
10 items
17 items
4 items
5 items
All nitrate negatives from this box have been removed and placed in cold storage
One negative removed and placed in cold storage
One negative removed and placed in cold storage
Four negatives removed and placed in cold storage