A Field Guide to the Atmosphere, 1949-1992, Undated

Vincent Schaefer planned to write a book on the atmosphere for decades. Correspondence shows that he brought the idea to Houghton Mifflin Editor-in-Chief Paul Brooks in the mid-1950s (Box 1, Folder 40) but the book was not finished at that point. Later, Schaefer collaborated with Professor John A. Day of Linfield College, Oregon and Christy Day for the final version of the book. Much of their correspondence regarding drafts is preserved in this series. The finished product, <span><i>A Field Guide to the Atmosphere</i></span>, was published in 1981 in the Roger Tory Peterson <i>Field Guide</i> series, an inclusion that generated media attention and notoriety. Included in this series are both handwritten and typed drafts, proofread copies, correspondence regarding drafts and the finished product, individual chapter files along with many photographs, slides and negatives. The collection also includes three folders containing files from a collaborative project Schaefer worked on titled “Glories of the Sky.”

Photographs are sleeved where possible. Photocopies of the original layout of notes and labels affixed to the photographs are in the folders. While some of the photographs have information written on the back, many are blank.

The series is organized alphabetically and then chronologically where multiple entries exist. Oversized material from this series is noted in the box and folder list.