The Records of the American Microscopical Society
and the Iron City Microscopical Society
Carnegie Museum of Natural History Archives
Processed by Margaret Pett, 2002
Collection Number:
2002-2
Title:
The Records of the Archives of the American Microscopical Society (AMS) and the
Iron City Microscopical Society (ICMS)
Inclusive Dates:
1884-1896, (Bulk 1887-1894)
Creator:
The American Microscopical Society
Extent:
5 boxes, 1.6 linear feet (2.4 cubic feet)
Repository:
Carnegie Museum of Natural History Archives
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4030
Email: cmnhlib@CarnegieMNH.org
Abstract:
The collection includes records of the American Microscopical Society (AMS) dating
from 1884 to 1893. The AMS was formerly the American Society of Microscopists
(ASM) and that society’s records span 1893-1896. Records of the Iron City
Microscopical Society of Pittsburgh span 1887-1896.
Acquisition Information:
Charles C. Mellor (d. 1909), of Pittsburgh, was a founding member of the Carnegie
Institute Board of Trustees (1898-1909), appointed by Andrew Carnegie in 1896. He was
also vice-president of the ICMS in 1889, and treasurer of the American Society of
Microscopists, later the AMS, from 1890 until 1894. At that point, Magnus Pflaum took
over as treasurer of the AMS (1895-1899). Mr. Pflaum was a volunteer in the Carnegie
Museum of Natural History Coins department in 1899 and an Honorary Curator of
Numismatics from 1902 until his retirement in 1905. The collection shows evidence that
Mr. Pflaum was also a member of the ICMS and was associated with the Society’s library
1889-1896. George H. Clapp was a Carnegie Institute Trustee 1898-1900 and an
Honorary Curator of Conchology from 1901 until his death in 1949. He was also
involved with the Iron City Microscopical Society and was elected corresponding
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secretary in 1888. Other Trustees of the Carnegie Institute were involved with the
American Microscopical Society. In 1893, Rev. W.J. Holland, C.C. Mellor, George H.
Clapp and John B. Jackson were among 17 Pittsburgh citizens, including Magnus
Pflaum, who gave money for prizes awarded by the AMS. Rev. Holland was Director of
CMNH 1898-1922. These men shared connections with the microscopical societies and
the Carnegie Institute; however, it is not clear how the records of the microscopical
societies came into the possession of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. It is
interesting to note that all the papers date from before the appointment of C.C. Mellor to
the Carnegie Board of Trustees. This might be an indication that the papers were in Mr.
Mellor’s custody and that his activity in the societies decreased after he was appointed to
the Carnegie’s Board. The records were discovered at the Carnegie Museum of Natural
History Library in 1998.
Preferred Citation:
The Records of the American Microscopical Society and the Iron City Microscopical
Society (1884-1897), Carnegie Museum of Natural History Archives, 2002-2.
Access Restrictions:
The collections of the museum shall be available for examination and study by any
qualified individual under the normal museum security procedures and other special
procedures established by the section for the protection of the specific collection.
Copyright:
Property rights reside with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. For information
about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Bernadette Callery, Museum
Librarian, at the address listed above.
Alternate Format:
The collection is not available in any other format.
History:
The American Society of Microscopists (ASM) was born out of the National Microscopal
Congress held in 1878, which was essentially the Society’s first meeting. The group
consisted of medical and dental doctors and biologists who were interested in utilizing
light microscopes in their work. In 1891, The Society incorporated and changed its name
to the American Microscopical Society (AMS). The ASM and AMS met in Pittsburgh on
occasion. In 1887, the ASM convened in Pittsburgh as a guest of the Iron City
Microscopical Society. C.C. Mellor spoke as President of the ICMS. In 1896, the
renamed AMS again convened in Pittsburgh at the Carnegie Library. The meeting was
opened by C.C. Mellor, and Rev. W.J. Holland spoke as chancellor of the Western
University of PA. Other Pittsburgh meetings include: 1902, 1917 and 1934. The
Society remains active in 2002 and its website calls it “an international society of
biologists to encourage the use of microscopy.”
The Iron City Microscopical Society (ICMS), located at 77 and 95 Fifth Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA, was organized in 1881. The ICMS held meetings monthly about
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microscopical work in Pittsburgh. The Society kept close relationships with the AMS,
and claimed to have had one of the largest libraries of microscopical works in the USA.
Pittsburgh City Directories show listings for the Society through 1899, after which there
is no mention of it under societies or the alphabetical listing for ICMS. In 1892, the
address is listed as the Academy of Science and Arts, 5th St., near Penn Ave. The next
year its address was 5th St. near Duquesne Way. From 1896-1899, the address of the
ICMS was Carnegie Library.
Reference:
(1)
The Web site of American Microscopical Society:
<http://www.amicros.org/aintro.htm>, (February 21, 2002).
(2)
The Proceedings of the American Society of Microscopists and American
Microscopical Society, Volume 1-16, 1878-1895, and the Transactions of the
American Microscopical Society, Volume 17-23 (1895-1903), 43-53 (1924-1934), 75-98
(1956-1979), both found in the Main CMNH library. The journal title was changed to
Invertebrate Biology in 1995. The Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society
are believed to be the oldest biological journal in the USA.
A two-part history of the Society by Gerald W. Prescott, “American Microscopal
Society: The First One Hundred Years,” is found in Volume 98 (1,2), 1978.
Scope and Content Notes:
This collection is housed in 5 archival boxes and divided into 3 series, which are further
sub-divided into groups.
Series 1: The American Society of Microscopists, 1884-1893, (Boxes 1, 2):
Group 1: ASM Recommendations to Membership and Titles of Communication,
proposals for presentations at annual conferences, 1884-1885, 1889-1891.
Group 2: ASM Financial Records: Membership Dues Payment Stub Books,
1887-1893.
Series 2: The American Microscopical Society, 1893-1896, (Boxes 3 and 4):
Group 1: AMS Financial Records: Membership Dues and Check Books, 18931896.
Group 2: AMS Membership Lists, 1893
Group 3: AMS Patent Drawings, (collected, not created, by AMS)
Group 4: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, 1893-1895.
Group 5: AMS Published Circulars of Information and Announcements, 18931894.
Group 6: Microscopical Catalogs, in alphabetical order, 1885-1891
Series 3: The Iron City Microscopic Society, 1887-1896, (Box 5):
Group 1: ICMS Membership Records, 1888-1890
Group 2: ICMS Calendar, 1891-1892
Group 3: ICMS Library Records, 1887-1896
Group 4: ICMS Financial Records: Receipts, Reports, Letters, and Memoranda,
1889-1893.
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Group 5: Letters and Memoranda re: Meetings, Exhibits, Presentations and
Experiments, 1889, n.d.
Conservation Notes:
The collection is in moderately poor condition: all text is legible, but many items are
very brittle. Brittle items are marked in the collection content list with “*” or “**.”
Those items marked “**” are more brittle than sheets with the “*.”
Organization of the Collection:
The collection is organized in 3 series and housed in 5 boxes: 4 document boxes and 1
flat storage box for over-size items. The original order of the collection is not known,
and its current organization is as follows:
SERIES 1: The American Society of Microscopists, 1884-1893.
Box 1
Group 1: ASM Recommendations to Membership and Titles of Communication,
proposals for presentations at annual conferences, 1884-1885, 1889-1891.
FF1: ASM bound volume of recommendations to membership forms and titles of
communication. span dates: 1884-1885, 1889.*
FF2: ASM bound volume of recommendations to membership forms and titles of
communication. span dates: 1889-1891.*
Box 2:
Group 2: ASM Financial Records: Membership Dues Payment Stub Books, 1887-1893.
FF1: ASM membership dues payment stub books: *
Nos. 1006-1105: Aug-Dec. 1887
Nos. 1106-1205: Dec. 1887-Aug 1888
FF2: ASM membership dues payment stub books: *
Nos. 1306-1405: Jan.-Aug. 1889
Nos. 1406-1505: 1886, July-Sept. 1889, “Buffalo Meeting Aug. 1889”
FF3: ASM membership dues payment stub books: *
Nos. 1606-1705: Sept.-Dec. 1889
Nos. 1706-1805: Dec. 1889-Aug. 1890
Nos. 1806-1905: Aug.-Sept. 1890.
FF4: ASM membership dues payment stub books: *
Nos. 2006-2105: Dec. 1890-Aug. 1891
Nos. 2106-2203: Aug.-Sept. 1891
FF5: ASM membership dues payment stub books: *
Nos. 2206-2305: Sept. 1891-Jan. 1892
Nos. 2306-2405: Jan.-Aug. 1892
FF6: ASM membership dues payment stub books: *
Nos. 2506-2605: Nov. 1892-May 1893
Nos. 2706-2805: Oct.-Dec. 1893
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SERIES 2: The American Microscopical Society, 1893-1896, n.d.
Box 3:
Group 1: AMS Membership Lists, 1893
FF1: “Lists of Members of the American Microscopical Society, showing condition of
each member’s account on Aug. 14, 1893.” date: Aug. 1893. *
FF2: “List of Members of the American Microscopical Society by states and cities, Aug.
1893.” date: Aug. 1893. *
Group 2: AMS Patent Drawings, (collected, not created, by AMS)
FF 1: Patent drawings of microscopes and individual microscope parts, four sheets.
(W255 x L376mm) n.d.
Box 4:
Group 3: AMS Financial Records: Membership Dues and Check Books, 1893-1896.
FF1: AMS membership dues payment stub books kept by Magnus Pflaum. span dates:
1893-1896.
Nos. 2805-2904: Dec. 1896-Aug. 1894
Nos. 2905-3004: Aug.-Dec. 1894
Nos. 3005-3104: Dec. 1894-Aug. 1895
Nos. 3105-3204: Aug.-Nov. 1895
Nos. 3205-3304: Nov. 1895-Feb. 1896
FF2: Check book kept by Magnus Pflaum as AMS treasurer and a blank check from
Pittsburgh Bank for Savings. span dates: 1894-1896. **
Group 4: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, 1893-1895.
FF1: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 14, Part II, pg. 85132. date: January 1893.
FF2: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 14, Part III, pg. 133185. date: July 1893.
FF3: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 15, pg. 17-38.
“Minutes of the 16th Annual Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin.” date: Aug. 1893.
Note: That year, 17 citizens of Pittsburgh, PA contributed the money for prizes
“offered for encouragement of miscroscopical research:”
Joseph Albree, A.W. Cadman, George H. Clapp, Charles J. Clarke, Dr. D.H.
DePuy, H.C. Frick, Rev. W.J. Holland, John B. Jackson, Hon. W.M. Kennedy,
Dr. A Koenig, John L. Lewis, C.C. Mellor, Magnus Pflaum, W.J. Prentice, John
D. Shafer, C.B. Shea, and Calvin Wells. (Holland, Mellor, Pflaum, Clapp and
Jackson were all trustees of the Carnegie Institute and Pflaum was on the staff.)
FF4: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 15, Part IV, pg. 203-244.
date: June 1894.
FF5: Proceedings of the American Microscopical Society, Vol. 16, Part III, pg 125-195.
date: April 1895.
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Group 5: AMS Published Circulars of Information and Announcements, 1893-1894.
FF 1: Three American Microscopical Society circulars of information re: the 16th
Annual AMS Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin in August 1893. span dates: MayOct., 1893.
FF2: Three American Microscopical Society announcements re: the 117th Annual AMS
Meeting in Brooklyn, NY in Aug. 1894. span dates: 1893; July and August,
1894.
Group 6: Microscopical Catalogs, in alphabetical order, 1885-1891
FF1: Catalogues for microscopes, accessory apparatus, materials, and instruments from
four companies in London and Berlin, collected by AMS. span dates: 18911895, n.d.
R. & J. Beck, London, September 1891
Collins’ Special Micro-Slides, London, 1885-86, 16 pg.
Henry Crouch, London, n.d., 40 pg.
Deutsche Gesellshaft fur Mechanik und Optik, “German Exhibition,
Group 2, Special Catalogue,” Berlin,1893, 184 pg.
FF2: Catalogues for microscopes, accessory apparatus, materials and instruments from
seven companies in the United States, London and Berlin. span dates: 18851891.
Gundlach Optical Co., Rochester, N.Y., 1890, 8 pg.
J. Klonne & G. Muler Berlin, 1891, 8 pg.; and November 1891, 16 pg.
W. Watson & Sons, London, 1885, 40 pg.; 1886, 16 pg.; 1886, 48 pg.;
1886, 16 pg.; and 1886, 48 pg.
James W. Queen & Co., Philadelphia, 1890, 108 pg.
SERIES 3: The Iron City Microscopic Society, 1887-1896
Box 5:
Group 1: ICMS Membership Records, 1888-1890
FF 1: ICMS bound volume of forms for recommendation of new members; and a letter
to George H. Clapp from Hiram Depuy re: Clapp’s election as ICMS’s
corresponding secretary and new member issues. span dates: 1888-1893.**
FF2: Blank membership card, letters and memoranda re: ICMS membership and officers,
issues re: payment of dues and resignations. span dates: Spril-Oct. 1890.
Group 2: ICMS Calendar, 1891-1892
FF 1: Iron City Microscopical Society Calendar for 1891-92, including lists of officers,
meetings, members, programs, admissions and dues, books in the ICMS library,
periodicals received, and a memo from the president W.J. Riggs. (W80 x
L144mm). span dates: 1891-1892.
Group 3: ICMS Library Records, 1887-1896
FF 1: Bound volume of the ICMS Library Record, including dates of issues and returns,
name of book, signature of members, fines due for loss or damage, and a
treasurer’s receipt, 18pg., and a list of subjects catalogued. span dates: 18871896.
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Note: Magnus Pflaum began signing as librarian/curator in 1889.
FF2: Letters to the ICMS from the Department of the Interior re: the United States
Geological Survey, with an enclosed list of USGS publications. date: July 3,
1888, n.d.
FF3: Letters and postcards to C.C. Mellor and George H. Clapp and the ICMS re:
subscription and delivery of journals and books for the ICMS library. span dates:
Feb.-Oct. 1889.
Group 4: ICMS Financial Records: Receipts, Reports, Letters, and Memoranda, 18891893.
FF1: Draft of a report by the ICMS treasurer, signed by George H. Clapp and C.C.
Mellor. Date: Oct. 8, 1889. *
FF2: ICMS receipts for 1887, including acquisitions for the ICMS library and a list of
items and services paid for by C.C. Mellor to be reimbursed by the ICMS. span
dates: Sept.-Dec. 1887. *
FF3: ICMS treasurer’s report for the fiscal year Nov. 1887- Oct., 1888. date: Oct. 25,
1888.
FF4: ICMS receipts for 1888, including acquisitions for the ICMS library. span dates:
Jan.-Dec. 1888, April 1889.
FF5: ICMS receipts for 1889, including acquisitions for the ICMS library and a few
memoranda, which accompanied payment to the ICMS. span dates: Jan.-Dec.
1889.
FF6: Letters from C.C. Mellor to Mr. [Milun?] re: collection of membership dues,
subscriptions to foreign and American journals, a billing question and an order
from a London bookseller. span dates: Feb.-Dec. 1889.**
FF7: ICMS receipts for 1890, including acquisitions for the ICMS library. span dates:
Jan.-Sept. 1890.
FF8: ICMS treasurer’s report for the fiscal year Nov. 1889-Oct., 1890. date: Oct. 14,
1890.
FF9: ICMS fire insurance policy with Phoenix Assurance Company of London for Jan.
13, 1891-Jan. 13, 1892. date: Jan. 13, 1891.
FF10: Letters and memoranda re: ICMS members and officers and the poor financial
state of the Society due to the lack of membership dues payment. span dates:
Oct., Dec. 1893.
Group 5: Letters and Memoranda re: Meetings, Exhibits, Presentations and Experiments,
1889, n.d.
FF1: Memorandum from George H. Clapp to Prof. J.A. Logan re: a meeting of the ICMS
Board of Direction. date: Jan. 21, 1889.
FF2: Letters and postcards to George H.Clapp and C.C. Mellor re: a microscopical
exhibit on April 12, 1899: attendance, presentations, selling and returning of event
tickets; and a report from G.H. Clapp re: money collected from the event. span
dates: March-June 1889.
FF3: Letter to ICMS members from Magnus Pflaum, reporting on his attendance with
C.C. Mellor of an American Microscopical Society meeting. n.d.
FF4: ICMS notes and memoranda re: various experiments. n.d.
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