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Reading Nature, Observing Science: Examining Material Practices in the Lick Observatory Archives and Kenneth S. Norris Papers

Case 2: Natural History, Pedagogy, and Echolocation

Case 2: Natural History

The objects on the first shelf of this case highlight Norris's work in natural history, ranging from his prolific note taking to his research on lizards and dolphins. Click the above link to read more about Norris's practice and understanding of natural history.

Case 2: Natural History Field Quarter

The materials on the second shelf pertain to the Natural History Field Quarter, a popular course that Norris created, which is still offered by UCSC's Environmental Studies Department. The images, notes, and syllabus featured in the case are from various Field Quarters taught by Norris, including the course's first offering in 1973. Click the above link to read more about the Natural History Field Quarter.

Case 2: Echolocation

The objects on the last shelf showcase Norris's research on dolphin echolocation and the various technologies he used for this research, such as audiotape recordings and sonographs. There are also images of Kathy the dolphin pressing a lever while wearing blindfolds, an experiment which was part of Norris's echolocation work. Click the above link to read more about Norris's echolocation research.

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Contents of this path:
2. Velvet Cases The first velvet case contains a chest of slides from Norris's slide collection. This chest has a handwritten inventory, although there is a notable discrepancy between the actual slides in the chest and the titles listed on the inventory sheet. Twelve of the slides from the chest are featured in the listed images. They document various species of lizards, snakes, frogs, and toads, as well as desert habitats throughout California, New Mexico, and Baja California. As the majority of these slides are dated 1948, they are representative of Norris's work in desert ecology during his studies at UCLA. These velvet cases also contain atlases from UCSC Special Collections that pertain to the theme of Reading Nature.
4. Case 2: Natural History, Pedagogy, and Echolocation
6. Case 4: Eclipse Expeditions in Context The photographs and prints gathered in this case pertain to the eclipse expedition program that the Lick astronomers undertook between 1889 and 1932. For the majority of these journeys, the astronomers used a 40ft portable camera designed by J. M. Schaeberle. The images displayed here foreground three themes suggested by the archive: understanding the sun, onsite labour, and the importance of framing.