[AZ-Observing] Re: Burnham Celebration at Lowell this Saturday 2pm!!!!!
- From: "Jennifer Polakis" <m24@xxxxxxx>
- To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:26:43 -0700
Hi Wayne, Jay, Paul and all....
Thanks for these stories! Since starting this project a few years ago, so
much unknown information about Burnham has been made available. In one of
the early-project correspondences with Tony Ortega, he mentions writing a
book about Burnham--I hope he does. Tony will definately be at the memorial
tomorrow. Here is the schedule:
Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory Outreach Manager will emcee. (Kevin's
office is Mr. Burnham's former office!)
Dr. Eileen Friel, Lowell Observatory Director (Dr. Millis just retired--he's
out of town, unable to attend which is a shame because he helped me a lot
with this project)
Donna Courtney will read her Uncle's poem--(the poem on the first page of
Volume 1 that starts: Midnight...)
Tom and I will talk about our work on the project
Tony Ortega, Editor, Village Voice, Burnham biographer
Norm and Bruce Thomas, a co-worker of Burnham's on the Proper Motion Survey
and his son a close friend of Mr. Burnham.
Nat White a co-worker at Lowell
Presentation of a scholarship and a set of Burnham's to Prescott High School
(Robert Burnham Jr. Class of 1949)
Adjourn for a walk over to the Memorial.
We have dinner reservations for 35 at 5:00 at Little America Hotel ,
Western Gold Restaurant, 2515 E. Butler Avenue Flagstaff 800-435-2491
Hoping to see a lot of you tomorrow.
Jennifer Polakis----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne (aka Mr. Galaxy)" <mrgalaxy@xxxxxxxx>
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 4:52 PM
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Burnham Celebration at Lowell this Saturday
2pm!!!!!
15480 Empire Rd.
Benson, AZ 85602
hm ph: 520-586-2244
Hi Jennifer,
Boy, I really wish I could make this special dedication to the memory of
Robert Burnham, Jr.! Like many people, I wondered whatever happened to the
author of the Celestial Handbook and like any story, there is a "rest of the
story".
Around 1996, I and my then roommate, Todd Hansen, of the Riverside
Astronomical Society (RAS), had started a half-hearted search for the author
just to see what he was doing, maybe teaching or working at another
observatory, etc. We knew that this Burnham was not the same person as the
Burnham who was the editor of Astronomy Magazine. Rumors had it (from Brian
Skiff - I had asked him by direct email or on Sci.Astro.Amateur) that
Burnham had run off to California and was riding his bike up and down the
California coast or was selling cat paintings in San Diego. I had gone to
NAU at the same time as Brian and took an astronomy class with him. I
probably met Burnham in my several visits to Lowell, but unfortunately my
memory of him is dim. He was reputedly shy around strangers and I never got
to know him, much to my regret. Later, after I had moved to California,
Brian lived in the same cabin at Lowell Observatory as Burnham occupied for
a time and my wife and I had a chance to
stay there while visiting Brian around 1998.
As it turned out, the second rumor about Burnham selling cat paintings was
true. He was selling his paintings in Balboa Park near the Rueben H. Fleet
Space Museum/Planetarium and would occasionally go to meetings there in the
presence of director Dennis Mammana, who says he has recollections of
Burnham and his activities, but never knew Burnham's personal, pathetic
circumstances. That was about as far as I got with my investigation, when I
happened to talk to Tony Ortega, who at the time lived in the Los Angeles
area and was a member of the Orange County Astronomers (OCA) of which I was
president at the time, about looking around for Robert Burnham. I did not
realize he was a reporter for the Newtimes newspaper and have no idea
whether he was already on the scent for his wonderful article, but I like to
think that I may have helped plant the seed for it because it was about a
year later that I caught wind of the article. The most unfortunate news that
we learned from the art
icle was that Robert Burnham, author of one of the most wonderful tomes on
amateur astronomy, was already dead for about two years under the worst of
conditions at the time Todd and I started our search. One other thing we
learned from the article was that Burnham was cremated and buried in a
pauper's columbarium north of San Diego.
Shortly after the article appeared Tony organized a remembrance of Burnham's
life at his gravesite in Point Loma. About six people showed up, among them
co-worker Norm Thomas, who tried to get Burnham's life back to normalcy, and
very interestingly, two or three of the children, now young men, one of them
being Norm's son, Bruce, shown in a photo playing on the beach, on the
dedication page of volume one of the Celestial Handbook. We never saw those
people again, but Tony gave a wonderful talk about the life of Burnham and
the research that went into writing his article at the 1998 RTMC in Big
Bear, California, where he invited Burnham's sister and niece. It was one of
the most poignant moments ever at the Conference.
And that's, the rest of the story... I hope Tony is able to make it out for
the celebration in Flagstaff and am really upset that I can't. I
congratulate the SAC members who were finally able to get the memorial to
Robert Burnham, Jr realized after several false starts.
Clear skies,
Wayne (aka Mr. Galaxy)
---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Jennifer Polakis" <m24@xxxxxxx>
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Burnham Celebration at Lowell this Saturday
2pm!!!!!
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:06:01 -0700
Hi Frank--It should last about an hour, then we'll walk over and view the
memorial.
Jennifer
----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank OGorman" <fogastro@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 2:01 PM
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Burnham Celebration at Lowell this Saturday
2pm!!!!!
I'd like to thanks those of you who posted the links to the stories about
Robert Burnham. I had no idea that there was such an interesting and tragic
story behind the name - I thought he was just another famous astronomer
(hey, SAC is full of those!) for whom it was time to dedicate a plaque. It's
a lot more meaningful now.
I wasn't planning on going to the dedication this weekend, but I probably
will now, if I can make it.
I see that it starts at 2:00 - any idea how long it is expected to last?
Thanks,
Frank
________________________________
Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2009 7:29:12 PM
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Burnham Celebration at Lowell this Saturday 2pm!!!!!
Re: It's up at Phoenix New TimesIt's posted in New Times!
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/08/flagstaffs_lowell_observatory.php
Please call/write me directly if you have any questions or need help with
directions to Lowell. I've made reservations for dinner for 30 people at
Little America's restaurant there. Please bring $cash if you plan to eat
with us afterward to save the waitstaff from the separate checks mess.
Thanks,
Jennifer Polakis
Burnham Memorial Project
M24@xxxxxxx
480 967-1658
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