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The item is a 6 inch transit circle. The transit circle is an instrument used to determine the declination of stellar onjects. It consists of a circular scale kept perpendicular to the rotating axis of a telescope tube.

This item was a stellar object requires two coordinates to locate it on the sky, as the sky is a two-dimensional plane. One of these coordinates known as declination. This is similar to the two co-ordinates viz. latitude and longitude, defining a point on the surface of the earth. The transit circle is an instrument used to determine the declination of stellar onjects. It consists of a circular scale kept perpendicular to the rotating axis of a telescope tube.

The fond contains Results of observations of the fixed stars made with the Meridian Circle at the Government Observatory , Madras

This item was a optical instrument named as Stereoscope. Stereoscopes are apparently those optical devices that help to view the two images separately and with relaxed eyes. There are two types of stereoscopes as: lens or pocket stereoscopes and mirror stereoscopes. Lens or pocket stereoscopes are great for viewing the whole overlap area of prints up to 9 cm × 13 cm or parts of larger patterns. On the other hand, mirror stereoscopes were designed to accept standard 23 cm × 23 cm metric air photos and work well with A4/US letter-sized prints. Most models come with magnifying options up to eight times, which is pretty impressive. One cool thing about mirror stereoscopes is that they are large enough to allow the analyst to draw beneath them, so it is possible to trace objects identified in the stereoview with a pen onto one of the images or a transparent overlay. However, it's important to remember that this sketch wouldn't have the geometric properties of a map as it contains all distortions present in the base image.

This fond contains items related to John Evershed and about his discoveries.

The album contains archival documents related to John Evershed, a brief biography, photographs, scientific discoveries in astrophysics, drawings, and sketches of observations from the Kodaikanal Solar Physics Observatory. The album starts with a crisp description of the life of John Eveshed. The photographs in the album are based on the following themes: the mechanical workshop and the spectroheliograph, the plaque installed in 1975 in Kodaikanal to commemorate the discovery of the Evershed effect, observatory buildings, and Evershed with the Kodaikanal Observatory staff. In addition, a detailed description related to the Evershed effect is reproduced from bulletin No. XV(1909) of Kodaikanal Observatory, a photo of Halley's comet and a picture of the moon hand-drawn by Evershed, spectra of nova aquilae in 1918, pencil sketches by Evershed on the solar prominences are preserved in this album. Each item is provided with captions.

The album contains photographs related to the professional and personal life of John Evershed, particularly in India, Australia, and England, from 1909 to 1953. The album shows different events such as John Evershed using a spectroheliograph at Kodaikanal, camp life in India, Evershed with his wife at Kashmir, a group photo including Evershed, Thomas Royds, and the Kodaikanal Observatory staff, the visit of Evershed for his research at Srinagar, Kashmir, and Wallal, a photo of Evershed and his signature. At the album's end, the photo of his old age at Highbroom and Heath cottage with his pet dog- Brock, has also been archived.

The album includes photographs captured during the installation of the H-alpha telescope at Kodaikanal Observatory in 2014 by an expert team from China. The H-Alpha telescope has a 20 cm doublet objective lens that produces a beam at f/7.9. The telescope creates a full-disk image of the sun using extra optics. The telescope can also be used to magnify a portion of the sun's disc. The album includes all stages of the installation process with the caption and instruments associated with the telescope. Photos of the IIA team with the team who came from China and cultural programme photos are also archived in this album. It was installed during the directorship of P. Sreekumar.

The album includes photographs taken of different events held at the Kodaikanal Observatory during the directorship of M. K. Vainu Bappu. The photos belong to the following events

1. Retirement of Poomban
2. Farewell party of Anil Kumar Das in 1960
3. M. K. Vainu. Bappu with the D. G. O. Mr P. R. Krishna Rao and other staff
4. M. K. Vainu. Bappu with Prof. s. Chandrasekhar and staff
5. M. K. Vainu. Bappu with Kodaikanal Observatory staff
6. Visit of Russian scientist to Kodaikanal Observatory
7. Kashiviswanathan with M. K. K. V. Bappu
8. The participants of the electronic class conducted by J. C. Bhattacharyya
9. M. K. Vainu. Bappu with Estimate Committee members
10. Retirement of C. G. Veeraraghavan
11. Retirement of P. Madhavan Nair
12. Retirement of N. Sundharam
13. Felicitation party of M. K.V. Bappu for his Padmabhushan Award
14. 1st Astronomical Society of India meeting
15. 1st Astronomical Society of India meeting

The album contains photos and observations related to Norman Robert Pogson, an English astronomer who worked in India at the Madras Observatory as a Government astronomer from 1861 to 1891. He undertook observations of comets and found numerous minor planets. The album starts with a photograph of Norman Robert Pogson, who had signed it himself. Images of the Madras Observatory and Kodaikanal Observatory, as well as photos of Pogsons's Grave and brass plaque at St. George's Cathedral, Madras, are also archived in this album. In addition, copies of the critical astronomical observations undertaken by N. R. Pogson. A copy of the catalogue for the observation of the minor planet 'Asia', a hand-painted solar spectrum of the total Solar Eclipse in 1868, a copy of the title page of observations of the fixed stars made with the meridian circle and a title page of variable star catalogue. The photographs in this album were collected and presented to Ms. Cherry Amstrong, the great-great-granddaughter of Norman Robert Pogson, during her visit to the Kodaikanal Observatory on 16th February 2006.