This fond contains official letters, photographs, and administrative files related to P. R. Chidambara Ayer during the years 1919-1932.

This item was about the photograph of Thomas Royds. Thomas Royds (1923-1937) succeeded John Evershed as the Kodaikanal Observatory Director in 1923 and retired in 1937.

This item was about the photo of Chintamanny Ragoonatha Chary (1840 - 1880). He was one of the first professional Indian astronomers who was attached to Madras Observatory. He worked with Captain Jacob and Mr.Pogson. He was well known for his work on variable stars, having discovered 2 variable stars, one R Reticuli 1871 and V Cephei 1878. He took an active part in two eclipses, total eclipse of the Sun 1868 and 1871. He was elected a fellow of Royal Astronomical Society in 1872. He brought out a pamphlet on the transit of Venus, This was not only in English but also in several vernacular languages.

The fond contain compliation of Photographs, Newspaper Clippings and Correspondence to M.K. Vainu Bappu and Institutes

The item is a group photo of Dr. Anil Kumar Das, Prof. K. R. Ramanathan, and other employees of the Kodaikanal Observatory with astronomer Royal from Kodaikanal Observatory in 1947. K. R. Ramanathan was an Indian physicist and meteorologist. He was the first Director of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.

The item is related to the visit of Prof. Sydney Chapman to the Kodaikanal Solar Physics Observatory on 1948 December 31. Sydney Chapman was a British mathematician and geophysicist who contributed to the kinetic theory of gases, solar-terrestrial physics, and the Earth's ozone layer. The photo shows Prof. Chapman and Dr. Anil Kumar Das, the observatory's director, sitting with the other staff. The visit of Prof. Chapman was a noteworthy feature of that year.

This fond contains letters, several photographs, and observations related to A. A Narayana Ayer during the year 1913-1920.

This item was about John Evershed (1911-1923) who joined Kodaikanal Observatory in 1907 as the Assistant Director and became the Director in 1911. In 1909, Evershed discovered that there is radial outflow of gases in a sunspot. This effect is now Known as the "Evershed Effect". For this seminal work, he was elected to the Royal Society in 1915 and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1916.

This item was donated by Cherry Armstrong Great-Great Grand daughter of N.R.Pogson in 2006. We can see that Mr. Pogson was standing with Lucy Sylvia, An unknown Indian and Louise Camilla. Some small children were also seen in the photo seated infront, who probably be Charles Albion, Isis, and Robert Owen.

This item was about the Norman Robert Pogson in 1861. N.R. Pogson was appointed the government astronomer at Madras, India. When he arrived he had to work under harsh conditions. He found the instruments in a bad shape and there were no proper staff to assist him. In spite of all these he began a series of observations which terminated with his death 30 year later. He as credited with 50,000 observations most of which were published by Michie Smith after Pogsons death. During his stay in Madras he discoverd several minor planets and detected large number of variable stars. He named his daughters after the minor planets he discovered. He was also well known for his work in comets and solar eclipses.