Papers of Felix Ehrenhaft, 1914-1981(bulk 1939-1957).
Repository
American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics.
College Park, MD 20740
Papers created by
Felix Ehrenhaft
Size of collection
5 linear feet
(5 records boxes)
Short description of collection
The collection contains the papers of Felix Ehrenhaft, documenting his work in the field of physics. This collection includes media clippings, physics pamphlets, physics notes, manuscripts and personal correspondence.
Language(s) of collection
English.
Accession number
AR 126
Felix Ehrenhaft was born on April 24, 1879 in Vienna, Austria. He received his doctorate in physics from the University of Vienna in 1903. Early in his career, Ehrenhaft focused on the measurement of electronic charges. He later expanded his work to the area of photophoresis and other effects on the interaction of particles with light. In 1920, he was appointed professor of experimental physics at the University of Vienna where he became good friends with Albert Einstein. In 1938, following the rise of Nazi power in Germany and Austria, Ehrenhaft emigrated to England and then later to the United States where he became a citizen.
While in the United States, Ehrenhaft began to diverge from the mainstream of physics with his observations of unique and reproducible physical phenomenon. However, his explanations for these observations were seen by other physicists as bizarre and unsubstantiated. During the 1940s, his views became even more extreme and eventually leading to the end of his good friendship with Einstein. He found it difficult to receive funding and recognition for his work in the United States and in 1946, returned to the University of Vienna where he once again held his old position. While back in Austria, Ehrenhaft continued his work on physics in the area of magnetic monopoles. He died on March 4, 1952.
(Wikipedia, 4 December 2006)
This collection contains the personal papers of Felix Ehrenhaft including physics publications related to his work; newspaper and media clippings from popular and scholarly presses documenting his discoveries and the subject of science in general; his lecture notes on physics; and the creator's unpublished manuscript relating to his research in physics. The collection also includes correspondence primarily between the creator and his children, between his son and his daughter, and between his son to Ehrenhaft's physicians in Vienna.
Also included in the collection are biographical materials including a 30 page handwritten autobiography in German, journal entries by his wife Lilly Rona-Ehrenhaft, a photocopy of the guest book to the Ehrenhaft home in Vienna, and media clippings documenting his scientific discoveries.
Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/item-request.
The scholar pledges not to quote from, cite, or reproduce by any means this material except with the written permission of the Institute.
These papers have been indexed in the International Catalog of Sources for History of Physics and Allied Sciences (ICOS) using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
Persons
Alpert, Ann.
Ehrenhaft, Johann L.
Ehrenhaft, Lilly Rona.
Institutions
Universität Wien.
Subject terms
Electrons.
Magnetism.
Occupation terms
Physicists.
Genre terms
Manuscripts.
Organized into the following series, with subseries where appropriate:
- Series I. Biographical materials
- Series II. Correspondence
- Series III. Publications and notes
The arrangement of the collection is by chronological order within each series.
The materials were initially stored in large envelopes, and the contents were left in the orginal order in which they arrived. After removing the materials from the envelopes and placing them in acid-free folders, it was discovered that there had been some prior arrangement to the collection. Several folders were moved in order to make the arrangement more logical within the orginal order.
A gift from his son, Johann L. Ehrenhaft, in 1980 ; additional transfer from the Burndy Library in 1986.
This collection was processed by Sean A. Mulligan in November 2006.
Cite as: Item and date, Folder __, Box __, Papers of Felix Ehrenhaft, 1914-1981, Niels Bohr Library, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD.
Title
Finding Aid to Papers of Felix Ehrenhaft, 1914-1981 (bulk 1939-1957)
Publisher
American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics.
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
nbl@aip.org
February 21, 2007
Encoding Information
Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Melanie J. Brown in 2007. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.
| Box 1 |
Folder 1 |
Autobiography,
No date |
|
Folder 2 |
Copy of guest book,
1927-1938 |
|
Folder 3 |
Journal entries – Lilly Rona,
February-December 1942 |
|
Folder 4 |
Journal entries – Lilly Rona,
January 1943-January 1944 |
|
Folder 5 |
Journal entries – Lilly Rona,
January-December 1944 |
|
Folder 6 |
Journal entries – Lilly Rona,
February-December 1945 |
| Box 1 |
Folder 7 |
Correspondence – physics notes,
1939-1947 [bulk 1940-1941] |
|
Folder 8 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [1 of 2],
1939-1945 [bulk 1942] |
|
Folder 9 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [2 of 2],
1939-1945 [bulk 1942] |
|
Folder 10 |
Correspondence – physics notes [1 of 3],
1939-1946 [bulk 1942-1946] |
|
Folder 11 |
Correspondence – physics notes [2 of 3],
1939-1946 [bulk 1942-1946] |
|
Folder 12 |
Correspondence – physics notes [3 of 3],
1939-1946 [bulk 1942-1946] |
|
Folder 13 |
Correspondence,
1940-1941 |
|
Folder 14 |
Correspondence ,
1940-1942 |
|
Folder 15 |
Correspondence – physics notes ,
1940-1944 |
|
Folder 16 |
Correspondence [1 of 2],
1940-1947 |
|
Folder 17 |
Correspondence [2 of 2],
1940-1947 |
|
Folder 18 |
Correspondence – New Energy Concept notes – newspaper clippings ,
1940-1949 |
|
Folder 19 |
Correspondence ,
January 1941-January 1942 |
|
Folder 20 |
Correspondence – data of Ehrenhaft,
1941-1947 |
|
Folder 21 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [1 of 2],
1941-1949 [bulk 1942] |
|
Folder 22 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [2 of 2],
1941-1949 [bulk 1942] |
|
Folder 23 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [1 of 2],
1941-1951 [bulk 1941] |
|
Folder 24 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [2 of 2],
1941-1951 [bulk 1941] |
|
Folder 25 |
Correspondence – physics notes – media clippings ,
1941-1954 |
|
Folder 26 |
Correspondence – physics notes,
1942-1945 [bulk 1942-1943 |
| Box 2 |
Folder 1 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings,
1942-1956 [bulk 1942-1947] |
|
Folder 2 |
Correspondence – physics notes [1 of 2],
April 1943-January 1944 [bulk 1943] |
|
Folder 3 |
Correspondence – physics notes [2 of 2],
April 1943-January 1944 [bulk 1943] |
|
Folder 4 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [1 of 2],
1943-1944 [bulk 1944] |
|
Folder 5 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings [2 of 2],
1943-1944 [bulk 1944] |
|
Folder 6 |
Correspondence – physics notes – media clippings [1 of 4],
1943-1956 [bulk 1943-1948] |
|
Folder 7 |
Correspondence – physics notes – media clippings [2 of 4],
1943-1956 [bulk 1943-1948] |
|
Folder 8 |
Correspondence – physics notes – media clippings [3 of 4],
1943-1956 [bulk 1943-1948] |
|
Folder 9 |
Correspondence – physics notes – media clippings [4 of 4],
1943-1956 [bulk 1943-1948] |
|
Folder 10 |
Correspondence – physics notes,
1944-1945 |
|
Folder 11 |
Correspondence – newspaper clippings,
1944-1945 [bulk 1944] |
|
Folder 12 |
Correspondence – physics notes [1 of 2],
1944-1957 [bulk 1947] |
|
Folder 13 |
Correspondence – physics notes [2 of 2],
1944-1957 [bulk 1947] |
|
Folder 14 |
Letter envelopes – receipts – correspondence,
1944-1981 [bulk 1944- 1945] |
|
Folder 15 |
Correspondence – journal entries – Lilly Rona,
1945 |
|
Folder 16 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper clippings,
May 1946-January 1947 |
|
Folder 17 |
Correspondence – physics notes Lilly Rona,
1947-1952 |
|
Folder 18 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper Lilly Rona [1 of 3],
1947-1957 |
|
Folder 19 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper Lilly Rona [2 of 3],
1947-1957 |
|
Folder 20 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper Lilly Rona [3 of 3],
1947-1957 |
|
Folder 21 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper [1 of 2],
1948-1958 |
|
Folder 22 |
Correspondence – physics notes – newspaper [2 of 2],
1948-1958 |
|
Folder 23 |
Correspondence [1 of 2],
1948-1961 [bulk 1948-1952] |
|
Folder 24 |
Correspondence [2 of 2],
1948-1961 [bulk 1948-1952] |
|
Folder 25 |
Correspondence [1 of 2],
1950-1955 |
|
Folder 26 |
Correspondence [2 of 2],
1950-1955 |
|
Folder 27 |
Correspondence,
1950-1961 |
| Box 3 |
Folder 1 |
Correspondence – Lilly Rona [1 of 3],
1955-1957 |
|
Folder 2 |
Correspondence – Lilly Rona [2 of 3],
1955-1957 |
|
Folder 3 |
Correspondence – Lilly Rona [3 of 3],
1955-1957 |
Subseries A: Publications and reprint articles,
n.d.
| Box 3 |
Folder 4 |
Ehrenhaft – Schuler [article reprints],
1914-1921 |
|
Folder 5 |
Ehrenhaft – Abhandlunger [article reprints],
1915-1926 |
|
Folder 6 |
Ehrenhaft – Schnler [article reprints],
1922-1926 |
|
Folder 7 |
Ehrenhaft – [article reprints],
1927-1930 |
|
Folder 8 |
Ehrenhaft – Schuler – Abhandlunger [article reprints],
1927-1930 |
|
Folder 9 |
Physics publications [1 of 3],
1939-1956 |
|
Folder 10 |
Physics publications [2 of 3],
1939-1956 |
|
Folder 11 |
Physics publications [3 of 3],
1939-1956 |
|
Folder 12 |
Annals of Physics – publication ,
March-April 1940 |
|
Folder 13 |
The Microcoulomb Experiment,
Jul-41 |
| Box 4 |
Folder 1 |
Ehrenhaft – [article reprints],
1940-1950 |
|
Folder 2 |
Ehrenhaft – [article reprints],
1940-1951 |
|
Folder 3 |
Physics publications – notes,
n.d. |
|
Folder 4 |
Media clippings – physics papers ,
1940-1945 |
|
Folder 5 |
Media clippings – correspondence,
1944-1969 [bulk 1944-1945] |
|
Folder 6 |
Miscellaneous papers – newspaper clippings,
1944-1979 |
|
Folder 7 |
Physics notes,
1946-1948 |
|
Folder 8 |
Media clippings – correspondence,
1946-1955 |
|
Folder 9 |
Various physics pamphlets [1 of 2],
1947-1950 |
|
Folder 10 |
Various physics pamphlets [2 of 2],
1947-1950 |
Subseries B: Lecture Notes about Physics,
n.d.
| Box 4 |
Folder 11 |
Lecture notes [1 of 2],
No date |
|
Folder 12 |
Lecture notes [2 of 2],
No date |
|
Folder 13 |
Notes on physics,
1941-1949 [bulk 1946-1948] |
|
Folder 14 |
Notes on physics [1 of 3],
1941-1956 |
|
Folder 15 |
Notes on physics [2 of 3],
1941-1956 |
|
Folder 16 |
Notes on physics [3 of 3],
1941-1956 |
| Box 5 |
Folder 1 |
Physics notes,
1943 |
|
Folder 2 |
Newspapers – physics notes – rough draft of play,
1944 |
|
Folder 3 |
Notes on physics,
1945-1949 |
|
Folder 4 |
Notes on physics – Lilly Rona,
1945-1946 |
|
Folder 5 |
Physics notes [bulk] – correspondence [1 of 2] ,
1946-1950 |
|
Folder 6 |
Physics notes [bulk] – correspondence [2 of 2],
1946-1950 |
|
Folder 7 |
Physics notes – New Energy Concept – Lilly Rona,
January-November 1947 |
|
Folder 8 |
Notes by Lilly Rona – Ehrenhaft,
1957 |
Subseries C: Unpublished manuscripts and drafts,
n.d.
| Box 5 |
Folder 9 |
Part of unpublished book,
No date |
|
Folder 10 |
Manuscript of book – unpublished [1 of 6],
No date |
|
Folder 11 |
Manuscript of book – unpublished [2 of 6],
No date |
|
Folder 12 |
Manuscript of book – unpublished [3 of 6],
No date |
|
Folder 13 |
Manuscript of book – unpublished [4 of 6],
No date |
|
Folder 14 |
Manuscript of book – unpublished [5 of 6],
No date |
|
Folder 15 |
Manuscript of book – unpublished [6 of 6],
No date |
|
Folder 16 |
Part unpublished book,
1952 |
