The Archives and Special Collections of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) are home to a wonderful collection of early photographs that belonged to Maria Mitchell, the Mitchell family, and those who knew them. These images of Maria and her family members were captured as daguerreotypes, tintypes, albumens, and other early forms of photographs. Below are some of the more popular images.
1. Maria Mitchell, ca. 1865
2. Maria Mitchell, ca. 1851 (Herminia B. Dassel)
3. Maria Mitchell, ca. 1865
4. Maria Mitchell, ca. 1855
5. Maria Mitchell, ca. 1860
6. Maria Mitchell, ca. 1851 (framed, Herminia B. Dassel)
7. Maria Mitchell at Lynn, MA Observatory, ca. 1888
8. Maria Mitchell at Lynn, MA (from original albumen)
9. Maria Mitchell and Mary Whitney, Vassar College Dome, ca. 1887
10. Maria Mitchell and Her Students, Vassar College, ca. 1870
11. Maria Mitchell and Her Sisters, Nantucket, ca. 1855
12. Denver, Colorado Eclipse, 1878
13. Burlington, Iowa Eclipse 1869
14. View, Maria Mitchell's Lynn, MA Observatory, ca. 1888
15. Maria Mitchell with Champney Family, Deerfield, MA, ca. 1885
16. Maria Mitchell and Her First Astronomy Class at Vassar College, June 1866
17. Maria Mitchell's Gold Medal for Comet Discovery, 1847
18. Vassar College Observatory, ca. 1870
19. Maria Mitchell's Rooms at Vassar College Observatory, 1875
20. Pacific National Bank, ca. 1860
21. Pacific National Bank, ca. 1875
22. William Mitchell and Maria Mitchell, ca. 1867 (original albumen)
23. William Mitchell and Maria Mitchell, ca. 1867 (from original albumen)
24. Liberty Ship Named for Maria Mitchell, World War II
25. William Mitchell and Eliza Katherine Mitchell, 1851 (Herminia B. Dassel)
26. American Academy of Arts and Sciences Certificate, 1848
27. William and Lydia Coleman Mitchell
28. William Mitchell, ca. 1840 (attributed to Sanford Mason)
29. William Mitchell, ca. 1855 (William Summerhayes, Nantucket)
30. William Mitchell, August 1867
32. Transit of Venus by Vassar Student, Assistant and then Professor Mary Whitney, 1882
33. Phebe Mitchell Kendall, ca. 1870
34. Anne Mitchell Macy, ca. 1855 (tintype)
35. William Forster Mitchell, Charlotte Dow Mitchell, and daughter, Anne Maria Mitchell, ca.1855
36. Mitchell House (b. 1790) and Maria Mitchell Observatory (b. 1908), ca. 1910
37. Mitchell House, ca. 1970
38. Mitchell House and Observatory, 1989
39. Mitchell House, current
40. Mitchell Family Plot and Loines Observatory
41. Founders of the Maria Mitchell Association, ca. 1905
42. Interior of the Mitchell House, ca. 1900
43. Nantucket Maria Mitchell Observatory, ca. 1930
These images may potentially be utilized by students, researchers, and publications. The following are the steps to be taken for requesting the use of an image.
A request must be made in writing to the MMA’s curator. Please print and complete the Publication and Use Agreement Update 2021, noting the image number(s) above corresponding to the image(s) you wish to use. Once completed, the form can be faxed, emailed, or mailed to:
Jascin Leonardo Finger, Curator
Maria Mitchell Association
4 Vestal Street Nantucket, MA 02554
Email: jfinger@mariamitchell.org Phone: 508.228.2896
Facsimile: 508.228.1031
Once approved, and payment completed, the image will be emailed to you or mailed on compact disc for additional fees. See the The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Historic Photograph Collection 2021.docx for information concerning fees associated with the reproduction of the MMA images. The MMA will accept checks, Mastercard or Visa for payment.
The image(s) reproduced from the MMA collection is for a one-time, non-transferable use in one format. Should the image need to be re-used, a request must again be made. All reproductions must include proper citation. See Publication and Use Agreement Form for further details, rules, and restrictions. The applicant agrees to send one copy to the MMA of the resulting publication in which the image is featured at no cost to the MMA.
For any questions, please contact the curator at the address or email above or by calling (508) 228-2896.
Please follow the directions outlined on the Archive and Historic Photograph Use page. Please do not pre-pay. You will be asked to make payment only after your request is approved. Thank you.
