As I work with the historical glass plate images at the Carnegie Observatories, I frequently experience a sense of wonder at the order of the universe.
I dream of being the Indiana Jones of libraries—discovering lost treasures hiding in back rooms, attics, and even basements. This is the story of my work with Allan Sandage’s personal collection of astronomical glass plates and my efforts to make them more widely discoverable.
![Kit Whitten holding a plate from the Sandage colelction](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/plate-portrait_51420251293_o.jpg.webp?itok=WdZGZ0u9)
![Kit Whitten in the Hale Library](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/hale-library-portrait-1_51480938244_o.png.webp?itok=wn8WV9JI)
![Spectra plates at OBS](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/spectra_51419252302_o.jpg.webp?itok=c0LpId7F)
![Tour at OBS](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/open-house-1_51423196295_o.jpg.webp?itok=TLhsqEoR)
![Moon Globe in Hale Library](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/moon-globe_51419991796_o.jpg.webp?itok=409ECuH9)
![Kit Whitten with solar plates](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/solar-portrait_51480938484_o.png.webp?itok=4pRkLDrg)
![Plates in the Sandage collection](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/plates-drawer_51419275652_o.jpg.webp?itok=t4CJNLSR)
![Light Boxes with Moon Plates](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/lightboxes-2_51423196420_o.jpg.webp?itok=iHlcYQnK)
![Tour at OBS](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/open-house-3_51419991851_o.jpg.webp?itok=DpV35iJ2)
![Kit Whitten with Direct Images Plates](/sites/default/files/styles/embed_large/public/2022-07/direct-images-portrait_51480216496_o.png.webp?itok=KmiK1X_P)
![Kit Whitten holding a plate from the Sandage colelction](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/plate-portrait_51420251293_o.jpg.webp?itok=HEWB8Mxj)
Kit-Whitten_Sandage-plate.jpg
![Kit Whitten in the Hale Library](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/hale-library-portrait-1_51480938244_o.png.webp?itok=3_5Ur6Qn)
Kit-Whitten_Hale-library-portrait.png
![Spectra plates at OBS](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/spectra_51419252302_o.jpg.webp?itok=9fSVlnFl)
spectra.jpg
![Tour at OBS](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/open-house-1_51423196295_o.jpg.webp?itok=4YejznmJ)
Tour.jpg
![Moon Globe in Hale Library](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/moon-globe_51419991796_o.jpg.webp?itok=qvvNsMj5)
moon-globe.jpg
![Kit Whitten with solar plates](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/solar-portrait_51480938484_o.png.webp?itok=bhbGumkc)
Kit-Whitten_solar-plates-portrait.png
![Plates in the Sandage collection](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/plates-drawer_51419275652_o.jpg.webp?itok=4rE4Pt00)
plates-drawer.jpg
![Light Boxes with Moon Plates](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/lightboxes-2_51423196420_o.jpg.webp?itok=wS4rijLH)
lightboxes-2.jpg
![Tour at OBS](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/open-house-3_51419991851_o.jpg.webp?itok=q3kkfv7I)
Tour_2.jpg
![Kit Whitten with Direct Images Plates](/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_thumbnail/public/2022-07/direct-images-portrait_51480216496_o.png.webp?itok=TbBLciI2)
Kit-Whitten_Direct-images-portrait.png