- A-208
- Item
- June 1960
View facing southeast with Arts Building and University Hospital in foreground; Chemistry Building, the Bowl and Administration Building at centre.
View facing southeast with Arts Building and University Hospital in foreground; Chemistry Building, the Bowl and Administration Building at centre.
Looking northwest with Griffiths Stadium in foreground, campus buildings north of College Drive at centre of image. Construction of Arts Building in progress.
View looking northeast of campus. Road to President's Residence running along bottom of image; University Hospital at centre. Saskatchewan Research Council building under construction in background centre; University lands and Sutherland also in background.
Looking northeast at campus with the Bowl at centre with surrounding buildings; tennis courts at far left.
Aerial view looking northeast of the Observatory in winter. Construction of the Memorial Union Building at centre; Emmanuel College at right.
Bio/Historical Note: The Observatory was designed by Gentil J.K. Verbeke and constructed in two phases using local limestone from 1928-1930 for about $23,000. The R. J. Arrand Contracting Co. was contracted to build the Observatory Tower in 1928 for a cost of $6625. The firm completed the tower $353 under budget on 14 April 1929, for $6,272. On 20 June 1929 R. J. Arrand was again awarded a contract by the University, this time to build the small classroom wing of the Observatory for $15,640. Work on the classroom wing was completed on 23 January 1930 for $15,034.50. University funding for the construction of the building was supplemented by private donations. Along with the Field Husbandry Building, the Observatory would be among the last free-standing buildings constructed on campus until after World War II. A plaque with the names of many donors still hangs inside the dome of the observatory. Saskatoon residents will find many of the names highly recognizable even today. A sundial was added to the exterior of the Observatory during the 1940s. It reads:
I am a Shadow
So art thou
The observatory facilities are available for use by both university students and visitors to the campus. The telescopes and other scientific equipment are used by students during the laboratory component of their courses. University personnel regularly offer tours of the observatory to elementary and high school classes, youth groups and other community associations. The Observatory is staffed year-round on Saturday nights so that any visitor may view celestial objects through the telescope.
Looking northeast across campus; Varsity View homes on College Drive visible at right.
Looking north at University Hospital and Medical Building. College Drive in the foreground.
Looking north at Qu'Appelle Hall and Saskatchewan Hall in foreground; surrounding campus buildings in background.
Looking west at Main Barn at centre; Chemistry Building, Administration Building, and other campus buildings also visible. College Drive runs at bottom left.
Looking west at construction on Biology and Arts buildings; Physical Education Building in foreground.
View of construction work on Biology and Arts buildings. Chemistry Building, Administration Building, north wing of Murray Memorial (Main) Library, and the Bowl in background.
Looking east at Arts Building and the Bowl and surrounding buildings; the Canada Agriculture Research Station, Department of Public Works, at foreground left. Thorvaldson addition of Chemistry Building under construction, Marquis Hall, Physical Education Building addition and Qu'Appelle Hall addition visible.
View looking west at Preston Avenue running along bottom of image; campus in foreground.
View looking northwest with relocation of Griffiths Stadium underway with track visible at bottom of image. College Drive and campus buildings at centre, with city in background.
Looking northwest at the Bowl and surrounding buildings in foreground; South Saskatchewan River and prairie fields in background.