The Ridgway papers constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of scientific research in the American West during the 1860s and of American scientific illustration during the latter part of the 19th century. The collection spans a period from 1864 through the early 1940s and chronicles the lives of two important American naturalists, John and Robert Ridgway. The fact that the two were brothers, and that their collection contains a great deal of family material, adds a unique perspective to the collection. A portion of the collection relates to the preparation and participation of Robert Ridgway as a zoologist on the 1867-68 United States Geological Fortieth parallel Survey. The material on Robert also covers his work at the Smithsonian Institution during the 1870s. Unlike the material pertaining to Robert, the papers that belong to John Ridgway are illustrative. Because of these two distinct differences within the collection it has been organized into three areas: correspondence, miscellaneous, and art.

The correspondence selection pertains totally to Robert Ridgway. This early correspondence with Baird gave Ridgway an entree to be included in the U.S.G.S. Fortieth Parallel Survey of 1867.

In contrast to these letters, the correspondence that Ridgway received from his family portrays different concerns and interests. First and foremost, in the minds of his parents was a concern for his well-being. They worried about him falling off cliffs, being chased by Indians and other images that his parents conjured up about the wild West. The letters also desired to share in Robert's excitement, as they asked for photographs and fresh reports on his work. This correspondence clearly demonstrates the strong sense of family ties between the Ridgways.

The correspondence has been arranged in an alphabetical and chronological order. The outgoing correspondence, from Robert Ridgway, has been placed in chronological order, while the incoming correspondence has been arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Folders 1a, 1b, and 1c are an addendum to this collection and consist of twenty-one letters between Ridgway and Baird from 1844—1866. This correspondence provides a rich view of Ridgway's early artwork, bird watching, and involvement in the sciences. The materials in these three folders are photocopies of the originals housed in the Smithsonian Institute Archives, Record Unit 7167. The Smithsonian's citation numbers have been retained on these letters.

The material about and by John Ridgway is mainly artwork. In this collection are oil paintings, pencil drawings, brush drawings and pen and ink illustrations done by John. The earliest dated piece was done in 1889 and the latest dated piece was finished in 1942. The finest material, done by John, in the collection are a series of drawings and proof prints that have been placed into a scrapbook. Many of these pieces are unpublished.

The remainder of the material is miscellaneous and has been processed topically. The material consists of photographs, printed material, and family items.

Conservation Note: Conservation measures that have been taken for this collection are as follows. With the exception of the art, the remainder of the papers have been de-acidified in a solution of Wei T'O. Where necessary, the letters and other items have been repaired and encapsulated. The Ridgway papers have been placed into acid free folders and then housed in acid free Pohlig Brothers Boxes. Any nitrate photo negatives were removed and placed in cold storage.