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Judith Bregman Collection, 1966-1993

Call Number

RG.013

Dates

1966-1993, inclusive
; 1966-1970, bulk

Creator

Extent

4.5 Cubic Feet collection contains 35 16mm films.

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Abstract

Judith Bregman was a professor of Physics at Polytechnic Institute of New York from 1957 until her death in 1978. During her time at Poly, she developed an interest in the preparation of instructional films, and is perhaps most well-known for her film 'Symmetry', which was created in 1966 in cooperation with Alan Holden, Richard Davisson, and Philip Stapp. This collection is comprised of 16 mm films Bregman helped to create and mass-produced educational films she used for classroom instruction. Some personal information about Bregman and her work is also included in the collection.

Biographical / Historical

Judith Bregman was a professor of Physics at Polytechnic Institute of New York from 1957 until her death in 1978. A graduate of Bryn Mawr and Cornell University, Bregman specialized in the areas of physical chemistry, x-ray crystallography, electron diffraction, and light scattering. During her time at Poly, she developed an interest in the preparation of instructional films, and is perhaps most well-known for her film 'Symmetry', which was created in 1966 in cooperation with Alan Holden, Richard Davisson, and Philip Stapp. The film received much attention, and was even shown at the Museum of Modern Art. She also participated in the making of other films, such as 'Aspects of Symmetry'. She died of cancer on October 2, 1978 at the age of 57.

Source: The above information is from Bregman's obituary in Physics Today, which can be found at Phillips, M. (1978). Judith Bregman. Physics Today. 31(12), 71. doi: 10.1063/1.2994888

Arrangement

Series I - Series VII contain the personal papers of Judith Bregman, arranged by subject. Some of the correspondence, film distribution, and Bregman Film Account documents were maintained by physics professor Hellmut Juretschke after Bregman's death in 1978.

Series VIII contains 35 16mm films, arranged in their original order, as determined by Bregman, with miscellaneous audio/visual materials at the end.

Series IX contains 5 shipping containers in which some of the film reels were originally stored.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists largely of the 16mm films which comprised Bregman's personal "film library" in the Physics Department at NYU-Poly. Included are 35 films of varying length and content; the some in color and some with audio. A number of the films, the ones to be found in Subseries A, were created by or for Polytechnic with the help of Bregman herself; the most notable of these is Symmetry. The remainder are films used by Bregman for class instruction and cover topics such as crystallography, quantum mechanics, and light scattering.

The collection also contains five film reel shipping containers in which the films were originally stored. The films are also accompanied by correspondence, grant proposals and contracts, reviews and articles of the films, film stills from Symmetry, documents from the Bergman Film Library account, and biographical materials about Bregman.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from:

Poly Archives & Special Collections Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology 5 MetroTech Center Brooklyn, NY 11201

Phone: (718) 260-3943 Fax: (718) 260-3756 E-mail: archives@library.poly.edu

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Judith Bregman Collection; RG 013; box number; folder number or item identifier; Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology, New York University.

Location of Materials

Box 1: Shelf 41/2F Box 2: Shelf 41/2F Box 3: Shelf 41/3F Box 4: Shelf 41/3F Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology 5 MetroTech Center Brooklyn, New York, 11201 (646) 997-3943 polyarchives@nyu.edu

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The film reels and containers were transferred to Bern Dibner Library of Technology & Science from the Physics Department in 1995 and stored in a glass and metal cabinet in the archives. Preliminary lists and finding aids were found in the cabinet when assessed in 2013.

Collection processed by

Sophia Dahab and Lindsay Anderberg

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-09-07 12:06:52 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English (eng)

Revisions to this Guide

November 2021: Finding aid revised and edited by Zoe Blecher-Cohen, Mandy Abokhair, and Aileen Thong in 2021 to update the institutional change from NYU-Poly to NYU and for compliance with DACS Required Elements for Archival Description.

Repository

Poly Archives at the Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology, NYU Libraries

Series I: Biographical materials

Biographical Materials, 1968-1978, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 1 (Material Type: Text)

Series II: Correspondence, 1966-1991, inclusive

Scope and Contents

Hellmut Juretschke (then head of the physics department) received and responded to some correspondence after Judith Bregman's death, therefore some correspondence addressed to Bregman appears in Juretschke's folders of correspondence. Some death notices and Juretschke's speech at Bregman's memorial are also included in folder 2.

Bregman, Judith, 1967-1976, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 2 (Material Type: Text)

Juretschke, Hellmut -- Bregman memorial and condolences, 1978, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 3 (Material Type: Text)

Juretschke, Hellmut -- Inter-Office correspondence, 1978-1979, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 4 (Material Type: Text)

Juretschke, Hellmut -- Bregman memorial film library, 1978-1991, inclusive; 1978, bulk

box: 1, folder: 5 (Material Type: Text)

Juretschke, Hellmut -- Bregman film distribution, 1978, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 6 (Material Type: Text)

Series III: Symmetry and Aspects of Symmetry

Proposal and grant -- National Science Foundation (NSF), 1965-1968, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 7 (Material Type: Text)

Production and distribution contracts, 1966-1982, inclusive; 1966-1970, bulk

box: 1, folder: 8 (Material Type: Text)

Articles and reviews, 1967-1970, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 9 (Material Type: Text)

Newspaper and magazine clippings, 1967-1969, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 10 (Material Type: Text)

Awards, 1968-1970, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 11 (Material Type: Text)

Screening announcements, 1969-1970, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 12 (Material Type: Text)

Symmetry accompanying booklet and brochures, 1967, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 13 (Material Type: Text)

Responses from educators, 1971-1973, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 14 (Material Type: Text)

Responses from students, 1971, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 15 (Material Type: Text)

Film stills -- Negatives, undated

box: 1, folder: 16 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Film stills -- Negatives and 5"x7" test prints, undated

box: 1, folder: 17 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Flim stills -- Color photographs (2.75" x 3.5"), undated

box: 1, folder: 18 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Film stills -- Color photographs (8" x 10"), undated

box: 1, folder: 19 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Film stills -- Taped together, undated

box: 1, folder: 20 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Series IV: Other films

Bregman films: "A Computer Animated Film on the Quantum Mechanical Harmonic Oscillator," "The Packet of an Uncertain Gaussian," and "Swinging Quanta", 1972-1984, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 21 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Moire patterns, 1963-1967, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 22 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Physics teaching films -- Information and brochures, 1965-1986, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 23 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series V: Bregman film distribution, 1972-1991, inclusive; 1980-1984, bulk

Correspondence -- 1981-1991, 1981-1991, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 24 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Correspondence -- 1978-1980, 1978-1980, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 25 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Correspondence -- 1971-1976, 1971-1976, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 26 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Inter-Office correspondence and receipts, 1970-1984, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 27 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Advertising, circa 1982

box: 1, folder: 28 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series VI: Judith Bregman Film Account, 1977-1993, inclusive

Bregman Film Account -- 1992-1993, 1992-1993, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 29 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bregman Film Account -- 1990-1991, 1990-1991, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 30 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bregman Film Account -- 1987-1989, 1987-1989, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 31 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bregman Film Account -- 1984-1986, 1984-1986, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 32 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bregman Film Account -- 1980-1983, 1980-1983, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 33 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bregman Film Account -- 1977-1979, 1977-1979, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 34 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Schwartz Memorial Library Fund, 1986-1991, inclusive

box: 1, folder: 35 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series VII: Original film library lists

Film lists found in Bregman film cabinet, undated

box: 1, folder: 36 (Material Type: Text)

Series VIII: Audio/Visual Materials, undated

Scope and Contents

Contains 35 16mm films. The first subseries contains films produced by Bregman through grant-funded projects while at Polytechnic, including "Symmetry." Additional subseries are comprised of films used by Bregman for class instruction, or which were otherwise part of her film library. All films are organized according to their original groupings as determined by Bregman.

Subseries A: Polytechnic Films, undated

Symmetry, Copy A, undated

box: 2, reel: 1 (Material Type: moving images)

Symmetry, Copy B, undated

box: 2, reel: 2 (Material Type: moving images)

Symmetry, Copy 3, 1973, inclusive

box: 2, reel: 3 (Material Type: moving images)

Symmetry, Copy 4, undated

box: 2, reel: 4 (Material Type: moving images)

Aspects of Symmetry, 1970

box: 2, reel: 5 (Material Type: moving images)

Conditions Governing Access

To view the digitized video, contact the Poly Archives.

Video

Aspects of Symmetry: 1970

Aspects of Symmetry, from A & B rolls, 1970

box: 2, reel: 6 (Material Type: moving images)

Swinging Quanta, Copy 1, 1976, inclusive

box: 2, reel: 7 (Material Type: moving images)

Conditions Governing Access

To view the digitized video, contact the Poly Archives.

Video

Swinging Quanta, Copy 1: 1976

Swinging Quanta, Copy 2, 1976, inclusive

box: 2, reel: 8 (Material Type: moving images)

The Packet of an Uncertain Gaussian, Copy 1, 1968

box: 2, reel: 9 (Material Type: moving images)

The Packet of an Uncertain Gaussian, Copy 2, 1968

box: 2, reel: 10 (Material Type: moving images)

Conditions Governing Access

To view the digitized video, contact the Poly Archives.

Video

The Packet of an Uncertain Gaussian, Copy 2: 1968

Subseries B: General, 1968-1978, inclusive

Frames of Reference, undated

box: 3, reel: 11 (Material Type: moving images)

Powers of Ten, 1978, inclusive

box: 3, reel: 12 (Material Type: moving images)

Million to One, undated

box: 3, reel: 13 (Material Type: moving images)

Subseries C: One-Dimensional Scattering, undated

QP1: Barriers: Scattering in One Dimension, undated

box: 4, reel: 14 (Material Type: moving images)

QP2: Wells: Scattering in One Dimension, undated

box: 3, reel: 15 (Material Type: moving images)

QP3: Edge Effects: Scattering in One Dimension, undated

box: 3, reel: 16 (Material Type: moving images)

QP4: Momentum Space: Scattering in One Dimension, undated

box: 3, reel: 17 (Material Type: moving images)

QP5: Free Wave Packets, undated

box: 3, reel: 18 (Material Type: moving images)

QP6: Packet in a Perfect Crystal Wave Packets in Periodic Potentials, undated

box: 3, reel: 19 (Material Type: moving images)

QP7: Packet Incident on Crystal, undated

box: 3, reel: 20 (Material Type: moving images)

QP8: Scattering From Impurities: Wave Packets in Periodic Potentials, undated

box: 3, reel: 21 (Material Type: moving images)

QP10: Individual Events in One-Dimensional Scattering, undated

box: 3, reel: 22 (Material Type: moving images)

QP15: Particle in a Box, undated

box: 3, reel: 23 (Material Type: moving images)

Subseries D: Coupled Pendulums, undated

OS-5, OS-6, OS-7: Sand Pendulum I: Point Suspension, II: Saddle Suspension, III: Short Saddle Suspension, undated

box: 3, reel: 24 (Material Type: moving images)

OS-8, OS-9: Forad Damped Harmonic Oscillators, undated

box: 3, reel: 25 (Material Type: moving images)

OS-10: Ring of Coupled Pendulums: Normal Modes, undated

box: 3, reel: 26 (Material Type: moving images)

Subseries E: Quantum Mechanics, 1965-1978, inclusive

Scattering of Quantum Mechanical Wave Packets from Potential Well and Barrier, undated

box: 4, reel: 27 (Material Type: moving images)

Q. M. Scattering, 1965, inclusive

box: 4, reel: 28 (Material Type: moving images)

Quantum Mechanical Harmonic Oscillators Seq 4, undated

box: 4, reel: 29 (Material Type: moving images)

Subseries F: Solid State, undated

Experiments with the Bubble Model of a Metal Structure, undated

box: 4, reel: 30 (Material Type: moving images)

Subseries G: Crystallography, undated

Analyse et Synthese De Frourier, undated

box: 4, reel: 31 (Material Type: moving images)

HMX Alpha-Beta Stereo, undated

box: 4, reel: 32 (Material Type: moving images)

Subseries H: Miscellaneous Films, 1968-1978, inclusive

Hurricane Watch 1968, 1968, inclusive

box: 4, reel: 33 (Material Type: moving images)

Volta and Electricity, undated

box: 4, reel: 34 (Material Type: moving images)

Weather in Motion #20 (From ATS-I Synchronous Satellite), undated

box: 4, reel: 35 (Material Type: moving images)

"50"

box: 4, reel: 36 (Material Type: moving images)

Slide Presentation with Audio Cassette, 1984, inclusive

box: 4, cassette: 1 (Material Type: Audio)

Scope and Contents

Consists of one "Moments of Discovery" book including Teacher's Guides and Scripts for units on the discovery of fission, and pulsars. Also included are two audio cassette tapes and 20 black and white slides, some exhibiting damage.

Series IX: Original shipping containers, 1974-1986, inclusive

Scope and Contents

Five film reel shipping containers constructed of carboard with reinforced metal corners, label slots, and cotton buckles.

Small Shipping Container 1, undated

box: 5, object: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Small Shipping Container 2, undated

box: 5, object: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Small Shipping Container 3, undated

box: 5, object: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Large Shipping Container 1, undated

box: 5, object: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Large Shipping Container 2, undated

box: 5, object: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology
Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology
5 MetroTech Center
Brooklyn, NY 11201