Papers, records and photographs for the RGO La Palma Operations Division and the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory. Includes paper files recording day to day administration, a large series of photographic records (many in albums), various sets of publications relating to telescopes and instruments, and a small set of press cuttings.

In 1969, a sub-committee of the Astronomy, Space and Radio Board (ASRB) of the Science Research Council was established to examine the SRC’s future support for astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere, with a view to establishing a Northern Hemisphere Observatory (N.H.O.). The proposals for the NHO were considered by a review panel of the ASRB, which ultimately recommended that the RGO should have the prime responsibility for its construction. Site testing began in 1973, and the site chosen was La Palma.

The observatory was named the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (rather than the original title of ‘N.H.O.’) and was ultimately established as a shared facility under an international agreement. It began operating in 1984 and was inaugurated in June 1985 by King Juan Carlos of Spain. The countries that shared in the construction of the Observatory were Spain, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.

The RGO was responsible for the Isaac Newton Group (I.N.G.), whose main telescopes were the Isaac Newton Telescope (I.N.T.) from Herstmonceux and the new, larger William Herschel Telescope (W.H.T.). The Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope (JKT) was partly funded by the Netherlands and Ireland, while the Carlsberg Automatic Transit Circle (CATC) was mostly funded by Denmark.

RGO director Boksenberg first visited La Palma in November 1981, alongside Bill Goodsell, head of the La Palma Division (until his retirement in 1982) and Paul Murdin, chief project scientist. A new La Palma Operations Division was formed at the RGO in May 1982. Later in 1982, the separate La Palma divisions for construction, engineering and instrumental science were combined to form a new Facilities Division. The Operations Division was split into two groups: the group on La Palma was headed first by J.W. (Joe) Gietzen, and from 1985, Keith Tritton; the Herstmonceux group was headed by Paul Murdin who later became head of the Operations Division. Jasper Wall became head of the Operations Division from 1987 when he and Paul Murdin interchanged roles.