This class is comprised mainly of photographs and slides taken by Paul Murdin during his time working on La Palma with the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. Please note that 'official' RGO photographs of the ING are catalogued at RGO 100/2.

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 (NHO). 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 ‘NHO’) 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 (ING), whose main telescopes were the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) from Herstmonceux and the new, larger William Herschel Telescope (WHT). 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 Billa 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.

The Paul Murdin La Palma collection is comprised of 11 sets of slides (RGO 216/1) and seven sets of photographs (RGO 216/3) which include images of early site testing, La Palma island, buildings and telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos including the INT and WHT, and slides of the 1985 inauguration. Also included are some astronomical images taken with telescopes at the Roque. Key La Palma project personnel featured include Murdin, Joe Gietzen, Bill Goodsell and Alex Boksenberg. In addition, there is a 1984 video recording of ‘The Sky at Night' featuring the INT (RGO 216/2).