Abstract
LA SOCIÉTÉ ASTRONOMIQUE DE FRANCE, the creation of Camille Flammarion, who did so much to popularize astronomy in France, has recently celebrated its jubilee. The chief event in the festivities which were held to commemorate the occasion was a great reception on June 16 in the Great Theatre of the Sorbonne, at which nearly three thousand people were present ; the President of the French Republic attended and the Minister of Education, M. Jean Zay, presided. M. Jules Baillaud, the present president of the Society, gave an account of the history of the Society and of the work done for it successively by Camille Flammarion and his widow. After a short address by the Minister of Education, Prof. C. Fabry gave a charming account of the progress or revolution in the astronomical outlook in the past fifty years, and some beautiful slides which had been taken by Mr. Bitchey and by M. de Kerolyr at Fourcalquier were shown by M. Baldet. A film was shown of Camille Flammarion's activities in connexion with the Society, and a recorded speech of his was repeated to the audience. A concert followed in which artists from the Opera assisted, while at an earlier stage artists from the Comedie-Francaise and elsewhere recited poems and read extracts from Oamille Flammarion's works. A memorable evening, such as could scarcely have been held anywhere outside Paris, concluded with some ballets danced by pupils of the late Loie Fuller.
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An Astronomical Jubilee. Nature 140, 17 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/140017a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/140017a0