The Lick Observatory solar eclipse expedition to Padang (Indonesia) in 1901

Between 1889 and 1932 the Lick Observatory maintained a vibrant solar research program and sent a succession of expeditions to the far corners of the globe in order to observe solar eclipses and add to our knowledge of the solar corona and the chromosphere. These expeditions were major logistical exercises that relied mainly on visual, photographic and spectroscopic observations during the brief moments of totality. In this paper we focus on the Lick Observatory’s expedition to Padang, Sumatra, to observe the 17-18 May 1901 solar eclipse, and after briefly discussing the personnel, their equipment and their observations we view this very successful expedition in the context of the overall development of astronomy in Indonesia