Showing 77 results

Papers concerning Jean Anisson and his improvements in printing including a memorandum by Anisson on his new press; an extract from the register of the Academie Royale des Sciences and another memorandum by Anisson, 1783.

Papers of the Arden Philosopical Lectures, c 1775-1800, comprising a volume of manuscript lecture notes titled Philosophical Lectures delivered by Mr Arden at Dursley. The notes discuss topics such as electricity, including the work of Dr Benjamin Franklin with lightning rods. The notes also cover the subjects of air and gases, commenting on the work of Dr Joseph Priestley relating to 'fixed airs' (carbon dioxide), 'inflammable air' (hydrogen), the effects of 'phlogiston' on the air, and 'dephlogisticated air' (oxygen). The volume is undated; Priestley's paper on his experiments with airs and gases was published in 1775.

Letter from Charles Babbage of Dorset Street, Manchester Square, [London] to M Sylvain van de Weyer [Belgian ambassador in London], 29 May 1837. Presenting a copy of his book 'The Ninth Bridgewater Treatise'. Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Charles Babbage of Dorset Street, Manchester Square, [London] to an unknown recipient, 8 Nov 1850. Giving directions for meeting Babbage on Wednesday at 7 o'clock. Autograph, with signature. Last leaf only of a letter written on several sheets.

A collection of letters from Jean-Baptiste Biot and his grandson-in-law F Lefort, to Augustus De Morgan,1855-1863. Including related papers. Many of the letters refer to an article by Biot on Sir Isaac Newton in the Biographie Universelle.

Papers relating to Joseph Black, Professor of Chemistry and Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr George Pearson, lecturer in Chemistry at St George's Hospital, mid to late 18th century, comprising a volume of manuscript notes, by an unknown hand, taken at chemistry lectures by Black and Pearson. Including some notes on natural philosophy.

The papers are extensive, relating to almost every aspect of Blackett's career in science and public life. There is biographical and personal material including large numbers of letters of congratulation received on the occasion of the various scientific and public awards and honours with which Blackett's achievements were recognised. There are records of his work on particle disintegration, cosmic rays, astrophysics and magnetism in the form of laboratory notebooks, working papers, correspondence, lectures, publications and broadcasts. There is documentation of his activities on various defence projects and as a member of government committees before, during and after the Second World War. Blackett's political interests are represented by material relating to the Association of Scientific Workers, Labour Party discussion groups on science and technology policy and the Ministry of Technology instituted after the Party's 1964 electoral victory. There are records of a wide range of science-related interests such as the history of science and technology, science, education and government, and nuclear weapons and disarmament, and of his overseas activities including material relating specifically to India and that concerned with matters more generally affecting developing countries.

A few lacunae in the surviving material have been identified. There are no documents relative to Blackett's service with the National Research and Development Corporation or the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and, of his correspondence during the Second World War, only that for 1942 survives.

The correspondence, papers and diaries of Sir Charles Blagden. Blagden's papers are interesting on several levels, generally for his close contact with European men of learning, and his relationship with Sir Joseph Banks. Blagden's professional researches are represented by medical notes in the boxed sequence. These are grouped with papers on other subject interests, including linguistics, e.g. a draft Tahitian-English dictionary, compiled from conversations with Omai, whom Blagden inoculated after Omai's voyage to England with James Cook. Blagden's interest in antiquities and travel is documented by diary entries, as is his intercourse with fellow scientists, particularly those associated with the founding of the Royal Institution.

Letters and other Papers of the Hon Robert Boyle. The Letters cover Boyle's correspondence; in addition to the letters by scientists such as Hartlib, Beale, Southwell, Wallis and Cole, the series contains letters from members of Boyle's family (Viscountess Ranelagh in particular). There are 37 letters of Boyle's preserved, and substantial blocks of papers from religious figures such as Robert Sharrock. The Papers cover his philosophical, scientific, theological and other interests, and cover most aspects of his life and works.

Correspondence, comprising a private letter book 1863-1867, and correspondence and reports relating to the laying of the West Indies cable 1869-1870. The private letter book contains bound letters refering to cable laying in India, the West Indies and Brazil, resistance testing to find faults on cables in a long letter to Fleeming Jenkin, mining companies with which Bright was involved, the Steam Engine Improvement Company and the Railway Lubricating Company. The volume contains many blank pages and some pages have been cut out. Some letters are illegible because of the very faint copy, and there appears to be a double impression on some pages suggesting that a second letter may have been copied onto the same page. The loose correspondence relates to the setting up of the West India and Panama Telegraph Company and includes reports and correspondence concerning the laying of the cable. Some of the papers were used in a court case in 1872 between the West India and Panama Telegraph Company and the India Rubber Company for failing in their contractual obligations.

Archive of the British Humanist Association, including: papers of the British Humanist Association and it's predecessors bodies, The Union of Ethical Societies, The Ethical Union and the Humanist Association,1887 - c.2001; papers of the Humanist Trust, 1958 - 1996; papers of groups affiliated to the British Humanist Association and it's predecessor bodies, The Union of Ethical Societies and The Ethical Union, 1892 - 2007; Uncatalogued material of the British Humanist Association, c.2000-2014. (1887-2014)

Manuscript diaries, 1939-1946, notably covering his command of 2 Corps, BEF, France and Belgium, 1939-1940, his service as Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, 1940-1941, and as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1941-1946, with detailed accounts of meetings and conversations, and comments on personalities. Detailed unpublished memoirs, 1883-1946, written in [1946-1960]. Personal files, 1940-1946, principally comprising copies of official and semi-official correspondence with FM Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, 1942-1945, relating to his commands of 8 Army, Middle East, 1942-1943, and 21 Army Group, North West Europe, 1944-1945; with FM Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Viscount of Cyrenaica and of Winchester, 1940-1945, relating to his commands in the Middle East, 1940-1941, and India, 1941-1945; with FM Sir (Henry) Maitland Wilson, 1943-1945, relating to his commands in the Middle East, 1943-1944, and as head of British Joint Staff Mission, Washington, 1944-1945; with FM Hon Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1942-1945, relating to his commands in the Middle East, 1942-1943, and Italy, 1943-1944, and the Mediterranean, 1944-1945; with Lt Gen Sir Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, 1942-1945, relating to his commands in North Africa, 1942-1944, and East Africa, 1945; with Adm Lord Louis (Francis Arthur Victor Nicholas) Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, 1943-1945; with FM Sir John Greer Dill, head of British Joint Staff Mission, Washington, 1941-1944; with Lt Gen Frederick Arthur Montagu Browning, Chief of Staff, South East Asia Command, 1944-1945; with Lt Gen Herbert Lumsden, South West Pacific Area, 1944; with Lt Gen Sir Frank Noel Mason-Macfarlane, Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Gibraltar, 1942; and with Gen Wladyslaw Sikorski, Polish Forces, 1941-1943. Papers relating to his role as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, 1941-1946, dated 1940-1951, notably including conference papers for Combined Chiefs of Staff meetings, 1943-1945; semi-official correspondence with Lt Gen Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, 1940-1945, relating to Auchinleck's commands in Norway, India and the Middle East, 1940-1945. Other papers relating to his life and career, 1897-1963, dated 1897-1966, 1992-1993, including letters to his mother, 1906-1920, notably covering his service in India, 1906-1914 and France and Belgium, 1914-1918; texts of his lectures on artillery given at Staff College, Camberley, 1923-[1926]; papers relating to his post-war activities, notably his role as Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, 1949-1963, dated 1949-1968; papers relating to ornithology, 1950-1963; published and unpublished articles collected by Alanbrooke and his wife, 1929-1967; texts of his speeches and broadcasts, 1944-1962; photographs, [1902-1963], 1978, 1992, mainly official photographs of Alanbrooke as Chief of Imperial General Staff, 1941-1942. Papers collected by Mrs M C Long in preparation for the writing of Alanbrooke's biography, dated 1954-1958, notably including texts of interviews with friends and colleagues, 1954-1958. Correspondence relating to Alanbrooke's papers and Sir Arthur Wynne Morgan Bryant's books Turn of the tide (Collins, London, 1957) and Triumph in the West (Collins, London, 1959) (both based on Alanbrooke's diaries), dated 1951-1968. Correspondence of FM (Richard) Michael (Power) Carver, Baron Carver, relating to erection of Alanbrooke statue in Whitehall in 1993, dated 1991-1993

Papers of John Canton.

The boxes contain notebooks and papers, 1895-1947, mainly on the history of science and technology, with special reference to China.

'Records and recollections' by Arthur Herbert Church, published in Gloucester: John Bellows 1940. Number 4 of 40 copies with 4 photographs and obituaries.

Papers of Patricia Hannah Clarke, 1963-2003, comprising biographical material including autobiographical material compiled for Clarke's personal record as a Fellow of the Royal Society; curriculum vitae; video of an interview for the Biochemical Society; papers relating to Deer Park School, Cirencester of which Clarke was a Governor, 1988-1999 and correspondence with local and national politicians on education, tobacco advertising and asylum seekers.

Papers relating to Clarke's interest in the historical contribution of women scientists and her concern in encouraging women scientists. Includes, correspondence, notes, printed reports and photocopied material used for a number of activities including her lecture 'Women in Science at University College, 1878-1978', 1992; Royal Society meeting on 'Women in Science and Technology: opportunities for change?', 28 May 1993; papers relating to Clarke's service on the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Technology and a meeting on Women in Science at the Royal Society, 27 Mar 2001.

Publications including an incomplete set of offprints of Clarke's works; papers relating to her biographical memoirs of Roger Yate Stanier and Michael Douglas Lilly and her entry for Muriel Robertson for the New Dictionary of National Biography; lecture material including for Clarke's Royal Society Leeuwenhoek Lecture 'Experiments in microbial evolution: new enzymes, new metabolic activities', 1979, and the 19th J D Bernal Lecture, 'New directions in biology: basic science and biotechnology', delivered at Birkbeck College London, 1988.

Papers relating to eight UK and overseas societies and organisations, 1975-2001, including the British National Bibliographical Research Fund, the Royal Society, the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia and the Research Grants Council, Hong Kong.

Papers relating to Clarke's visits and conferences, 1971-1998, including visits to the Far East including Singapore, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong and meetings marking the centenary of the birth of J B S Haldane, 1992.

Correspondence, including with researchers at University College London, colleagues in the UK and scientists in the USA and Europe. Correspondents include R E Drew, B W Holloway, S Brenner; H L Kornberg, R D Sager and R Y Stanier.

Letter from Ernest Clarke of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 13 Hanover Square, London to [Herbert Somerton] Foxwell, 29 Jul 1897. Mainly discussing the 17th-century writer Samuel Hartlib.

Autograph, with signature.

Personal and business correpondence of William Fothergill Cooke, mostly relating to his dispute with Charles Wheatstone, together with legal documents (copies and originals) connected with the case, in 7 bound volumes. Comprising personal correspondence, mainly to Cooke's mother relating to his hopes and expectations of the telegraph. The correspondence is mainly 1836-1841 with fewer letters for 1843, 1844, 1860, 1868, 1869, 1875, 1879 and 1880. There is also correspondence with Latimer Clark both before and after Cooke's death concerning a history of British Telegraphy and a life of Sir William Fothergill Cooke. Copies of this some of this correspondence can be found in Volume VII, and these are easier to read than the extensively crossed originals; Correspondence relating to railway companies, arbitration, and creation of the Electric Telegraph Company. The correspondence also shows the causes of the breakdown of his partnership with Wheatstone, the arbitration process and subsequent agreement to purchase Wheatstone's royalties in the shares; Correspondence between Mr Robert Wilson, solicitor acting for William Fothergill Cooke, and William Richardson, solicitor acting for Professor Wheatstone, relating to the arbitration between Cooke and Wheatstone, frequently concerning sending of drafts of agreement, with amendments, and with arranging appointments for arbitrators, and witnesses for the arbitration; Papers concerned with the arbitration between Cooke and Wheatstone, including bound copies of agreements and articles referred to in the arbitration; Papers submitted to the Arbitrators, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and John Frederic Daniell in 1841, mainly copies of evidence. They represent Cooke and Wheatstone's cases, and the Arbitrators' decision, with one later patent granted to Sir William Fothergill Cooke. There are also some poems about Autralia or the Central World and Neptune at the end of the volume; Papers concerning assignment by Wheatstone of all royalties and shares to Cooke, including extracts of letters and transfers and assignments of inventions, rights in patents and shares separating Wheatstone and Cooke's business affairs; Copies of letters, mainly from Volume I of the collection made by George Bristow of the successor firm to Wilson and Harrison with the idea of publishing them on the 50th anniversary of the first Patent for the Electric Telegraph. The Volume contains copies of three letters between Bristow and Latimer Clark, and copies of extracts of other letters. Several letters were cut out for publication in 1893. There are also some notes made by a clerk at Bristow's concerning the other original material and its whereabouts, and also references to 'The Electric Telegraph: Was It Invented by Professor Wheatstone?' in two volumes by Sir W F Cooke, 1856-1857. The copies are easier to read than the extensively crossed originals.

Letter from the Countess Vernède de Corneillan of 46 (ancien) rue de Rivoli au coin de la rue Castiglione, Paris to [Charles] Babbage, 10 Sep 1854. 'Monsieur Babbage m'a fait passer la lettre que vous avez eu la bonté de lui écrire au sujet d'inventions de M. [Philippe] de Girard … Je prends la liberté de vous récrire a çe sujet, car cette affaire est d'une haute gravité pour notre famille … Vous dites …que le "moyens de M. de Girard sont ingénieux mais que le même effet a été produit par des moyens plus simples, et tellement analogues qu'il me serait difficile de prendre un brevet"'. Saying that if this sentence concerns 'les greniers à blé', she would like to ask certain questions: (i) whether the process analogous to that of Girard is patented in England; (ii) under what name; (iii) at what date and since when; (iv) what are the differences that make it simpler and what are the things analogous to it? Excuses her importunity on the grounds of the matter's important to the memory of her uncle.

Autograph, with signature.

Papers of Claude Curling, 1923-1993, including correspondence, 1964-1985; correspondence and papers on electron microscopy, 1951-1969; typescript and manuscript papers by Curling,1946-1993; lecture transcripts and notes by Curling, 1946-1993; poems and songs by Claude Curling, 1974-1992; audiotapes and video tapes of Curling’s papers and lectures, 1977-1992 and booklets, articles and other publications by Curling.

Papers of Sir Henry Hallett Dale include three photographs of Sir Henry Hallett Dale; correspondence and papers to and from various recipients, relating to topics such as lectures, students and meetings at the Royal Institution of Great Britain (RI), 1942-1945; correspondence and papers to and from various recipients, relating to topics such as apparatus for the Davy Faraday Research Laboratory at the RI, 1945-1946; volume containing various aspects of RI accounts such as petty cash and catering supplies, some correspondence is also included, 1943-1965.

Copies of the letters of Erasmus Darwin transcribed from original manuscripts or photocopied from published versions by Desmond George King-Hele.

These papers show Davy's first ideas for an electric telegraph from his early sketches in 1836 of a frictional electric telegraph to one worked by electromagentism which he developed 1836-1839. His first patent was lodged in 1837 in opposition to Cooke and Wheatstone's first patent. The papers indicate his efforts to find a purchaser for the patent rights and to establish a company to develop the telegraph. He made agreements with several business men but none of these arrangements bore any fruit. He also negotiated with the railway companies and demonstrated the telegraph for them. The papers record the efforts of his father, Thomas Davy, and several others, to continue Davy's negotiations with the railway companies and the arrangements which were made to re-exhibit a working model of the telegraph. The papers also relate to the sale of the patent to the Electric Telegraph Company in 1847. Fahie's memoir on Davy is included in the papers.

Papers of Sir Gavin Rylands De Beer, the majority c1939-1972, consisting of: notes and drafts for publications and lectures on the history of science and literary topics; correspondence concerning literature and De Beer's scientific work; papers from De Beer's work during the First and Second World Wars; financial and legal papers; and some personal correspondence.

Letters discussing family matters and work from Paul Dirac and his wife Margit Dirac to Esther and Myer Salaman. Einstein had been Esther's supervisor, and provided her with a reference to Cambridge.

Typescript of an unpublished book entitled 'Elizabethan Technology or the development of the letters patent protection for inventions'. Also correspondence about the book.

Papers of Brian S Dyde relating to the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty and to the hydrographic survey work of the Royal Navy, including surveyor's workbooks, 1959-1973, including astronomical observations for the position of a geodetic station on the Island of Arorae, Jun 1962; and papers relating to the history of the Hydrographic Department.

Original manuscripts of letters to the Royal Society, which are largely scientific. These papers form the raw material from which the Letter Books were compiled. There are many letters of importance, 1613; 1642; 1651-1740.

Ent's papers, c.1641-1685, consist of his Apologia pro Circuitione Sanguinis..., in his hand, thought to be a revision prepared for the second edition of the work, c.1641-1685. The volume also includes the texts of some of Ent's speeches, such as his presidential addresses at the College, 1670-1674, and 1676, and contains some accounts entered by Peter Ent, 1671-1674, who was in possession of the volume for a time; Ent's anatomical lectures, delivered at the College 13-15 April 1665, in his hand, 1665.

The papers are extensive covering Faraday's work in science. Details of his work on electro-magnetic induction, the laws of electrolysis and the theory of electro-magnetism are in the form of laboratory notebooks, lecture notes and various publications on experimental researchers in electricity. There are some administrative papers on the Royal Institution of Great Britain including cash books. The correspondence covers his work for the Admiralty and the Corporation of Trinity House whilst acting as Scientific Adviser; they also detail his general communication with people and other organisations. Other items include his book collection, scrapbooks, portfolio of portraits and apparatus. A few lacunae have been identified. There are no documents on his personal life or his work as Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

Manuscript volumes, correspondence and papers by Michael Faraday including material based on original Faraday documents 1809-1961, comprising six volumes in total covering subjects on botany; chemistry; colour; fire eating; galvanism; gas lighting; light; magnetism; meteorology; lightning; preserving drawings; removing glass stoppers; scientific apparatus; details of his visits with Davy to France and Italy 1813- 1814; visits to copper works and state mines in Wales 1819; visit to the Isle of Wight 1824; manuscript notes on lectures given by Faraday to the City Philosophical Society 1816-1819; general observations; experiments; notes including scientific subjects as well as anagrams; etymology; recipes for gin and ginger beer; humour; love; memory; oratory; philosophy; Rochefoucault; Shakespeare; 'Chemical Love Letter.' 1816-1846; chemical notes [1822]; notes on experiments on electric lamps powered by batteries 1854 and a letter to John Tyndall; c 750 manuscript correspondence between Faraday and scientists, politicians and the general public 1812-1867; letters and draft letters by Faraday written from the Royal Institution 1853-1863; committe minutes from a subcommitte set up to conduct experiments in optical glass 1828-1835; papers relating to the wear and production of coinage at the Royal Mint 1835; papers relating to table-turning 1853-1864; Faraday's French passport 1856; notes on Faraday including his illness and his refusal of the post of President at the Royal Institution 1864-1872.

Biographical Memoirs notes and papers accumulated by Professor Bryan C Clarke in the process of compiling two Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society: Edmund Brisco Ford FRS (1901-1988); and Arthur James Cain FRS (1921-1999).

Papers, 1930-1962, concerning lectures and publications by Hart, notably correspondence, 1951-1961, mainly relating to lectures on Leonardo da Vinci, aeronautical engineering and other subjects; correspondence relating to the writing and publication of his work, including James Watt and the history of steam power (Henry Schuman, New York, [1949]), 1948, and The world of Leonard da Vinci, man of science, engineer and dreamer of flight (Macdonald, London, 1961), 1960-1962; typescripts of lectures on textile education, 1951, the scientific basis for Leonardo da Vinci's work in technology, 1952, and handicraft instruction; typescript of The world of Leonard da Vinci, man of science, engineer and dreamer of flight (Macdonald, London, 1961), 1960; copies of published articles by Hart on medieval and modern science, 1930-1955.

The collection contains handwritten notebooks and loose typescript papers. Some of the notebooks are entitled 'Electricitat' or 'J.H.Waitz' and are often in German. Some are concerned with the history of electricity. The folders contain loose papers, often correspondence, about student work and exams and societies, in the history of science.

Manuscript transcripts of six writings on hermetic philosophy, [1700], including tracts by David de Planis Campy, Adrien Ameuric and Raymond Lulle.'

The correspondence of Sir John Frederick William Herschel, comprising three main groups of documents:
The first series comprises 19 volumes of manuscript letters sent to Herschel, with drafts of his replies (Ref: HS 1-19).

The second series comprises 16 volumes of copy letters from Herschel (Ref: HS 20-25). These are arranged in chronological order and are apparently constructed from Herschel's original letters brought together by a son, Col. John Herschel R.E., for a proposed biography and then returned to their original owners. The biography was never produced. There is some duplication between these versions of finished letters and the rough versions of the same in HS 1-19.
The third series comprises five boxes of unbound manuscript letters, copy books and listings (Ref: HS 25-28) in which there appears information on the copying project, and groups of original letters on particular topics, such as Herschel's involvement in W H F Talbot's photography patent disputes.

Records of the History of Science and Technology Department of Imperial College, 1958-1994, notably correspondence, including foundation of the department, 1958-1960; Rectors' correspondence, 1963-1978; departmental accommodation, 1963-1968; future organisation, 1978-1980; Leverhulme Research Fellowship, 1966-1974; working party minutes, 1964-1968 (KH); course booklets for Science and Technology Studies, 1992-1994, (KHB); course details, 1995-1996; student magazines for Science Communication Studies, 1992-1993 (KHBC);
University of London Centre for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology course booklets, 1988, (KHC).

Draft and copy minutes of Royal Society meetings taken by Robert Hooke, the first 120 pages consist of notes taken by Robert Hooke after going through the draft notes of his predecessor, Henry Oldenburg, as Secretary. Remaining pages are notes taken by Hooke as Secretary attending the Society meetings. Includes a folder of loose material which was removed from the folio without noting where they came from before it was acquired by the Society.

The Journal Books exist in Original and Copy versions. The Journal Books contain minutes of the ordinary minutes of the Royal Society, setting out the following information: person in the chair, news of elections to the Fellowship and Council, non-Fellows given leave to be present, and books and rarities presented to the Society. Letters and papers read before the Society are given in abstract with any subsequent discussion. By the 19th century much of this earlier detail is lost, so that , for example, only titles of papers are recorded.

Papers and notes by Professor Lakatos on the philosophy of mathematics and science, including notes on Feyerabend, Kuhn and Popper; correspondence with many academics and philosophers; papers relating to the International Colloquium on the Philosophy of Science organised by Lakatos in 1965; and biographical material, desk diaries, press cuttings, and papers relating to student politics and the LSE 'troubles'.

Copies of letters received by the Royal Society, the originals of which are in the Early Letters collection. The Letter Books were copied (as were the Journal and Register Books) for security reasons. The numbering of the volumes and their chronological range is slightly eccentric. Volumes numbered 1-18 are letters of 1662-1727; within this group, Volume 11 has been extended into two volumes. No Volume 17 was created in order to leave a gap in the series for retrospective copying of original papers. The succeeding Volumes 19-26 overlap in time, giving correspondence for the years 1720-1740. There are also five supplementary volumes providing fair copies of letters omitted from the main run; these are labelled A-B, B-C, D-G, G-H and H-S, the letters being arranged in order of author.

Scientific papers sent to the Royal Society, many of which were published in the 'Philosophical Transactions'. As the name implies, the series is a combination and continuation of Early Letters and Classified Papers into the 19th century. Later, the sequence divided into Philosophical Transactions and Archived Papers. From the time that the Letters and Papers (or New Guard Books as they were originally known) were created, none of these original papers were copied into Letter or Register Books. Scientists represented include William Herschel (66 papers) William Watson (36 papers) Henry Baker (32 papers) Everard Home (31 papers), William Stukely (30 papers), and John Smeaton (23 papers). As the series progresses, the character of the documents alters - the earlier decades contain larger numbers of short letters, but by the 19th century most of the manuscripts are in the form of long monographs. The texts are supported by a large quantity of original illustrations throughout the series. This collection provides a virtually unbroken run of presentations by leading 18th century scientists; the few gaps include 1746-1749, when no papers were collected. Occasionally such missing items may be located in the archives of other institutions.

Papers, c1914-1989, of Dame Kathleen Lonsdale.

Biographical material includes correspondence and papers relating to imprisonment in Holloway Prison, with Lonsdale's own accounts of her time there; diaries and personal notebooks, 1946-1969; letters of congratulation on election as Fellow of the Royal Society (1945); various photographs dating from school to her later years.

Papers relating to Lonsdale's teaching and administrative work at University College London include papers on teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses; significant documentation relating to laboratory personnel, research funding and general university administration; papers relating to the 'Round Table on Peace Studies', which proposed the establishment of a centre for research into international conflict at the University.

Research material, 1924-1970, consists of Royal Institution papers comprising notebooks, one dating from Lonsdale's first period there (1923-1927), correspondence with colleagues such as W H Bragg and J M Robertson, and Lonsdale's notes and drafts for various research topics; correspondence and papers from her University College years covering many different areas of research, including diffuse scattering of X-rays, thermal vibrations in crystals, methonium compounds and urinary calculi (the latter topic particularly well documented and including several case studies), and including a large group of photographs, mostly of X-ray diffraction patterns.

Papers on the preparation of volumes of the International Tables for crystal structure determination from Lonsdale's chairmanship of the Commission on Tables (1948) comprise drafts, notes and correspondence with colleagues and publishers.

Extensive papers relating to publications, lectures and broadcasts include drafts of articles, on subjects including peace and religious issues, also including obituaries and biographical articles on various individuals, books, book reviews, obituaries, and letters to newspapers and magazines, the latter principally on the issue of atomic weapons; general correspondence concerning publications; drafts of lectures, 1945-1970, including ethics and the role of science in society; a large series of lecture notes, 1933-1970; scripts for broadcasts, on topics ranging from crystallography to religion, 1945-1967.

Papers on foreign and domestic travel, 1943-1971, relating to conferences and lectures, on crystallography, science ethics, and work for the Society of Friends, including her visit to China (1955) and her world tour (1965).

Papers relating to organisations, notably the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) and the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), including material relating to a number of International Congresses of Crystallography, also papers relating to participation in Pugwash Conferences on World Affairs, 1958-1970, and papers concerning prison reform and the running of Bullwood Hall Borstal, Essex.

Correspondence, 1927-1974, comprises two main sequences, one arranged alphabetically, the other chronologically; 'day files', principally carbons of outgoing correspondence, 1966-1969; a sequence of references and recommendations; also including correspondence relating to Lonsdale's period of imprisonment (1943). Correspondents include scientists such as Max Born, W H Bragg, W L Bragg, E G Cox, Dorothy Hodgkin, Judith Milledge, L C Pauling and A J C Wilson.

Notes of lectures (on medical jurisprudence), on cases, and on diseases such as material on digestion and on hip disease, 1877-[1885].

Private papers of Professor Stephen Finney Mason, [1859-2007], including published articles and reprints by Mason, [1945-1990]; articles and photocopies of articles by others on Mason’s research interests, [1859-2000]; lectures given by Mason; research notes and correspondence, including correspondence about scientists and historians including Professor Reiko Kuroda, Dr Robert Davis Peacock, Professor Mike Lappert, Professor Anthony James McCaffery, Dr George Tranter, Dr M P Melrose, Dr Tom Ziegler, Professor Martin Quack, Professor David Parker, Keith Hutcheon and Dr Jack Morrell.

MSS.3356-3382 comprise journals and memorandum books documenting the various phases of McCormick's career, as follows: MS.3356, sketchbook relating to West Indies and South America voyages, 1824-1825; MS.3357, journal of voyage north of Spitsbergen in the Hecla, 1827; MS.3358, notes of lectures on natural philosophy by Robert Jameson (1774-1854) at Edinburgh University, 1830-1831; MS.3359, diary of voyages to West Indies and South America, 1830-1832; MS.3360, half-pay diaries (7 volumes), 1830-1838; MS.3361, diaries covering 1823-1830, fair copy; MS.3362, sketch book covering voyages in North Sea and West Indies, 1832-1833; MS.3363, diary covering blockade of Dutch coast and voyage to West Indies, 1832-1834; MS.3364, diary of a walking tour in Devon (apparently part of a longer journey of which the other journal volumes are not extant), 1834-1835; MS.3365, diary while fitting out the Antarctic expedition of the Erebus, 1839; MSS.3366-3368, diaries written during the Erebus Antarctic expedition (15 volumes), 1839-1843; MSS.3369-3370, meteorological and ornithological logs respectively of the Erebus Antarctic expedition, 1839-1843; MS.3371, half-pay diaries (4 volumes), 1843-1845; MS.3372, memorandum book on Arctic discovery, chiefly compiled during the voyage of the North Star as part of the search for Sir John Franklin, 1848-1852; MS.3373, diary while fitting out the North Star as part of the search for Sir John Franklin, 1852; MSS.3374-3380, diaries written during the voyage of the North Star as part of the search for Sir John Franklin, 1852-1853; MSS.3381-3382, meteorological tables and sketches respectively, made during the voyage of the North Star as part of the search for Sir John Franklin, 1852-1853. MS.8682 comprises loose miscellaneous material, chiefly printed, relating to various phases of McCormick's career: evolving versions of his Narrative of a Boat-Expedition up the Wellington Channel in the Year 1852 (London: Eyre and Spotteswoode, 1854), plus testimonials, printed items by other authors including the Arctic traveller Dr. Richard King, publisher's advertisements and newspapers.

The collection provides good documentation of many aspects of McIlwain's career and his contribution to the development of neurochemistry in the UK and internationally.

Section A, Biographical, brings together obituaries, curricula vitae and bibliographies, and material relating to the various stages of McIlwain's scientific career, especially in the 1930s and 1940s, his appointment to the Biochemistry Chair at the Institute of Psychiatry in 1954 and the symposium held in his honour on his retirement in 1980. The section also presents a significant body of material relating to McIlwain's undergraduate studies at King's College, University of Durham, including essays and notebooks.

Section B, Institute of Psychiatry, is principally papers relating to the activities of McIlwain's own Department of Biochemistry and especially its teaching programme in neurochemistry. There is also material relating to various government and University of London enquiries into medical education.

Section C, Research, includes copies of McIlwain's M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses, notes, drafts and reports for early work in the 1930s and correspondence 'from the Lab' for the 1930s and 1940s.

Section D, Publications, lectures and broadcast, is the largest in the collection. It presents significant documentation, especially correspondence, relating to his textbook Biochemistry and the central nervous system which went through five editions, 1955-1985, and important editorial correspondence for the Biochemical Journal (member of the Editorial Board, 1946-1950), Biochemical Pharmacology and Journal of Neurochemistry. There are also drafts for lectures and seminars for scientific audiences in the UK and abroad, principally from the 1960s onwards.

Section E, Societies and organisations, documents McIlwain's involvement with a number of UK and international bodies including the Biochemical Society, the International Brain Research Organisation and the International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) of which he was a founder member and from 1984 'Historian' of the Society with responsibility for its archives.

Section F, Visits and conferences, covers the period 1947-1993 and is of particular interest for its documentation of the historical sessions which McIlwain organised at ISN meetings.

Section G, Correspondence, presents an alphabetical sequence of McIlwain's correspondence including significant exchanges with a number of distinguished mentors and contemporaries such as G.R. Clemo, F. Dickens, K.A.C. Elliott, P.G. Fildes, S.S. Kety, H.A. Krebs, Derek Richter and F.L. Rose, and a chronological sequence of shorter scientific correspondence covering the period 1938-1992.

There is also an index of correspondents.

Single manuscript letters or small groups of related documents considered too small to be added to the Manuscripts General series. Includes various document formats. The collection contains all manner of papers by, about or belonging to the Fellows of the Royal Society. Subject matter covers all branches of the sciences and includes non-scientific material. Current accessions are limited to materials not generated by the Royal Society, but acquired by gift or purchase; these usually number less than 10 items per accession. This has not always been the practice, so that the collection also contains relatively large groups of papers, occasionally on Royal Society business.

Files of papers and correspondence relating to the Royal Society's administration of its internal affairs. Currently, the bulk of this material falls within the period 1925-50, although the period covered varies considerably according to subject. At present, the collection forms an important source on the Society's activities during the Second World War, and includes files of the Central Register (Section for Scientific Reseearch) for 1939-1940. Section A of the series contains correspondence of a number of important Fellows; WH Bragg 1935-41; HH Dale 1926-45; ACG Egerton 1939-49; AV Hill 1949-45; FW Lanchester 1942-44; HG Lyons 1939-42; TR Merton 1941-56; R Robinson 1946-50; AC Seward 1932-41; FE Smith 1928-33; HT Tizard 1940

Letters from Sir Robert Moray to his friend Alexander Bruce, Earl of Kincardine, also known as 'The Kincardine Papers'. Bruce was sick of the ague in Bremen for part of this time, and the letters were written to alleviate the tedium of of Bruce's illness, hence ranging over topics which might not otherwise have been the subjects of correspondence. They include accounts of chemical experiments in his laboratory, his interest in magnetism, medicine in all its aspects, horticulture, fuel, whale fishing, its risks and profits, coal mining, water wheels and tide mills, stone quarrying and the various qualities of different stones, the pumping works needed for undersea coal mines at Bruce's home at Culross in Fifeshire, even to the trees whose wood was best for pipelines, and the diameter of the bore best suited to the purpose. Familiarity is shown with mathematical and surveying instruments, with music, and all sorts of mechanical devices and especially clocks and watches, more particularly the taking out of a patent in respect of a clock for use at sea for finding longitude. Bruce is advised on the choice of books over a wide range of subjects. Moray includes anecdotes to amuse his ailing correspondent; he describes his quiet life and is enthusiastic about many of his chemical experiments. Notable at the end of the letters Moray added what he described as his Masonic signature - a pentagram which also occurs in his crest.