Showing 239 results

Archival description
GB 0117 MS 36 · sub-fonds · 1627-1629

A small notebook containing parliamentary and other speeches.

Various
Pasteur, Louis (1822-1895)
GB 0117 MS 737 · sub-fonds · 1668

Clerk's copy of 'Opinions presentees par M. Pasteur, dans la reunion do 16 Mars 1868 au Palais de Tuileries' (Views presented by Louis Pasteur at a reunion at the Palais de Tuileries, 16 March 1668).

Pasteur , Louis , 1822-1895 , French chemist
Paul Instrument Fund Grants
GB 0117 MS 830 · sub-fonds · 1949-2002

Record of grants paid to, for what, and amounts. Electronic system of grant tracking takes over in 2003.

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 785 · sub-fonds · nd

Presentation papers on William Haseldine Pepys from various authors, with a letter from Michael Faraday in Volume 1.

Pepys , William Hasledine , 1775-1856 , man of science
GB 0117 MS 90 · sub-fonds · 1773

Copy of the Logbook kept on board the ship of the Hon. Captain Phipps, 1773.

Phipps , Constantine John , 1744-1792 , Baron Mulgrave
GB 0117 NWP · sub-fonds · 1926-1999

The collection is particularly noteworthy for its full documentation of all aspects of Pirie's research, development and promotion of leaf protein for human comsumption. It is divided into the following sections:

Section A, Biographical. It includes obituaries, a copy of the Royal Society Biographical Memoir, a little documentation of undergraduate work, and historical material assembled by Pirie relating to J Brachel, J B S Haldane, F G Hopklins, and H H Mann. Miscellaneous material includes Pirie's philosophical notes on the nature of life the scientific method and other topics.

Section B, Research notebooks. These complete the sequence of numbered notebooks listed in the 'Catalogue of the Papers of Sir Frederick Charles Bawden including the papers of Alfred Alexander, Peter Kleczkowski and Norman Wingate Pirie' and also deposited in the Archives of the Royal Society. The sequence presented here runs from 1929-1996, with the missing notebooks to be found in the Bawden collection. The work documented includes Pirie's earliest research with A A Miles on 'Brucella abortus' and 'Brucella mellitensis', his research with F C Bawden on viruses, and the many facets of his work on leaf protein to the end of his life. There are also two numbered notebooks not included in the sequence which date from the 1940s.

Section C, Leaf Protein work. This is the largest section in the collection and documents the work for which Pirie became widely known. The material comers Pirie's own research work on leaf protein, his interest in leaf protein work worldwide, the promotion of leaf protein and the development of equipment, especially suitable for use in less developed countries, which could be used to extract it. There is documentation of Pirie's struggles within the Agricultural Research Council to find support for his work, his reports on progress and later fund raising for his reasearch. There is material relating to design and construction of leaf protein apparatus of various types. Pirie believed strongly that leaf protein could make a positive contribution to nutrition in poorer countries and trials were undertaken in India, Jamaica and other countries. Latterly he found backing for his work from the 'Find Your Feet' charity and this relationship is documented. Also of interest is Pirie's interest in promoting leaf protein, including sample recipes using the foodstuff.

Section D, Other Research interests. This focuses on Pirie's earlier research, including the work for which he was elected to the Royal Society and was awarded the Copley Medal. It is not extensive and should be consulted alongside the notebooks in Section B. It is presented by topic and includes research on tobacco mosaic and tomato bushy stunt viruses by Pirie and F C Bawden in the 1930's, work on 'Brucella abortus' in the 1930's and 1940's and bracken extraction in the 1950's. There is also material relating to various alternative sources of protein, including seafood, which relates to this interest in nutrition. Miscellaneous material includes documentation of Pirie's lobbying on behalf of 'biochemical engineering' research in the 1950's.

Section E, Drafts and Publications. This presents drafts and related material including publication on food resources and his 1987 book 'Leaf Protein and its by-products in human and animal nutrition', a small number of book reviews and a little editorial correspondence. The bulk of the section, however, comprises a sequence of Pirie's volumes of bound offprints, from 1929 to 1991 (with material for 1992-1996 unbound). This sequence is more than just a full record of Pirie's published work output, as intercalated or pasted to pages of the volumes are typescripts of unpublished work or work not published in full, reports on research, visits abroad etc, correspondence, and letters to the press on a wide variety of topics including nuclear weapons, the Communist Party, space exploration, scientific writing and world nutrition. The offprints themselves may bear later manuscript annotations and typescript notes by Pirtie, giving improved methods, corrections and later bibliographical references.

Section F, Visits and Conferences. These document a few of Pirie's visits 1946-1989. There is material relating to extended visits to the USA in 1946, to Czechoslovakia, the USSR and China in 1952, and later visits in connection with leaf protein work. The lack of coverage is partially compensated for by the quality of some of the documentation of the visits, including Pirie's manuscript and typescript notes and his official reports.

Section G, Correspondence. This is again partial in its coverage. The bulk relates to Pirie's work on leaf protein. There are also individual letters from significant correspondents, from the 1930's on, including A Szent-George, J B S Haldane, G C de Hervey, Sir Peter Medawar, T Svendberg, R L M Synge etc, which Piries appears to have kept for historical reasons. The correspondence is presented in alphabetical order by correspondent.

Pirie , Norman Wingate , 1907-1997 , biochemist
Pole, William (1814-1900)
GB 0117 MS 625 · sub-fonds · 1859

Diagrams and manuscript of paper on colour blindness prepared by Sir William Pole, prepared for his paper published in 'Philosophical Transactions' in 1859.

Pole , William , 1814-1900 , civil engineer
GB 0117 MS 654 · sub-fonds · nd

Papers of and relating to Joseph Priestley, inclusing volume of items relating to Priestley's life, three letters from Priestley, his spectacles, and Diploma and seal awarded in 1780 by Catherine II, Empress of Russia.

Priestley , Joseph , 1733-1804 , theologian and natural philosopher
GB 0117 MS 836 · sub-fonds · 20th Century

Radar Calculation by Maurice Henry Lecorney Pryce. Introduction to the calculation states 'The problem is to find the electromagnetic field due to a source of elctromagnetic oscillations placed near to a very large sphere. By large is meant that the ratio of the wavelength to its radius, and also the ratio of the distance of the source from the surface of the sphere to its radius, are very small. The source is supposed to be in vacuo. The material of the sphere is such that waves are attenuated in a distance small compared with the radius."

Pryce , Maurice Henry Lecorney , 1913 2003 , physicist
Referees Reports
GB 0117 RR · 1831-2002

Reports on scientific papers submitted for publication to the Royal Society from 1832 to date (Peer Review). The referees were appointed to advise the Committee of Papers, and were drawn from appropriate subject disciplines within the Fellowship. Referees Reports vary in content between terse notes recommending acceptance or rejection to long monographs devoted to the subject under review. Much of their interest derives from the comment of one scientist on the work of another, for example Michael Faraday on J P Joule (RR.3.154,158) or Sir Oliver Lodge on Ernest Rutherford (RR.13.106).

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 784 · sub-fonds · 1848-1916

Photographs from tours of England and France, with related photographs and sketches, 1848-1854, 1888 and 1916, largely dating from 1848-1854, made by Henri Victor Regnault and John Stewart.

Regnault , Henri Victor , 1810-1878 , physicist and chemist Stewart , John
Robins, Benjamin (1707-1751)
GB 0117 MS 39, MS 46, MS 130, MS 139 · 1725-1750

Notebooks and papers of Benjamin Robins, consisting of a miscellaneous notebook primarily on gunnery and fortification (MS 39), a commonplace book (MS 46), a box of miscellaneous papers (MS 130) and a letter to Martin Folkes enclosing a written message from the Chevalier Ossorio, Envoy from the King of Sardinia, on the proper charge of cannon (MS 139).

Robins , Benjamin , 1707-1751 , mathematician and engineer
GB 0117 Robinson papers · c1902-1983

Robinson's volatile temperament and his impatience with administration and routine have seriously affected the survival of material. Thus little survives of his correspondence which he usually wrote in longhand and without copies, or of his public life, service on committees, advisory boards, learned societies, and in the launching of new journals. There are, however, many manuscript notes in varying lengths of sequence and a few notebooks relating to research topics. Examples are a sequence of ideas on the possible structure of strychnine, tentatively dated 1945-1947 by J.W. Cornforth, and from a later period two relatively extensive sequences of research and correspondence, on the origins of petroleum and on drug research. Lacunae in the collection are to some extent compensated for by the autobiographical material. There are the background material and corrected proofs for the first volume of his memoirs published in 1976, and substantial typescript drafts of the second volume which was unfinished at his death together with narratives, correspondence and photographs sent to him by colleagues. There are also tape-recordings of conversations with colleagues covering similar types of recollections.

Robinson , Sir , Robert , 1886-1975 , Knight , organic chemist
GB 0117 MS 552 · sub-fonds · 1912

Papers relating to the 250th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Royal Society consisting of two separately bound addresses from the University of Paris and the University of Parma, a box of addresses from Europe other than the United Kingdom, Japan, USA, and the British Empire; a box of addresses from the United Kingdom; and a box of other miscellaneous papers.

Royal Society
Royal Society Club
GB 0117 RSC · sub-fonds · 1743-

The accounts, menus, correspondence and minutes of the Royal Society Club, from 1743 to the present, and its associated organization the Philosophical Club (founded in 1847). Early records of the Club are limited to administrative matters, notably membership, attendance of Fellows and guests, menus and accounts. Summary descriptions of speeches and discussions at weekly meetings are not available until 1847, and then only in the rival Philosophical Club volumes. The eventual merger of the two bodies in 1900 resulted in this practice being retained to date.

Royal Society Club
GB 0117 MS 772 · sub-fonds · 1848-1861

Declarations in lieu of charter oath by Royal Society Fellows.

Royal Society Fellows
GB 0117 IM · 1660-

Photographs, engravings and other images of the Fellows of the Royal Society. Also includes manuscripts and objects of the Royal Society. They appear in various formats, whether in engravings, drawings, watercolours, paintings, sculpture, artefacts and photographs. There are also photographs of their manuscripts, works and publications.

Various
GB 0117 MS 778 · sub-fonds · 1961-1965

Identifications and field notes by Edred John Henry Corner and Wee Lek Chew from the Royal Society's expeditions to Kinabalu, North Borneo, 1961 and 1964; with a preliminary report on the Cambridge expedition to Mount Kinabalu, 1965.

Corner , Edred John Henry , 1906-1996 , botanist Chew , Wee Lek , fl 1961-1965
GB 0117 MS 351 · sub-fonds · 19th century

Miscellaneous letters and papers concerning the landed property of the Royal Society covering the nineteenth century.

Royal Society
Royal Society Letters
GB 0117 RSL · sub-fonds · 1737-1799

Letters sent to the Royal Society, its President or Officers. Subject matter is both domestic and scientific. Domestic concerns include such matters as instructions from authors on the publication of papers. The letters on scientific topics appear to be those which were considered of small significance, e.g. giving notice of minor inventions, or appealing to the Society for recognition.

Various
Royal Society Library
GB 0117 MS 389 · sub-fonds · 1768-1777

Inspectors' Visitation of the Royal Society Library, 1768-1769 and 1777.

Unknown
GB 0117 MS 409 · sub-fonds · [19th century]

Acquisitions book for the Royal Society Library, appears to be nineteenth century.

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 773 · sub-fonds · 1858-1891

Royal Society Library and Museum Account Book; the catalogue in account with the Royal Society.

Royal Society Library and Museum
GB 0117 MS 774 · sub-fonds · 1932

The Royal Society Library and Museum; 'Libri desiderate' library request book with minutes of the Library Committee from undated to 1932.

Royal Society Library and Museum
GB 0117 MS 754 · sub-fonds · 1879

Correspondence relating to the Royal Society Library catalogues 1836-1838 by Stephen Potter Rigaut. Proof copy of 'Defense of the resolution for rejecting (omitting) Mr Panizzi's bibliographical notes from the catalogue of the Royal Society' and covering letter.

Royal Society , Library
GB 0117 MS 779 · sub-fonds · 1927

Addresses from various learned societies to the Royal Society on the occasion of the celebrations marking the centenary of Joseph Lister

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 413 · sub-fonds · [17th century or early 18th century]

Catalogue of the Royal Society Museum, possibly seventeenth or early eighteenth century.

Royal Society Museum
GB 0117 NLB · sub-fonds · 1885-1931

Copies of outgoing letters from the President, Officers and Assistant Secretaries. Each page may contain up to four copied documents. Volumes are numbered 1-73 with an additional volume for the period January 1901-November 1904.

Royal Society
GB 0117 OMA · sub-fonds · 1926-1987

Minutes of the meetings of the Officers of the Society to discuss matters of policy, the administration and staffing of the Society, and to consider reports from staff.

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 581 · sub-fonds · 1784-1847

Copies of the outgoing letters written by the Foreign Secretaries of the Royal Society.

Young , Thomas , 1773-1829 , physician, physicist and Egyptologist Smyth , William Henry , 1788-1865 , scientist and antiquary , Admiral Daniell , John Frederic , 1790-1845 , chemist Sabine , Sir , Edward , 1788-1883 , Knight , General and geophysicist Konig , Charles Dietrich Eberhard , 1774-1851 , mineralogist
Layard , Charles Peter , 1749-1803 , clergyman
GB 0117 MS 753 · sub-fonds · 1851

Correspondence relating to the Royal Grant of Apartments in Somerset House to the Royal Society by King George III including a copy of a memorandum by Albert, the Prince Consort, in 1851.

Royal Society
GB 0117 PT · sub-fonds · 1807-1865

The manuscript versions of papers published by the Royal Society in the 'Philosophical Transactions'. The series has many points of interest, which include authors' corrections to manuscripts, and the presence of original illustrations in various media (drawings, watercolours and photographs) bound in the volumes. Not all of the material printed in the 'Philosophical Transactions' relating to Society business survives, but manuscript examples of meteorological observations, lists of presents and annual indexing may be found in volumes 8, 9 and 12.
Papers are usually bound into vellum-covered volumes by year of publication, although a few (volumes 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 17, 73-75) are loose, boxed items. Several gaps appear in the collection, notably for the period 1825-1839 (volumes 18-22) and any year may lack one or more papers; these omissions are noted at the beginning of each part. Despite this, the series constitutes a large, relatively complete run.

Royal Society
GB 0117 PH · sub-fonds · nd

A small collection of photostats or photocopies of manuscripts held in other institutions, but of some relevance to the Royal Society and its own Archives. The series largely consists of groups of correspondence, notable letters to Julius Plucker (PH.1) letters of Hevelius, Newton and Flamsteed (PH.2) and of Edmond Halley (PH.3) There are some records of other institutions, including a minute book of the Physiological Society 1876-1892 (PH.9), and copies of Rutherford's correspondence at the Cavendish Laboratory.

Royal Society
Royal Society: presents
GB 0117 MS 418 · sub-fonds · 1831-1849

A list of presents to the Royal Society, 1831-1849.

Royal Society
GB 0117 PC · sub-fonds · 1846-

A series of (generally) printed material relating to, and commenting on, the Society's activities. The press cuttings and scrap books contain cuttings from newspapers interspersed with other printed matter, and occasionally items of manuscripts. The remaining volumes are concerned with particular events or subjects, such as 'HMS Challenger 1872-1895' or 'National Antarctic Expedition 1899-1904'. There are three types of volumes; the first volume is for the years 1846-1876, but therafter two types of book were kept;

a) biographical - 12 volumes, 1872-1910

b) general, 10 volumes 1885-1910.

These were discontinued for a short period, then merged: 36 volumes, 1918-1976. Thereafter newscuttings were photocopied and kept in monthly bundles.

Various
GB 0117 PP · sub-fonds · 1882-1894

Manuscripts and occasionally proofs of papers published in the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' 1882-94, covering volumes 33-56 of the printed series. The printed Proceedings may contain 3 types of papers read to the Fellowship:

1) papers abstracted in the 'Proceedings', but not printed in 'Philosophical Transactions'.

2) papers abstracted in the 'Proceedings', and then printed in 'Philosophical Transactions'.

3) papers printed in full in the 'Proceedings'.

The published 'Proceedings' were issued from 1832 initially as retrospective abstracts of the 'Philosophical Transactions', but from volume 3 as a record of the Society's meetings including abstracts of papers read but not published. Volume 7 initiated the procedure of publishing full papers in addition to abstracts. The papers are in separate locations within the archives. Manuscript papers of typ 1 (see description above) may be found in the series Archived Papers; those of type 2 in the 'Philosophical Transactions' series; and type 3 in this series of 'Proceedings Papers'. ther are a number of missing papers from the series, but it remains relatively complete with the dates specified. 87 papers are unaccounted for, together with some illustrative material.

Royal Society
GB 0117 RBC · sub-fonds · 1661-1738

The Register Books exist in Original and Copy form. The Register Book contains copies of scientific papers submitted to the Society - the original documents may be found in the Classified Papers series. The papers were transcribed to establish their precedence for a particular discovery or idea. It follows that not all communications to the Society were registered in this manner, but only those judged to contain some significant material.

Royal Society
GB 0117 RBO · sub-fonds · 1661-1739

The Register Books contain copies of scientific papers submitted to the Society - the original documents may be found in the Classified Papers. The papers were transcribed in order to establish their precedence for a particular discovery or idea. Therefore not all communications to the Society were registered in this manner, but only those judged to contain some significant material. Dates as listed are those in which the paper was communicated to the Royal Society; dates of writing, where given, are included in the description of each paper. Many of the these papers were published in 'Philosophical Transactions'.

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 557 · sub-fonds · 1662-1761

Secretaries Draft Minutes of Meetings of the Royal Society: these are the notes, more or less rough, which were written up to make the Journal Books. They fall into two sections;

  1. 'Original Minutes' A series of guardbooks and packets of papers, 12 in number, containing original minutes of the Society's meetings. These minutes gradually approach nearer and nearer to the form and appearance of the Journal Book, and the last few volumes (from 15 onwards) are little different from the corresponding volumes of the Journal Book in their style.

  2. 'Rough Minutes' A series of 5 notebooks containing rough minutes of meetings. It seems likely that these are the notes taken down by the Secretary at the meetings, which were later written out much more carefully to make the original minutes (which are usually more legible and more clearly intended to be preserved). These 5 notebooks cover fairly well the gaps in the series of Original minutes caused by the absence of Volume VI (almost certainly this is Sloane MS 3342 in the British Library) and the exceedingly fragmentary state of Volume V.

Disregarding the gaps, the period covered by the combined original and rough minutes is from August 1662 to November 1761. The period covered by the individual volumes are also shown on the backs of the volumes

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 499 · sub-fonds · 1897-1901

Letters and papers of the Royal Society Sylvester Medal Fund including correspondence regarding the setting-up of a Sylvester Memorial by international committee.

Royal Society
GB 0117 TA · sub-fonds · 1960

The Royal Society's Tercentenary celebrations in 1960 prompted learned societies and centres of academic excellence worldwide to send gifts and messages of congratulations. Presentation books, medals and other memorabilia were presented also. Many of the messages were highly ornate, and this series illustrates a wide range of calligraphic techniques and styles of binding.

Various
Royal Society Visitors Book
GB 0117 MS 79 · sub-fonds · 1912

Royal Society Visitors Book containing the signatures of distinguished visitors to the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Royal Society.

Royal Society
GB 0117 MS 817 · sub-fonds · late 19th century and early 20th century

Letters to Sir Arthur Rucker, his wife and daughter, during the late 19th and early 20th century; many of them from scientists, including J J Thompson, William Huggins, Aston Webb, David Gill, N S Maskelyne, A Geikie. Together with assorted notes and ephemera.

Rucker , Sir , Arthur William , 1848-1915 , Knight , physicist