Papers, [1949]-1988, mainly relating to the teaching of physics at King's College, London, notably teaching notes, handouts and offprints of articles for use in lectures and tutorials, on subjects including Raman Spectroscopy, Microwave and Physics Frequency Spectroscopy, Solid State Physics, Hydrograph Bonding, and Modern Physics, [1950-1986]; two copies of the King's College London Physics Department Second Year Laboratory Manual; correspondence relating to references provided by Wilkinson [for his students], 1979-1988; notes, correspondence and papers relating to physics and chemistry syllabi, [1964-1971], including proposals for physics teaching; papers, [1949]-1969, on examination of students of chemistry and physics, including King's College and University of London exam papers, [1949-1966], and examples of physics exam questions at other London colleges, 1964; agenda, minutes and reports of King's College and Queen Elizabeth College Physics Department Staff Meetings, [1981-1987]; reports of the Development Planning Committee, 1969-1971; Annual Reports of the Physics Department Spectroscopy Group, 1959-1960 and 1962-1966. Papers relating to research funding, notably reports by Wilkinson on research proposals submitted to the Science Research Council, [1973], [1978], and [1981-1986]; files of correspondence and papers relating to Wilkinson's PhD students, notably David Meade and K J Dean, 1978-1985; papers relating to Science Research Council grants made to Wilkinson, [1950-1989]. Named files, containing correspondence, drawings, photographs and papers on various scientific subjects, especially relating to Raman Spectroscopy, largely containing offprints of articles by Wilkinson and others, [1960-1980]. Files of correspondence and papers relating to academic papers and articles written by Wilkinson, including a speech to the Indian Raman Conference; an article with W F Sherman and J S Budenheimer on 'High pressure studies on Hexamethyl Benzene'; the 'Chinese University Development Project Panel and Commission Report on solid state spectroscopy in physics at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China', May 1985; correspondence and proofs relating to a chapter by Wilkinson and W F Sherman on Raman Spectroscopy; correspondence with the Reverend Stanley H Williams concerning a proposed biography of W E Williams; correspondence with Pergamon Press relating to a new edition of the Encyclopedia of Physics. Papers, notes and drawings relating to scientific equipment, including a Dovesbury Synchrocyclotron, 1980-1981, a Spex Laser, 1978, a Carey 81 Laser, and an Ionised Argon Laser, 1954 and 1967. Personal files include information regarding Professor Sir John Randall, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at King's College, [1984], correspondence and papers relating to the Perkin Elmer Prize, 1987, copies of book reviews by Wilkinson, and a list of his papers published before 1978. The collection also contains 4 boxes of glass slides showing sample spectra.

The papers are extensive but by no means comprehensive. There is no personal or biographical material and very little record of Thompson's research. On the other hand his contributions to international science and football are extensively documented. There is a very full record of Thompson's Foreign Secretaryship of the Royal Society and his organisation of the European chemical conferences (EUCHEM) and substantial documentation of his work for ICSU and IUPAC, including the Commission on Molecular Spectroscopy and the Triple Commission on Spectroscopy. Thompson's contributions to international relations were not limited to science (or football) and he kept detailed records of his Chairmanship from 1972 of the Great Britain - China Committee (later Great Britain - China Centre). The football papers are substantial, particularly for the last decade of Thompson's life, and thus there is full documentation of his Chairmanship of the Football Association and of the many problems facing football at that time, including hooliganism amongst its supporters.

The papers of William Price, chiefly relating to spectroscopic analysis and photoionisation, comprise correspondence, lecture and teaching notes, notes compiled while reviewing scientific articles, original research notes, papers concerning Price's employment as an examiner, obituaries and reprints of journal articles, 1929-1993. These notably include correspondence with colleagues describing projects and experiments and sharing observations and data, 1942-1990; lecture notes and teaching papers compiled by Price on the theory of spectroscopy, theoretical and applied optics, especially microscopy, basic molecular chemistry, electron configurations and bond and dissociation energies of molecules, 1948-1978; notes compiled by Price for the peer review of articles and on Price's own published articles, including on the spectra of halogens, the structure of polyatomic molecules, on water and hydrides, the calculation of ionisation potentials, benzenes and hydrocarbons, the structure of the DNA molecule and natural fibres such as keratin, 1929-1977; original research notes on spectroscopic analysis, especially ultraviolet spectra of rare gases, ethylene, sulphur dioxide and other compounds, 1933-1986; papers relating to Price's work as an examiner including draft and complete examination question papers and correspondence, 1952-1978; papers concerning the membership by Price of various learned societies and attendance at scientific conferences and symposia, 1940-1992; obituaries and newspaper cuttings on Price and other distinguished scientists, 1976-1993; typescript copies and reprints of scientific journals containing articles by Price and others, on topics including spectroscopy, photoionization, ionisation potentials and electron configuration and bond and dissociation energies, 1945-1990.

Papers of Sir James Dewar include: (DI-DII) correspondence and general papers relating to membership of institutions, scientific work and the views of individuals, written papers. (DIII) Biographical papers and cuttings 1911-1925 and personal and (DB11) biographical papers c.1891-1924, relate to Dewar and his work. (DIII) Photographs 1890-1894, relate to various aspects such as rooms in the Royal Institution of Great Britain (RI) and apparatus; (DE15) photographs and reprints including discourses 1875-1923 include an album of photographs of soap films, reprints of Dewar lectures at the RI, notes on courses and lectures by Dewar and others such as John Tyndall. Notebooks relate to (DIII) experimental observations 1907-1909; (DB4) notebooks on radiation, dissociation, analyses; (DB5) low temperature work 1874-1919, notebooks and other papers; (DB6) spectroscopy notebooks 1879-1912; (DB7) rare gases 1885-1923, notebooks and papers; (DB8) laboratory apparatus notebooks, 1881-1905; (DB9) notebooks and papers on bubbles, 1917-1923; (DB10) notebooks on the work of Marcellin Berthelot and Henri Moissan, 1907; (DE10) lecture notebooks and experimental notes 1869-1918, relate to topics such as hydrogen, thermal values, latent heat and decomposition of gases. Notes on lectures include (DIV) lecture notes and lists 1878-1891, relates to soap bubbles, and Christmas lectures at the RI; (DB3) lecture notes 1877-1906, relates to lectures at the RI; (DE16) lecture notes and correspondence 1885-1940, relates to lectures at the RI including Christmas lectures and correspondence of various recipients particularly with William J. Green. (DE14) Discourses 1894-1923, relate to the Friday Evening Discourses at the RI as well as other notes on experiments. Various forms of notes include: (DB1) general laboratory notes 1864-1923, on temperature, thermo electric properties, analysis of water; (DB2) sound experiments; (DV) notes on scientists and scientific work 1845-1903, relate to Dewar; (DE1) experimental notes 1904-1922 and (DE2) 1919-1923, relate to topics such as dielectric constants of liquid hydrogen, soap films, vacuum tubes, radium, low temperature and radiation from the sky; (DE3) laboratory notes 1897-1930, (DE4) 1914-1920, (DE7) pre-1900 and (DE8) 1875-1910, relate to topics such as silvered vacuum flasks, specific heats, diffusion, apparatus, charcoal absorption and spectroscopic examination of gases; (DE5) bubble measurements 1815-1822, notes and observations; (DE13) experimental notes and correspondence 1893-1922, relate to topics such as densities at low temperature, charcoal, soap film and gases; (DE6) miscellaneous experimental notes 1878-1922 and (DE9) miscellaneous notes 1871-1925, relate to topics such as critical temperature of gases, radiation curves and bubbles. (DE11) Reprints 1866-1913, relate to issues such as Friday Evening Discourses at the RI, the Michael Faraday Centenary of 1891, Christmas lectures at the RI and notes and reports on experiments. (DE12) Royal Institution 1885-1924, relates to messages and letters to, from or concerning Dewar, his role at the RI and general administrative issues. (DE17) Diplomas, drawings and graphs relate to Dewar's Fullerian Professorship at the RI, apparatus and experiments. (DG1-DG3) W. J. Green papers include correspondence, notes, photographs and notebooks on experimental discussions and personal issues such as health. (DCI) Scott controversy 1911, Gordon case 1912-1917, (DCII) early Scott case 1891-1892 and Ruhemann controversy 1890-1891, correspondence and papers. (DVI) J. E. Petavel papers - St Louis exhibition 1904, relates to the reproduction of Dewar's low temperature work for the exhibition with notes on the exhibition. (DVII) War work 1915-1918, includes letter and papers on work for the war effort, World War One.