GB 0096 MS 827 - Tolansky, Samuel

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0096 MS 827

Title

Tolansky, Samuel

Date(s)

  • 1926-1973 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

31 boxes, 1 packet

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born Samuel Turlausky in 1907, Tolansky was educated at Rutherford College, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1919-1925, and Armstrong College, Durham University, 1925-1928, gaining a Diploma in the Theory and Practice of Teaching at the latter in 1928-1929. From 1929 to 1931, he was a Fellow of King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne, and in 1931 he gained the Earl Grey Fellowship which enabled him to travel to Berlin. In 1932 Tolansky was granted the 1851 Exhibition Senior Studentship at Imperial College, London, and studied with Professor Alfred Fowler for the next two years. He was successively appointed Assistant Lecturer, 1934-1937, Lecturer, 1937-1945, Senior Lecturer, 1945-1946, and Reader, 1946-1947, in Physics at Manchester University, whre he undertook research on nuclear spins and multiple beam inteferometry. In 1948 Tolansky became Professor of Physics at Royal Holloway College, University of London, a post he held until his death in 1973. He won various prizes, including the C.V. Boys Prize for contributions to optics awarded by the London Physical Society in 1948, and was a member of numerous committees and societies, such as the NASA Lunar Project, the Scientific Advisory Committee, the National Gallery, the Royal Scientific Association, the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Society, the Royal Scientific Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Microscopical Society.

Archival history

GB 0096 MS 827 1926-1973 Collection (fonds) 31 boxes, 1 packet Tolansky , Samuel , 1907-1973 , physicist
Born Samuel Turlausky in 1907, Tolansky was educated at Rutherford College, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1919-1925, and Armstrong College, Durham University, 1925-1928, gaining a Diploma in the Theory and Practice of Teaching at the latter in 1928-1929. From 1929 to 1931, he was a Fellow of King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne, and in 1931 he gained the Earl Grey Fellowship which enabled him to travel to Berlin. In 1932 Tolansky was granted the 1851 Exhibition Senior Studentship at Imperial College, London, and studied with Professor Alfred Fowler for the next two years. He was successively appointed Assistant Lecturer, 1934-1937, Lecturer, 1937-1945, Senior Lecturer, 1945-1946, and Reader, 1946-1947, in Physics at Manchester University, whre he undertook research on nuclear spins and multiple beam inteferometry. In 1948 Tolansky became Professor of Physics at Royal Holloway College, University of London, a post he held until his death in 1973. He won various prizes, including the C.V. Boys Prize for contributions to optics awarded by the London Physical Society in 1948, and was a member of numerous committees and societies, such as the NASA Lunar Project, the Scientific Advisory Committee, the National Gallery, the Royal Scientific Association, the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Society, the Royal Scientific Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Microscopical Society.

Given by the family via the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre, Oxford, in 1975. Further papers were received from the Department of Physics, Royal Holloway College.

Papers of Samuel Tolansky, 1926-1974, comprising biographical and personal materials, 1928-1974, including printed obituaries and memoirs, notes on his educational and research record, photographs of colleagues and collaborators, personal and family correspondence and domestic papers; material relating to Tolansky's work in the Department of Physics, Royal Holloway College, 1946-1970, including general correspondence on equipment and supplies, research grants, and examinations, correspondence with the College regarding the Physics laboratories, and correspondence on visits to and by Tolansky; notebooks and working papers, 1940-1969, including laboratory notebooks, on subjects including nuclear spin, diamonds, lunar dust and interferometry; manuscripts of publications, 1926-1973, including scientific reports and articles, abstracts and book reviews, broadcasts and books, on subjects including interferometry, crystallography, diamond physics and jewish music; material relating to committee and advisory work, 1949-1973, for bodies including the University of London, Birkbeck College, the Kingston College of Art, the National Gallery, the Science Research Council, the Royal Society of Arts and the Institute of Physics; papers relating to external examination, 1947-1973, at the Universities of Bradford, Durham, Leicester, and Nottingham, the Royal University of Malta, the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and the Civil Service Commission; material concerning conferences, demonstrations and exhibitions, 1946-1972; scientific correspondence, 1932-1973, mainly relating to Tolansky's work on diamonds, with correspondents including officials of the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, the NASA Lunar Sample Research Programme, and numerous scientists, such as Charles Joseph Singer, Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, James Frederic Danielli, Sir Gordon Sutherland, Otto Robert Frisch and Patrick Moore; correspondence relating to publications, 1942-1973; correspondence and texts relating to lectures, broadcasts and television appearances, 1947-1973.

The collection is divided into the following sections: biographical and personal; Royal Holloway College London; notebooks and working papers; publications; committees and advisory bodies; external examining; conferences, demonstrations and exhibitions; scientific correspondence; publications correspondence; and lectures, broadcasts and television.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.
English

'Report on the papers of Professor Samuel Tolansky FRS (1907-1973)...' (1975), listed by Jeannine Alton and Harriot Weiskittel for the Historical Manuscripts Commission. There is an index of the principal correspondents.

Further material relating to Samuel Tolansky may be found at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Bristol University Library.

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project and modified by Stefan Dickers (January 2005). Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Jan 2002 Birkbeck College Civil Service Commission Crystallography Danielli , James Frederick , 1911-1984 , biologist and physiologist Diamonds Frisch , Otto Robert , 1904-1979 , physicist Gemmological Association of Great Britain Gems Institute of Physics Interferology Kingston College of Art Lonsdale , Dame , Kathleen , 1903-1971 , née Yardley , chemist and crystallographer x Yardley , Kathleen Measurement Mineralogy Minerals Moore , Sir , Patrick Moore , b 1923 , Knight , astonomer and television presenter NASA Lunar Sample Research Programme National Gallery , London Nuclear physics Physics Physics education Royal Holloway College , Department of Physics Royal Institution of Great Britain Royal Society Royal University of Malta RSA , Royal Society of Arts x Royal Society of Arts Science education Science Research Council Scientific methods Singer , Charles Joseph , 1876-1960 , historian of medicine and science Sutherland , Sir , Gordon Brims Black McIvor , 1907-1980 , Knight , physicist Tolansky , Samuel , 1907-1973 , physicist University of Bradford x Bradford University University of Durham x Durham University University of Leicester x Leicester University University of London x London University University of Nottingham x Nottingham University

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Given by the family via the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre, Oxford, in 1975. Further papers were received from the Department of Physics, Royal Holloway College.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Samuel Tolansky, 1926-1974, comprising biographical and personal materials, 1928-1974, including printed obituaries and memoirs, notes on his educational and research record, photographs of colleagues and collaborators, personal and family correspondence and domestic papers; material relating to Tolansky's work in the Department of Physics, Royal Holloway College, 1946-1970, including general correspondence on equipment and supplies, research grants, and examinations, correspondence with the College regarding the Physics laboratories, and correspondence on visits to and by Tolansky; notebooks and working papers, 1940-1969, including laboratory notebooks, on subjects including nuclear spin, diamonds, lunar dust and interferometry; manuscripts of publications, 1926-1973, including scientific reports and articles, abstracts and book reviews, broadcasts and books, on subjects including interferometry, crystallography, diamond physics and jewish music; material relating to committee and advisory work, 1949-1973, for bodies including the University of London, Birkbeck College, the Kingston College of Art, the National Gallery, the Science Research Council, the Royal Society of Arts and the Institute of Physics; papers relating to external examination, 1947-1973, at the Universities of Bradford, Durham, Leicester, and Nottingham, the Royal University of Malta, the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and the Civil Service Commission; material concerning conferences, demonstrations and exhibitions, 1946-1972; scientific correspondence, 1932-1973, mainly relating to Tolansky's work on diamonds, with correspondents including officials of the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, the NASA Lunar Sample Research Programme, and numerous scientists, such as Charles Joseph Singer, Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, James Frederic Danielli, Sir Gordon Sutherland, Otto Robert Frisch and Patrick Moore; correspondence relating to publications, 1942-1973; correspondence and texts relating to lectures, broadcasts and television appearances, 1947-1973.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is divided into the following sections: biographical and personal; Royal Holloway College London; notebooks and working papers; publications; committees and advisory bodies; external examining; conferences, demonstrations and exhibitions; scientific correspondence; publications correspondence; and lectures, broadcasts and television.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

'Report on the papers of Professor Samuel Tolansky FRS (1907-1973)...' (1975), listed by Jeannine Alton and Harriot Weiskittel for the Historical Manuscripts Commission. There is an index of the principal correspondents.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Further material relating to Samuel Tolansky may be found at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Bristol University Library.

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Senate House Library, University of London

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area