GB 0120 GC/176 - Twort, Frederick William (1877-1950)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 GC/176

Title

Twort, Frederick William (1877-1950)

Date(s)

  • 1896-1983 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

3 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Twort went into research shortly after he qualified in medicine in 1900. In 1909 he was appointed Superintendent of the Brown Institution in South London, a post he held until the building was destroyed during the Blitz in 1944, apart from a period of service in Salonika at the Base Laboratories during World War I. In 1929 he was elected FRS and in 1931 the title of Professor of Bacteriology was conferred on him by the University of London. He did important work on the bacteriophage and was involved in controversy with Félix d'Hérelle over priority in research findings. Twort's research interests were wide and included developing improved wireless reception and work on removing impurities in latex. Described in an obituary as an 'erratic genius' he was no stranger to controversy, criticising his military superiors during his war service and initiating a legal case against the Medical Research Council when they terminated their funding to the Brown Institution. Details of a biography of Twort by his son are given below.

Archival history

GB 0120 GC/176 1896-1983 Collection (fonds) 3 boxes Twort , Frederick William , 1877-1950 , bacteriologist

Twort went into research shortly after he qualified in medicine in 1900. In 1909 he was appointed Superintendent of the Brown Institution in South London, a post he held until the building was destroyed during the Blitz in 1944, apart from a period of service in Salonika at the Base Laboratories during World War I. In 1929 he was elected FRS and in 1931 the title of Professor of Bacteriology was conferred on him by the University of London. He did important work on the bacteriophage and was involved in controversy with Félix d'Hérelle over priority in research findings. Twort's research interests were wide and included developing improved wireless reception and work on removing impurities in latex. Described in an obituary as an 'erratic genius' he was no stranger to controversy, criticising his military superiors during his war service and initiating a legal case against the Medical Research Council when they terminated their funding to the Brown Institution. Details of a biography of Twort by his son are given below.

These papers were received in Oct 1993 from Dr Antony Twort, the son of FW Twort, and an additional accession in May 2003 from the same.

Papers of Frederick William Twort or about him, mainly his work at the Brown Institution, including laboratory notes and correspondence, etc from the period 1903-1950, including correspondence on the study of bacteriophages.

The bulk was arranged in files created by his son for the purpose of writing a biography. Most of the material was in post files, from which items have been removed and placed in acid free folders but otherwise kept together. Some slight rearrangement of the experimental notes in B.3 was undertaken to restore the sequence. The material relating to his wireless research, B.2, was loose in a file. One file of loose material labelled 'Various papers and letters', which includes career items, testimonials, congratulatory letters, and general correspondence with colleagues, associates and friends, has been sorted into several files now listed in Section A. The sections are as follows: A Personalia; B Research; C Case against the Medical Research Council.

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

English

For other material in the field of bacteriology, see also Archives and Manuscripts Department, Wellcome Library collections: PP/COL, PP/CRA, PP/GSW, PP/HAR, PP/VAN, SA/AMC, SA/HIS, SA/LIS, GC/4, 12, 33, 70, 130, 170, 177, 180, 200, 221, 278, RAMC, WA/BSR, WA/PHO.

Biography by son, Antony Twort, In Focus, Out of Step: A biography of Frederick William Twort FRS, 1877-1950 (Stroud, Gloucs: Alan Sutton, 1993)>

Copied from the Wellcome Library catalogue by Sarah Drewery.

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.

Mar 2009. Twort , Frederick William , 1877-1950 , bacteriologist Microbiology Organisms Bacteriology Bacteriophages Brown Institution , Wandsworth

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

These papers were received in Oct 1993 from Dr Antony Twort, the son of FW Twort, and an additional accession in May 2003 from the same.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Frederick William Twort or about him, mainly his work at the Brown Institution, including laboratory notes and correspondence, etc from the period 1903-1950, including correspondence on the study of bacteriophages.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The bulk was arranged in files created by his son for the purpose of writing a biography. Most of the material was in post files, from which items have been removed and placed in acid free folders but otherwise kept together. Some slight rearrangement of the experimental notes in B.3 was undertaken to restore the sequence. The material relating to his wireless research, B.2, was loose in a file. One file of loose material labelled 'Various papers and letters', which includes career items, testimonials, congratulatory letters, and general correspondence with colleagues, associates and friends, has been sorted into several files now listed in Section A. The sections are as follows: A Personalia; B Research; C Case against the Medical Research Council.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

For other material in the field of bacteriology, see also Archives and Manuscripts Department, Wellcome Library collections: PP/COL, PP/CRA, PP/GSW, PP/HAR, PP/VAN, SA/AMC, SA/HIS, SA/LIS, GC/4, 12, 33, 70, 130, 170, 177, 180, 200, 221, 278, RAMC, WA/BSR, WA/PHO.

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wellcome Library

Rules and/or conventions used

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