GB 0120 MSS.5036-5088 - Witkowski, Gustave Jules Alphonse (1844-1923)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 MSS.5036-5088

Title

Witkowski, Gustave Jules Alphonse (1844-1923)

Date(s)

  • 1865-1922 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

53 items (volumes or bundles of papers)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Gustave Jules Alphonse Witkowski was born in 1844 and trained as a doctor, presenting his MD thesis in 1872. He also wrote widely on a variety of subjects, chiefly upon medical history but also upon art and history in general. He died in 1923. A little further information may be found in [G.J. Witkowski], Docteur G.J. Witkowski : autobiographie (Paris?: no publisher noted, 1917).

Archival history

GB 0120 MSS.5036-5088 1865-1922 Collection (fonds) 53 items (volumes or bundles of papers) Witkowski , Gustave Jules Alphonse , 1844-1923 , surgeon, writer and medical historian

Gustave Jules Alphonse Witkowski was born in 1844 and trained as a doctor, presenting his MD thesis in 1872. He also wrote widely on a variety of subjects, chiefly upon medical history but also upon art and history in general. He died in 1923. A little further information may be found in [G.J. Witkowski], Docteur G.J. Witkowski : autobiographie (Paris?: no publisher noted, 1917).

Purchased from Le François, Paris, June 1930 (accession number 55101). Moorat's catalogue lists this wrongly as 1929 and gives some items an erroneous accession number of 55161.

Papers cover Witkowski's writings on medical history (and other areas of history) rather than his medical activities. MSS.5036-5038 comprise press cuttings, publishers' notices, reviews, etc., relating to Witkowski's writings, plus original poems, some photographs, and some letters to him about his work; they span the bulk of his career (1865-1920). MSS.5039-5085 consist of material related closely to various published works on medical history and art history by Witkowski: typescript and holograph drafts, annotated published material, etc. Within this block of material, MSS.5057-5062 consist of a detailed critique of Folie de l'Empereur by Augustin Cabanès (1862-1928), consisting of heavily annotated copies of the published work. Also worth noting are MSS.5063-5064, copies of Witkowski's Comment j'ai appris l'Histoire Sainte, a Rabelaisian and satirical anti-clerical history. Finally, MSS.5086-5088, written under the pseudonym "Docteur Clam", comprise travel writings, recording travels in Italy, Turkey, Romania and Hungary, in 1901 (MS.5086); Egypt, in 1901-1902 (MS.5087); and Italy, in 1905 (MS.5088).

Material is held in chronological order of composition. MSS.5036-5038 (comprising press cuttings, publishers' notices, reviews, etc., relating to Witkowski's writings) span the bulk of his career (1865-1920). The remainder of the collection, MSS.5039-5088, comprises items more precisely dated and spans the years c.1905 to 1922. This section of the collection comprises essays and papers on medical history, art history and other matters of historic interest, with the exception of the final three items (MSS.5086-5088) which comprise travel writings.

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.
French

holograph manuscripts, typescripts and annotated published works, held as volumes and bundles of papers.

Described in: S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973). Detailed catalogue available at http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk.

MS.7317/103 comprises a letter to Witkowski by Charles Maygrier (b.1849), professor of obstetrics, found in a copy of Witkowski's book Accouchers et sages-femmes célébres: esquisses biographiques (1891?) and setting out his relationship to various figures in the book.

description compiled by Christopher Hilton based upon those in the Library's published finding aid by S.A.J. Moorat. 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. December 2000 Anti-clericalism Art history Arts Art theory Authors Book reviews Cabanès , Augustin , 1862-1928 , French historian x Cabanes , Augustin Eastern Europe Egypt Europe Historians Historical research History History of medicine Humour (literary) Hungary Italy Literary criticism Literary forms and genres Literature Medical personnel Medical profession Medical sciences Middle East Newspaper press North Africa Personnel Photographs Physicians Poetry Political doctrines Press Press cuttings Publishing Publishing industry Romania Satire Social scientists Surgery Travel Travel abroad Turkey Visual materials Western Europe Witkowski , Gustave Jules Alphonse , 1844-1923 , surgeon, writer and medical historian Writers People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Purchased from Le François, Paris, June 1930 (accession number 55101). Moorat's catalogue lists this wrongly as 1929 and gives some items an erroneous accession number of 55161.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers cover Witkowski's writings on medical history (and other areas of history) rather than his medical activities. MSS.5036-5038 comprise press cuttings, publishers' notices, reviews, etc., relating to Witkowski's writings, plus original poems, some photographs, and some letters to him about his work; they span the bulk of his career (1865-1920). MSS.5039-5085 consist of material related closely to various published works on medical history and art history by Witkowski: typescript and holograph drafts, annotated published material, etc. Within this block of material, MSS.5057-5062 consist of a detailed critique of Folie de l'Empereur by Augustin Cabanès (1862-1928), consisting of heavily annotated copies of the published work. Also worth noting are MSS.5063-5064, copies of Witkowski's Comment j'ai appris l'Histoire Sainte, a Rabelaisian and satirical anti-clerical history. Finally, MSS.5086-5088, written under the pseudonym "Docteur Clam", comprise travel writings, recording travels in Italy, Turkey, Romania and Hungary, in 1901 (MS.5086); Egypt, in 1901-1902 (MS.5087); and Italy, in 1905 (MS.5088).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Material is held in chronological order of composition. MSS.5036-5038 (comprising press cuttings, publishers' notices, reviews, etc., relating to Witkowski's writings) span the bulk of his career (1865-1920). The remainder of the collection, MSS.5039-5088, comprises items more precisely dated and spans the years c.1905 to 1922. This section of the collection comprises essays and papers on medical history, art history and other matters of historic interest, with the exception of the final three items (MSS.5086-5088) which comprise travel writings.

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

French

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

MS.7317/103 comprises a letter to Witkowski by Charles Maygrier (b.1849), professor of obstetrics, found in a copy of Witkowski's book Accouchers et sages-femmes célébres: esquisses biographiques (1891?) and setting out his relationship to various figures in the book.

Finding aids

Described in: S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973). Detailed catalogue available at http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

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

Wellcome Library

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