The simple art of reference writing TAGS: CRC | Edinburgh University Library | Karl Ferdinand Braun | Professor Godfrey Thomson | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | University of Edinburgh | William Henry Hadow As I am now coming to the end of my time in Edinburgh cataloguing the papers of Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson, references aren’t terribly far from my mind! But I …Continue reading →

A few of my favourite things V: a gift from ‘the Polish Teachers in Uniform’ TAGS: CRC | Edinburgh university Library Special Collecions | Polish School of Medicine | Polish Students in Uniform | Polonia Restituta | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson My favourite item from all the collections I have worked with in the past 10 months is a beautiful album in the Moray House collection.  The album was made for …Continue reading →

‘The old conditions cannot continue, and some new form of political and economic existence must be found’ TAGS: CRC | Dr Friedrich M Urban | Edinburgh University Special Collections | Nuremberg rally | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | World War II All of history seems to be contained in the letters of ordinary people living in extraordinary times.  We may know what backdrop will emerge, but there are seldom enough traces …Continue reading →

The love story of Hector and Andromache… TAGS: CRC | Edinburgh University Special Collections | Hector and Andromache | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | University of Aberdeen | University of Edinburgh | Valentines Day Valentines Day.  A wonderful time of year when  we can indulge in levels of cynicism and sarcasm simply unacceptable at any other!  However, here in the archives our hardened hearts …Continue reading →

The disgruntlements of old age… TAGS: CRC | D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson | differential birth rate | Edinburgh University Special Collections | Eugenics | Intelligence | natural history | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | University of Edinburgh | University of St Andrews Disgruntlement.  The archives are full of it – though I should stress I am referring to the contents of our records rather than our lovely readers (or indeed my lovely  …Continue reading →

A letter from Pip TAGS: 20th century history | Birth control | Carlos Paton Blacker | CRC | Edinburgh University Library | Eugenics | Eugenics Society | Godfrey Thomson | Intelligence testing | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | Royal Commission on Population | University of Edinburgh | Wellcome Library | Wellcome Trust Some of the most interesting letters in Thomson’s collection were sent to his widow following his death in 1955.  The following, from psychiatrist and secretary of the Eugenics society Carlos …Continue reading →

‘Who is that chap with the terrific head?!’ TAGS: CRC | Edinburgh University Special Collections | Hugh MacDiarmid | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | R H Westwater | Robert Heriot Westwater Robert Heriot Westwater’s most famous portrait is probably that of Christopher Murray Grieve (more widely known by his nom de plume,  Hugh McDiarmid!).  But Westwater also painted two very different …Continue reading →

A few of my favourite things…III TAGS: Burschenschaften | CRC | duelling | Edinburgh University Library Special Collections | Godfrey Thomson | Mensur | Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson | Student clubs | University of Strasbourg | University of Strasburg In his mid 20s, Thomson found himself studying for a PhD under the formidable talents of Nobel Prize winining physicist, Karl Ferdinand Braun, at the University of Strasburg.  Today’s object …Continue reading →

Full Nelson Archive TAGS: Annexe | CRC | Nelson | Nelson Archive | Repertory Plays | Special Collections | Thomas Nelson The Thomas Nelson collection of books arrived at the Annexe on Tuesday 14th August 2012. We were very excited to be receiving this collection of books and materials forming the …Continue reading →