Britain's heritage of scientific and technological records and manuscripts and of historic scientific instruments

Abstract

Thanks to centuries of scientific activity and to the Industrial Revolution, Britain has inherited a legacy of outstanding scientific and technological records, manuscripts and correspondence and also of historic scientific instruments, many of which are in important collections in public and private possession. In the lifetime of this generation there have been serious losses of documents due to sales, dispersal or fire and both the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts and the Royal Society are much concerned about their safety and availability. In the last number of Notes and Records Professor Andrade, the Honorary Librarian of the Royal Society, gave an account of a meeting of representatives of the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the Royal Society who recommended that a Standing Joint Committee of the two bodies should be appointed to investigate the location, safe-keeping and availability of scientific and technological records and documents and to make recommendations for action.