Final project report
‘Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics’ ‘The Making of Dolly: Science, Politics and Ethics’ Funded by the Wellcome Trust’s Research Resources scheme April 2012 – May 2016
1
Contents
Page 2: Contents and project overview Page 3: The collections Page 4: Preservation and conservation Page 5: Public engagement Page 6: Academic and student engagement Page 7: Working with the science community Page 8: Associated projects Pages 9-10: Additional projects Page 11: Conclusions and acknowledgements Pages 12-35: Appendices
Project Overview
This report covers the work undertaken as part of two Wellcome Trust projects based around animal genetics collections at Edinburgh University Library Special Collections: ‘Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics’ (April 2012- February 2014; January-May 2016), £135,607 (096694/Z/11/Z)
‘The Making of Dolly: Science, Politics and Ethics’ (October 2013 – December 2015), £101,191 (100731/Z/12/Z) The staff employed on these projects were Clare Button, Project Archivist (2012-2016) and Kristy Davis, Rare Book Cataloguer (2012-2014). Out of the work of these projects, additional funding was also secured for the following: ‘Scoping Beyond Dolly’ (July 2012), £10,000 (099447/Z/12/Z)
‘Science on a Plate: natural history through glass slides 1870-1930’ (October 2014-April 2015), £17,466 (105088/Z/14/Z)
‘Untangling the roots of animal genetics in Edinburgh, 1899-1939’ (forthcoming, June-November 2016), £26,261 (200428/Z/15/Z)
2
The Collections
The collections which make up the projects encompass archives, rare books, objects, glass slides and artwork, and date from the 15th century to the present day.
As well as the collections named in the original project schedule, an additional 9 collections have been donated over the course of the project (denoted by * in the list below). These have either been catalogued in full or at least described at collection level, with some input from volunteers.
Catalogues are to the international standards ISAD(G) (archives) and DCRMB (rare books). Subject index terms were created from Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and authority terms were created in line with International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families (ISAAR-CPF). When necessary, records have been screened for Data Protection and sensitivity issues, with closures or restrictions advised in line with current best practice.
All catalogues are available online via the project website: collections.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly.
Full list of collections
*Material relating to Charlotte Auerbach (1899-1994), geneticist Papers of Geoffrey Beale (1913-2009), protozoan and malaria geneticist Papers of Richard Alan Beatty (1915-2005), reproductive physiologist Papers of Grahame Bulfield (1941-:), geneticist, former director of Roslin Institute Offprint collection of F.A.E. Crew (1886-1973), geneticist and medic *Library of F.A.E. Crew Papers of James Cossar Ewart (1851-1933), zoologist and animal breeder *Papers and books of Douglas Scott Falconer (1913-2004), quantitative geneticist Papers of Alan Greenwood (1897-1981), poultry geneticist Records of the Institute of Animal Genetics *Papers of Eric Lucey (1923-2010), science filmmaker *Papers of Ian Mason (1914-2007), cattle geneticist Records of the Roslin Institute Roslin Institute slide collection Roslin Institute offprint collection Roslin Institute rare book collection *Papers of Michael Ryder (1927-2015), wool and textile expert *Papers of Alan Robertson (1920-1989), population geneticist Papers of James Henderson Sang (1912-2002), Drosophila geneticist *Papers and artwork of artist and designer Yolanda Sonnabend (1935-2015) Papers of Conrad Hal Waddington (1905-1975), geneticist and embryologist *Papers of Gerald Wiener (1926-:), geneticist Papers of Ian Wilmut (1944-), embryologist
3
Preservation and conservation
Preservation All collections have been rehoused in archival quality enclosures, with basic remedial and cleaning work carried out where required. The Project Archivist and Rare Book Cataloguer were also given two preservation training and handling sessions by accredited conservator Caroline Scharfenberg.
Caroline Scharfenberg and Kristy Davis Conservation Following a conservation survey on the collections, conservation work was carried out on a number of priority items by conservators Caroline Scharfenberg and Anna Trist: Roslin glass slide collection Repair of broken glass (5% of collection), surface cleaning and rehousing (100% of collection).
Roslin rare book collection Six volumes - paper and binding repairs, surface cleaning, board attachments.
Records of Roslin Institute and predecessor institutions Bound volume of press cuttings (1949-1964) - surface cleaning, paper repairs, removal of sellotape and secondary supports, rehousing in archival polyester sleeves.
Papers of James Cossar Ewart Notebook (1895-1909) - rebind, clean, paper repairs.
Records of the Institute of Animal Genetics Visitors Book (1924-1947) - cleaning, mould prevention, new endpaper and backboard, readhesion of lining.
Anna Trist carrying out glass slide conservation
4
Public engagement
Talks and events ACUS Art and Science seminar, Summerhall, Edinburgh (October 2013) Edinburgh International Science Festival (March 2014, 2016) Edinburgh University Library Doors Open Day (September 2014) Midlothian Science Festival (October 2015) Penicuik Historical Society (September 2014) Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus Open Day (October 2014, 2015)
photographs ©Norrie Russell, Roslin Institute
Social Media
Twitter: @towardsdolly Blog: http://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly/
5
Academic & student engagement
Conferences and poster sessions
41st Congress of the World Association for the History of Veterinary Medicine (WAHVM) (poster and joint paper) British Society for the History of Science annual conference, 2014 (paper) International Council on Archives conference, 2014 (paper) Oral History Society annual conference 2015 (paper)
University events
EDINA seminar (joint presentation), October 2013 Open Meeting, Synthsys, Centre for Synthetic and System Biology (presentations) 2013, 2015 Innovative Learning Week (2013, 2015) ‘Library Pop Up’ event (October 2014) ‘Documents and their analysis in the Humanities, Arts and Sciences’ workshop, University of Edinburgh, June 2015 (poster)
Articles (see appendices)
Scottish Council on Archives Broadsheet Issue 14 (May 2012) and Issue 16 (July 2012) GenMedHist Newsletter No.16 (November 2012) SCONUL Focus 60 (joint article), 2014 Archives and Records Association, ARC magazine No. 301 (September 2014), No. 316 (December 2015), No. 318 (February 2016) Library of the American Philosophical Society, Mendel Newsletter Vol 20 (2015) and Vol 21 (forthcoming, 2016) Chapter on C.H. Waddington archive for forthcoming book compiled by EpiGeneSys (forthcoming, 2016)
6
Working with the science community
The participation and support of the science community in and around Edinburgh has been crucial to the success of the project in a number of ways: - a growing network of contacts within the science community has led to the donation of additional collections, academic engagement with the collections and the generation of further projects and funding; - fruitful partnerships with research institutions have generated opportunities for collaborative public engagement work; - individuals’ subject-specific knowledge and expertise has been put to direct use in appraisal and cataloguing work.
Context Professor Grahame Bulfield and Dr Alan Hart were able to identify buildings, places and people in the Alan Greenwood photograph collection (Coll-1057/6). Throughout the project, individuals provided a wealth of contextual information and personal insights to enrich understanding of the collections.
Interpretation Professor Grahame Bulfield’s interpretation of C.H. Waddington’s laboratory notebooks (Coll-41/1) allowed for greater detail and accuracy in the catalogue entries.
Appraisal Individuals’ knowledge of the context and relevance of particular experiments, data types and uses helped the design of a methodology for appraising large amount of historic experimental data in the Roslin Institute archives (EUA IN23).
7
Associated projects
‘Scoping Beyond Dolly’ (July 2012) This 12-day scoping project aimed to assess and report on the amount, condition and potential research value of the then-unappraised and uncatalogued quantity of genetics- related material held at Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, and to create a robust framework to allow this significant material to be appraised, catalogued and preserved in a future project. ‘Science on a Plate: natural history through glass slides, 1870-1930’ (Oct 2014 – April 2015) To digitally photograph a collection of 3,460 glass slides which chiefly document late nineteenth and early twentieth century animal breeding and agricultural studies; and to unite the digitised images with existing catalogue metadata to enable free online access and cross-searchability on the Centre for Research Collections’ image database. The slides were initially catalogued and conserved as part of the project ‘Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin and the Birth of Modern Genetics’, but their fragile condition had limited their physical accessibility to researchers. ‘Untangling the roots of Edinburgh genetics 1899-1939’ Research Bursary (June- November 2016) (forthcoming, June-November 2016) This project will conduct detailed research into the origins and early history of animal genetics in Edinburgh, a subject which is currently critically lacking in scholarly engagement. The research will draw upon the animal genetics archives held within Edinburgh University Library Special Collections and a number of genetics collections held in other institutions, which have also been made accessible to researchers through Research Resources funding.
Sample from the Roslin glass slide collection (Coll-1434/1695)
8
Additional projects
Oral histories
Sir Ian Wilmut in conversation with Grahame Bulfield, January 2015 A project was carried out with Professor Grahame Bulfield to record interviews with nine distinguished scientists with connections to genetics research in various Edinburgh institutions: - Alan Archibald (Personal Chair of Mammalian Molecular Genetics, Roslin Institute) - Sir Adrian Bird (Buchanan Chair of Genetics, University of Edinburgh; founder and former director of Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology) - Grahame Bulfield (Emeritus Professor of Genetics, University of Edinburgh, former director of Roslin Institute) - Nick Hastie (Director of the MRC Human Genetics Unit and the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh) - William G. Hill (Emeritus Professor of Animal Genetics, University of Edinburgh) - Peter Sharp, Professor of Avian Reproductive Biology, Roslin Institute) - Andrew Tait (Emeritus Professor, University of Glasgow) - Gerald Wiener (former Deputy Director, Animal Breeding Research Organisation, Edinburgh) - Sir Ian Wilmut (Chair of the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine)
These recordings are currently in the process of being made publicly available online.
9
‘Towards Dolly: a century of animal genetics in Edinburgh’, exhibition at Edinburgh University Main Library Exhibition Gallery, July-October 2015 https://exhibitions.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly
An exhibition, curated by Clare Button, was held in the University of Edinburgh Main Library Exhibition Gallery from July to October 2015. The exhibition aimed to tell the story of Edinburgh’s animal genetics history through an array of collections catalogued and preserved as part of the ‘Towards Dolly’ project. The exhibition also featured Dolly the sheep, on loan courtesy of National Museums Scotland, and items loaned from the University’s School of Biological Sciences, Roslin Institute and the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine.
The exhibition attracted the Gallery’s highest visitor figures to date (11,673). A total of ten curator-led exhibition tours were given to staff, students and visitors. Visitors were encouraged to interact with the exhibition via Twitter by using the hashtags #dollyselfie and #dollydoodles.
Visitor book comments ‘Never felt so close to science!’ ‘Fantastic experience and opportunity to see Dolly. Thank you!!!’ ‘Humbling to appreciate how far our knowledge has advanced in such a short time. So interesting.’
10
Key outputs
118 linear metres of archives catalogued 22 linear metres of rare books, printed materials and slides catalogued Total of 23 collections preserved and catalogued 9 oral history recordings 9 public talks/events 8 staff/student talks 4 conference papers/posters 3 archive training events 10 articles 117 blog posts 770 tweets
Dedicated project website at: http://collections.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly
Acknowledgements
The Wellcome Trust, particularly the Research Resources team, for their generous funding and support The ‘Towards Dolly’ project board, particularly the advice and support of Professor Grahame Bulfield and Professor Steve Sturdy The Library Digital Development team Colleagues at Roslin Institute, School of Biological Sciences and the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine
11
Appendices
Article in Broadsheet (Scottish Council on Archives), Issue 14 (May 2012), cover and p2
Article in Broadsheet (Scottish Council on Archives), Issue 16 (July 2012), p7
Article in GenMedHist Newsletter, No.16 (November 2012), pp10-11
Article in ARC Magazine (Archives and Records Association), No. 301 (September 2014), cover and pp14-15
Article in the Mendel Newsletter (Library of the American Philosophical Society), No.20 (June 2015), pp6-14
Article in ARC Magazine, No.316 (December 2015), pp.14-15
Article in ARC Magazine, No.318 (February 2016), pp.9-10
‘Towards Dolly’ exhibition visitors demographic and experience questionnaire results
12
genmedhist Newsletter No.16, November 2012 - Page 10
genetics & medicine historical network http://www.genmedhist.info/
Towards Dolly towards dolly: edinburgh, roslin and the Birth of modern genetics a wellcome trust funded project the project ‘towards dolly: edinburgh, roslin and the Birth of modern genetics’ is currently well underway at edinburgh University library special collections. this project, funded by the wellcome trust’s research resources in medical history scheme, will catalogue and preserve the archival records of the roslin institute J.c ewart with Burchell’s zebra c.1900 as well as the University’s institute of animal genetics, the papers of embryologist and geneticist conrad hal waddington (1905-1975) and zoologist James cossar the archival records afford us a window onto key ewart (1851-1933). individuals at a ground breaking period in scientifc history. the papers of waddington, which i am currently kristy davis, rare Books cataloguer, and myself as cataloguing, reveal the interdisciplinary potential of Project archivist, have been appointed to catalogue the science and genetics. waddington was not only interested records and printed collections. kristy’s work will see in the applications of genetics to the art and architecture her catalogue a wide variety of material: from the many worlds, he was also committed to exploring how thousands of offprints which were held by the roslin scientifc advances come with certain responsibilities. institute (of dolly the sheep fame) and its predecessor His numerous fles of correspondence reveal the sheer bodies, to the 4,000 glass positive slides from the number and scope of societies and organisations with early 1900s, which depict scenes from around the which he was associated, many of them concerned with world as well as prize winning animals from breeding the environment, the future of the world and man’s place competitions. although, as one would expect, most of in it. in fact, at the time of his sudden death in 1975, the material dates from the twentieth century onwards, waddington was in the process of establishing a school the earliest item in the collection is a rare 16th century of the man made Future in edinburgh, proposed as an italian book about horse breeding. extra-curricular undergraduate teaching programme designed to educate students in philosophy and sociology and encourage them to analyse their roles in society. later on in the project i will begin cataloguing the archives of another fascinating fgure: that of zoologist James cossar ewart (1851-1933), described by geneticist Forbes Robertson as ‘the frst experimental animal breeder since darwin’. Born in Penicuik, just outside edinburgh, ewart’s famous Penycuik experiments of 1899 focused largely on the cross-breeding of horses and zebras. whilst holding the chair of Natural history at edinburgh University, ewart instituted new lectureships in embryology, invertebrate biology and genetics – his papers therefore allow us to see the frst crucial strands of genetics in edinburgh unfolding before our eyes. one vital facet of these collections is the insight they walton, thompson, kammerer, hogben, Fell, crew, give into edinburgh’s crucial place in the development cytovich - 1924 of animal genetics. edinburgh is fortunate in being surrounded by a spacious amount of land and genmedhist Newsletter No.16, November 2012 - Page 11
genetics & medicine historical network http://www.genmedhist.info/
countryside which over the years has proved invaluable at a time when there was a tangible atmosphere of for this particular area of science. most recently, the camaraderie and excitement. in 1946, waddington was roslin institute, housed in the picturesque village of appointed chief geneticist of the arc-funded National roslin outside edinburgh, changed the face of genetics animal Breeding and genetics research organisation forever with the cloning of dolly the sheep. Just under (NaBgro), based at the institute (as well as holding a century before, J.c ewart carried out his Penycuik the chair for genetics at the University). the institute experiments on a private experimental farm, but by attracted many important fgures in genetics at that time 1913 he was able to conduct research on land rented - both those who lived and worked there and of course by edinburgh University. the department of research those who stayed for a short while or a visit - and a in animal Breeding, established in 1920 with F.a.e crew touching memento of this survives in the form of the (1886-1973) as director, was in 1924 able to move from institute’s visitors’ book. its inadequate accommodation in high school Yards, we can only scratch the surface here of the vivid picture edinburgh to the more spacious surroundings of the these records paint of the heyday of early genetics king’s Building site just outside the city. here it could at edinburgh. with relevance both within and beyond boast acres of land on which to support experimental science, ‘towards dolly’ affords a valuable glimpse of animals, something that proved invaluable when the not only edinburgh’s seminal role in the development of University’s institute of animal genetics was opened in genetics, but also the human stories behind the science. 1930. Until our catalogues become available online via a the records of the institute of animal genetics, which bespoke project website, please take a look at our i will also catalogue later in the project, cast light on project blog on: towardsdolly.wordpress.com and follow edinburgh’s beginnings as a centre for genetics research us on twitter: @towardsdolly! clare Button - towards dolly Project archivist
Pictures used courtesy of edinburgh University library special collections
Human Genome Archive Project at the Wellcome Library
in January 2012 the wellcome library started the Uk strand of the human genome archive Project. the main aim of this project is to ensure the long-term preservation of archive material produced during the human genome Project (hgP). this project is just part of a broader international plan to secure the historical legacy of an important scientifc project. Following an initial meeting held at cold spring dNa sequence harbor laboratory in June 2009, work has been taking wellcome images place in several countries. this wellcome library project sees the start of detailed the individuals and organisations who contributed to work in the Uk, where key archive material will be the hgP and deciding on a survey methodology. the identifed and surveyed regardless of whether it is in approach that we have decided on is broadly based hard-copy or electronic (born-digital) format. on the minnesota method of archival surveying. this the early months of the project have involved researching seemed particularly appropriate as it is designed for
THE MENDEL NEWSLETTER
Archival Resources for the History of Genetics & Allied Sciences
ISSUED BY THE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
New Series, No. 20 June 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
John Marius Opitz Papers at the American Philosophical Society — Charles Greifenstein 3
Animal Genetics Collections at Edinburgh University Library Special Collections — Clare Button 6 Rethinking Russian Studies on the Genetics of Natural Populations: Vassily Babkoff’s Papers and the History of the “Evolutionary Brigade,” 1934–1940 — Kirill Rossiianov and Tatiana Avrutskaya 15 Centrum Mendelianum: The Mendel Museum Moved to the Former Premises of Mendel’s Scientific Society — Anna Matalová and Eva Matalová 25
Resident Research Fellowships in Genetics, History of Medicine and Related Disciplines 36
THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY Philadelphia
The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
Animal Genetics Collections at Edinburgh University Library Special Collections
Clare Button
DINBURGH and its environs have been come Trust’s Research Resources in Medical His- home to animal breeding and genetics tory funding stream1 to catalogue and preserve the research from the early twentieth centu- animal genetics material in EUL Special Collec- ry, and its history ranges from applied tions. This grant scheme targets institutions such E animal breeding and livestock improve- as libraries, museums and archives, which hold ment to cloning, transgenics and regenerative collections of value to the scientific and medical medicine. Although many of the research organi- humanities that are in need of cataloguing and sations have existed due to scientific or govern- preservation. The two-year grant employed a Pro- ment funding bodies, the University of Edinburgh ject Archivist (myself) and a Rare Book Cata- has played a crucial role over the past century, loguer (Kristy Davis), to catalogue the personal spanning the creation of a lectureship in genetics papers of zoologist James Cossar Ewart, devel- in 1911 through to the merge with the Roslin In- opmental biologist and geneticist Conrad Hal stitute in 2008. Fortunately, this long-standing Waddington, the printed, rare book and slide col- relationship has led to the survival of many ar- lections, the records of the Institute of Animal chive collections within the University Library’s Genetics and a small amount of records from the Special Collections, which hold the personal pa- Roslin Institute. However, no sooner had the grant pers of scientists, records of research organisa- been received than it became clear that we had tions, thousands of published papers and reprints, only seen the tip of the iceberg. As well as becom- and collections of rare books. Relatively unusual- ing formally part of the University of Edinburgh ly for such collections, there are also a plethora of in 2008, the Roslin Institute had also moved to a objects: a stunning collection of 3,500 glass plate new site, and colleagues at EUL were alerted that photographic slides, a ‘pig’s cup’ trophy, and more or less the entire filing system of the Insti- even a collection of signs from various buildings. tute would need a new home. A rescue mission Together, these collections are a rich resource for was made to the rapidly emptying old site, where understanding the scientific work, material cul- boxes and filing cabinets were being stored in ture, and social and institutional history of over a disused poultry huts. Around 200 linear metres’ century of animal genetics and related research in Scotland’s capital.
Acquisition and Funding History 1 Wellcome Trust, In 2011, Edinburgh University Library (EUL) http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Medical- Special Collections gained a grant from the Wel- Humanities/funding-schemes/support-for-archives-and- records/index.htm (accessed 06 October 2014)
6 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
worth of material was recovered, representing the ral history to the recent work in genomics and organisation’s history dating back to the 1940s. transgenics. The records of the Roslin Institute are Shortly afterwards, further acquisitions were rich in detail about the the growth of the biotech- made of the papers of Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, nology industry, as witnessed by companies such well-known as the head of the research team as PPL Therapeutics, while any researcher inter- which cloned Dolly the sheep at the Roslin Insti- ested in how legal cases surrounding intellectual tute in 1996, and substantial archives of scientists property have formed the modern face of com- like the protozoan and malaria geneticist Geoffrey mercial scientific research will also find much of Beale and reproductive physiologist Richard value. The collections also have applications to ‘Alan’ Beatty. After a small grant which enabled a ongoing scientific work. Scientists have accessed consultant archivist and conservator to scope the the collections to gain a contextual understanding likely timescale and costs of cataloguing these of the development of ideas in their particular recent acquisitions, a second grant application for field of research, while retired researchers have a further two year project was made, and proved accessed their own historical papers and collected successful. The grants have enabled the material data to conduct retrospective appraisals of their to be rehoused in archival quality folders and work. boxes, for conservation work to be carried out on The collections are visually rich, an aspect not particularly fragile items, such as glass slides and always associated with scientific records. Of most early rare books, and for catalogues to be made to obvious aesthetic interest is the glass slide collec- international standards and mounted online on a tion, which spans approximately the period 1870- dedicated project website.2 A project blog was 1930. The collection has no obvious provenance, also developed, which aims to draw out the indi- but certainly contains slides connected with Uni- vidual stories behind certain items or individuals versity professors of natural history, agriculture within the collections.3 and rural economy. Their original teaching pur- Recently, a third Wellcome Trust grant was pose now defunct, the slides exist today as a stun- received to digitise the unique collection of glass ning and unique photographic record of different photographic slides, which will be made freely domestic animal breeds, many of which no longer available on EUL’s Images database.4 exist, as well as scenes from around the world, apparently collected on research trips. Pictures of Research Interests prize bulls and pigs sit alongside portraits from The collections are as diverse in subject matter Maori and African communities, cowboys sitting and research potential as they are large in scale. around a campfire, Chicago cattle yards, and the Historians of science will find a largely unbroken Egyptian Pyramids. The slides reveal much about narrative of how animal genetics developed in Ed- ethnology, costume history and early techniques inburgh from its nineteenth century roots in natu- of photography, but also shed light onto research into early animal breeding research around the world. 2 Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, ‘To- wards Dolly’ project website, http://www.archives.lib.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly/ (accessed 06 October 2014) 3 Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, ‘To- wards Dolly’ project blog, http://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly/ (accessed 06 October 2014) 4 Edinburgh University Library, Centre for Research Collec- tions, Image Collections website, http://images.is.ed.ac.uk/ (accessed 06 October 2014)
7 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
Figure 1. A feathers sample showing the plumage of the brown leghorn foal, used in an article by J.P. Chu (c. 1938).
8 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
Scientific research never occurs in a vacuum, trying to steer a middle way through the often bit- and the collections reveal the complex and inter- terly opposed theories of the biometricians and the connected network of communications between Mendelians. Darbishire’s appointment came at a scientists from the early days of genetics, not least time when discussions were taking place through- in the voluminous correspondence. Many books out Britain about the creation of an ‘animal breed- and reprints bear the inscription of William ing research station’ to apply classical genetics to Bateson, who first coined the term ‘genetics’ in livestock improvement. The intervention of the 1905, and who is known as the father of genetics First World War meant that discussions did not in Britain. These items were probably loans or reopen until 1919, by which time Darbishire had gifts to individuals in Edinburgh who knew died in military camp. The position of director Bateson, such as natural history professor James was offered to F.A.E. Crew (1886-1973), who as Cossar Ewart or F.A.E. Crew, the University of a medical student had attended Darbishire’s ge- Edinburgh’s first professor of genetics. The cata- netics lectures and been fascinated by them. Crew loguing process has captured these interconnec- soon proved to have the force of personality and tions via the indexing of authority terms such as directorial acumen to transform a miniscule budg- person or place name, as well as recording related et and initial lack of building, staff and students archival collections existing in other institutions. into a world-renowned research institution. There Of course, the history of science can be ap- was a requirement to conduct research into ani- proached from any number of angles, two among mals of economic importance that would be of them being the institutional and the personal. I practical use to farmers and breeders, so studies of will now briefly explore these two perspectives, the milk yield of cattle and the improvement of both of which have much to reveal, but which the fleece of sheep existed alongside classical ge- have so far been relatively underexplored in the netics work with the fruit fly Drosophila. As the context of Edinburgh’s genetics history. It is years went on, the Institute of Animal Genetics, as hoped that the increased availability of these col- it was renamed in 1930, played host to scientists from around the world. lections will help to expose a rich seam of re- search opportunities in this area. Despite its fascinating early history, the rec- ords of the Institute of Animal Genetics are Institutional Papers sparse, consisting of merely four boxes. There is The institutional history of animal genetics re- next to no paperwork from the first six to eight search in Edinburgh consists of numerous inter- years of the Institute’s existence, and the earliest locking and overlapping strands, and changes of governing committee minutes date from 1928. names, structures and governance. But beneath This could partly be due to Crew’s avowed dislike the complexity lies a strong narrative thread of administration and paperwork (he claimed to have kept a tame goat in his office trained to con- which can be traced over the course of a century, 5 and these archival collections are key to unlocking sume any official correspondence!) , partly to the this. complex and rather ad hoc governance of the ear- ly years, and partly to the ravages of time. How- When the University of Edinburgh established ever, the records which do survive provide its lectureship in genetics in 1911, it created the colourful insights into the professional and social first academic post in the science in Britain, a year atmosphere of the Institute’s early days, which before the Balfour Chair of Genetics at Cam- Crew described as being 'filled with passionate bridge University, and just over a decade after the rediscovery of Mendel’s laws of inheritance. Ap- pointed to the position of Lecturer was Arthur 5 Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, Science Dukinfield Darbishire (1879-1915), who had been Studies Unit: Interview with F.A.E. Crew, Acc 95.028 (1969), Tape 1, Side 2
9 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
excitement as hypothesis chased hypothesis.’6 A funded by specific bodies and grant schemes. beautifully preserved visitors’ book contains sig- There was the Protozoan Genetics Unit under natures and personal messages from researchers Geoffrey Beale (who held a Royal Society Profes- and visitors from around the world, and evocative sorship), a Medical Research Council Mutagene- photographs of staff and visitors taking an elegant sis Unit under Charlotte Auerbach, and the ARC al fresco afternoon tea on the roof of the Universi- Unit of Reproductive Physiology under Richard ty’s Chemistry Department. A collection of early ‘Alan’ Beatty and Anne McLaren. The detailed press cuttings reveal Crew’s impressive one-man and entertaining staff photographs which exist in PR machine; from his first days as director he the various collections speak eloquently about the cannily used the press and media to spread aware- day-to-day work of researchers as well as the so- ness of the work of the Institute and to make con- cial aspects of life in Edinburgh’s genetics com- tacts with farmers and livestock breeders as well munity. Among the posed and somewhat as wealthy benefactors. stereotyped photographs of the white-coated sci- As with the end of the First World War, the entist at the microscope and attendants weighing close of the Second engendered a government-led out hen’s eggs, usually taken for newspaper arti- initiative to encourage research into agricultural cles, there exist informal snaps of staff parties, improvement, partly arising from the British food jokey pastiches, and pictures of a ‘Drosophila bal- shortage crisis of the war years. A new national let’ choreographed by the Institute staff. There are animal breeding research organisation even crackly vinyl LPs of Institute staff perform- (NABGRO, later ABRO) was proposed, funded ing comic genetics-related ditties set to popular by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). Alt- tunes of the day, accompanied by copies of the hough the headquarters would be based in Aber- Institute ‘songbook’. One such song, ‘The Old ystwyth, Edinburgh seemed the ideal location for Time Gene’ harks back to a simpler, pre- the genetics section of this new organisation, with molecular age, where ‘the chromosomes were Conrad Hal Waddington (1905-1975) being ap- necklaces, the gene a simple pearl’! pointed director in 1947. ABRO would maintain a The 1970s and 1980s were hard times for re- close relationship with the Institute of Animal search, which those institutional records concern- Genetics and with the University of Edinburgh. ing ‘streamlining’ and potential redundancies Waddington occupied the Chair of Animal Genet- testify. In 1986, a reordering of government insti- ics vacated by Crew, who had departed to take up tutes led to ABRO becoming the Edinburgh Re- the Chair of Public Health and Social Medicine at search Station of the Institute of Animal the University. At this time, the poultry research Physiology and Genetics Research (IAPGR), with section of the Institute separated off to become a the second Station based in Babraham, Cam- separate ARC organisation, the Poultry Research bridge. This arrangement continued until 1993, Centre. Its director was Alan Greenwood (1897- when the Edinburgh Research Station, based in 1981), who had been acting director of the Insti- the village of Roslin outside Edinburgh, split from tute during the war years. Babraham to become the independent Roslin In- stitute. Waddington had a famously laissez-faire di- rectorial style, but this approach did at least con- The records of the Roslin Institute, which tinue to encourage the freedom of research topics form the largest collection, are exhaustive in de- fostered by Crew. Waddington’s Institute har- tails about the organisational activities of the boured a series of individual research units, often Roslin as well as its predecessors, including ABRO, PRC and IAPGR. As well as the top-level 6 F.A.E. Crew, unpublished draft autobiographical notes, governance records such as director’s reports and Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, EUA committee minutes, files can cover anything from IN1/ACU/A1/4/2, (1968) p.7
10 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
archaeological excavations taking place on exper- catalogued during the projects. Ewart was profes- imental farms, correspondence with solicitors sor of natural history at the University of Edin- about legal cases arising from particular projects burgh from 1882 to 1927, and he is best known or ventures, and entries for children’s writing for his cross-breeding work with zebras and hors- competitions on the theme of Dolly the sheep. es, published in 1899 as the Penycuik Experi- Records from the late 1980s reveal the process of ments. Ewart was a pioneer in his active rationalisation and its impact on funding, staff and experimentation and practical applications of sci- strategic vision. Legal records show science re- entific theory, and his work helped put Edinburgh search taking an increasingly prominent place on on the map when it came to choosing a location the public stage, with implications for commercial for an animal breeding research station. But even interests as well as revolutionary possibilities for before then, Ewart, along with William Bateson animal and human health. The direct results of and F.H.A. Marshall, had been lobbying the gov- published research can be traced through the im- ernment for an investment in a ‘biological re- pressively collected and bound staff papers, col- search institute’ following the rediscovery of lected systematically from 1947, while samples of Mendel’s laws in 1900. Ewart was also responsi- the vast amount of raw data which originally ble for establishing the lectureship in genetics at came to Special Collections are fascinating exam- the University in 1911, and his extensive corre- ples of how data collection and technology has spondence indicates the extent of his work and altered over time. influence in grooming Edinburgh for its future One needs to examine the whole of Edin- role as a centre for dedicated animal breeding and burgh’s institutional contexts in animal genetics to genetics research; a role which has been some- understand any one part of it. For example, what underexplored in historical research. Crew’s insistence in the 1920s that reproductive The personal papers of individual scientists physiology should remain a key part of genetics are not only rich in detail about their personalities, teaching and research at the Institute in part p but also about their fields of study. Waddington’s aved the way for Ian Wilmut joining ABRO in own archive can barely keep up with the imagina- 1973 and embarking on research which would tive breadth of the man’s intellectual interests, let lead to the Roslin Institute’s ground-breaking alone his administrative duties, and its 57 boxes cloning and transgenics research. Decisions and are full to bursting with correspondence covering trends which direct an entire institution can be the his involvement in conferences, congresses and result of individual decisions, actions and person- think tanks around the world, his publications, alities; and it is the role of the individual to which lectures, television appearances and his myriad I now turn. duties as director and professor. Yet there is still space for intimate, sometimes poignant, touches: a Personal Papers copy of a schoolboy essay on ‘Alchemy’, meticu- It has been said that science is about individuals, lously illustrated with occult and ancient symbols, not just institutions. Certainly, the roots of genet- Waddington’s early laboratory notebooks, and a ics research in Edinburgh rests at least in part on folder of miscellaneous papers found on his desk one person: James Cossar Ewart (1851-1933), at the time of his death. whose personal papers are the earliest collection
11 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
Figure 2. James Cossar Ewart and a zebra (c. 1899).
The scientists who worked under Waddington Scientists’ personal papers can often refresh- in their distinct research units were often respon- ingly contradict the ‘official’ story which may ex- sible for gaining and maintaining their own inde- ist elsewhere. Charlotte Auerbach (1899-1994) is pendent funding streams, and the papers of chiefly remembered as the discoverer of mustard Geoffrey Beale (1913-2009) and Alan Beatty gas mutagenesis, but in her lifetime she disagreed (1915-2005) are brimful of funding application vociferously that this was her chief scientific dis- forms to various bodies, such as the Medical Re- covery, writing to a colleague in 1976: ‘You are search Council, the Agricultural Research Coun- quite right that I have my own ideas about what cil, and the World Health Organisation, as well as have been my main contributions to science, and related correspondence questioning negative fund- that I should like to be remembered for these and ing decisions or chivvying other colleagues to not for the wrong ones…First, I do not think that I hurry up and submit their part of the application. should get much credit for having been the first to Nowadays of course, funding applications are the find an effective chemical mutagen…What I think bread and butter of any active researcher, no mat- are my merits are these:- I am terribly thor- ter how senior, to which Ian Wilmut’s recent ar- ough…Without being especially fertile in ideas chive pays testament. myself, I am very critical of those of others and
12 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
Figure 3. F.A.E. Crew and various visitors to the Institute of Animal Genetics (c. 1924). particularly of the unproved application of fash- morous, emotional and anecdotal insights, can ionable interpretations to one’s data…I have al- also help to fill out ‘gaps’ in the documentary rec- ways retained my attitude as a biologist and have ord, particularly with key individuals such as never, like many other mutation workers, aban- F.A.E. Crew, whose papers have unfortunately doned the biological approach in favour of a pure- either not survived, or not yet come to light. Our ly chemical one.’7 historical understanding of Crew has been greatly Autobiographical memoirs, where they sur- aided by the lengthy (nearly 8 hours) interview vive, can be invaluable for putting flesh to the with Crew recorded between 1969 and 1971 by bones of the working scientific life captured in the Science Studies Unit under director David personal papers. Informal and unpublished mem- Edge and his assistant Margaret Deacon. This re- oirs exist for Geoffrey Beale, F.A.E. Crew and cording forms part of a wider oral history project Alan Greenwood, and all overflow with entertain- which interviewed many of the main individuals involved with the early days of genetics in Edin- ing personal reflections and anecdotes. We hear, for instance, how Crew reportedly trained his ex- burgh, and it has inspired us to begin our own perimental chickens to walk downstairs to the similar project. basement each night to avoid disturbing the The unique value of oral histories to capture a neighbours with their crowing. These personal purely individual perspective on a life, career or recollections, as well as giving us valuable hu- working environment has led to a series of con- temporary recordings being made with current 7 Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, Papers scientists, including Grahame Bulfield, William of Charlotte Auerbach, Coll-1266/5/7.
13 The Mendel Newsletter June 2015
G. Hill and Gerald Wiener, with more to come. A Note on the Arrangement of and Access to Subject to approval from the rights holders, we the Papers hope to be able to mount the interviews online, to complement the catalogued archival and printed The animal genetics collections consist of around material from that period. 100 linear metres of material in all, within which are 14 discrete collections, of a variety of media, Finally, mention should be made of what including objects, glass slides, papers, rare books, might be termed ‘satellite collections’ which fall photographs, floppy discs, audiovisual material outwith the scope of these funded projects but and artwork. which complement the animal genetics collec- tions. Chief of these are the hundreds of film reels The material has been catalogued and con- from Eric Lucey’s one-man Genetics Film Unit, served as part of two projects funded by the Well- which operated from the 1950s onwards. As well come Trust: ‘Towards Dolly: Edinburgh, Roslin as footage of Waddington and colleagues lectur- and the Birth of Modern Genetics’ and ‘The Mak- ing, the reels include Lucey’s acclaimed films The ing of Dolly: Science, Politics and Ethics.’ Jump of the Flea and Shoreline Sediments and Cataloguing of the archival material was car- others which reflect his diverse interests and ried out by the Project Archivist, Clare Button, commissions, including a stop-motion study of while Rare Book Librarian Kristy Davis cata- Edinburgh’s Princes Street in the 1960s. These logued the printed material and glass slides as part films need to be digitised in order to be made ful- of the ‘Towards Dolly’ project. Conservation ly available. When they are, an entirely new facet work on glass slides and some printed and archiv- of research will be opened up. al volumes was carried out by Caroline Scharfen- berg and Anna Trist. Conclusion EUL Special Collections are fortunate to have It is well-nigh impossible to convey satisfactorily two academic advisers on the project board; Dr the depth and range of subjects covered by the Steve Sturdy, Head of Science, Technology and animal genetics collections at EUL Special Col- Innovation Studies at the University of Edinburgh lections. Nothing has been said here of the richly and Professor Grahame Bulfield CBE, former di- detailed information which can be found concern- rector of the Roslin Institute and Professor Emeri- ing the scientific work itself, which is the back- tus of Genetics at the University of Edinburgh. bone of each and every research institution and of They have been able to provide informed perspec- every scientist’s career. What has emerged over- tives and expert interpretation beyond the remit of whelmingly throughout the projects is the narra- a librarian or archivist, and these projects would tive thread of animal genetics in Edinburgh, from have been immeasurably poorer without their im- the late nineteenth century through to the present put. day. This thread of course touches upon many dif- ferent areas of research, and these projects have Collection Contact Information created opportunities for Special Collections to begin collecting in other related sciences, includ- Edinburgh University Library Special Collections ing human genetics and molecular biology. It is to Main Library be hoped that this will both encourage and facili- George Square tate historical research into this rich seam of Ed- Edinburgh EH9 9LJ inburgh’s scientific history. Scotland
[email protected] http://www.archives.lib.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly/ http://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/towardsdolly/
14
Visitor demographic and experience questionnaire Exhibition: Towards Dolly: a century of animal genetics in Edinburgh Dates: 31 July – 31 October 2015 Respondents: 159 Total number of visitors: 11673
Visitor demographic and experience questionnaire
Visitor demographic and experience questionnaire