Catalogue of the papers and correspondence of HERBERT MARCUS POWELL FRS (1906-1991) Compiled by Peter Harper, Jeannine Alton and Timothy E. Powell Deposited in the Department of Western Manuscripts, 1996 Bodleian Library, Oxford CSAC 58/1/96 All rights reserved University of Bath H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 The work of the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, and the production of this catalogue, are made possible by the support of the following societies and organisations: The Biochemical Society The Geological Society The Institute of Physics The Royal Society The British Library The Royal Society of Chemistry The Wellcome Trust H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 NOT ALL THE MATERIAL IN THIS COLLECTION MAY YET BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION. ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO: THE KEEPER OF WESTERN MANUSCRIPTS THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY OXFORD H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 LIST OF CONTENTS GENERAL INTRODUCTION SECTION A BIOGRAPHICAL SECTION B OXFORD SECTION C RESEARCH SECTION D LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS, FILM SECTION F SECTION G SECTION E VISITS AND CONFERENCES LANGUAGE SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 GENERAL INTRODUCTION The papers were received in 1992 from Mrs Primrose Powell, widow, through the good offices of Dr C.K. Prout, Chemical Crystallography Laboratory, Oxford. OUTLINE OF THE CAREER OF HERBERT MARCUS POWELL Herbert Marcus (‘Tiny’) Powell was born in 1906. He was educated at Henry VIII School, Coventry, and won a scholarship to St John’s College, Oxford where he took a first in Chemistry in 1928. Powell made his whole career at Oxford University where he pioneered x-ray crystallography. He went on to Dorothy Hodgkin (Nobel Laureate Chemistry 1964) was his first research student. become first University Demonstrator and then in 1944 Reader in Chemical Crystallography and Head of the Chemical Crystallography Laboratory, before being given a Personal Chair in 1963. He retired from his Chair Powell became a Professorial Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford in 1963. in 1974. Powell's research field was the determination of crystal structures by x-ray diffraction methods, especially structures with applications to chemical problems, such as the stereochemistry of the elements, metal-metal bonding, the nature of intermolecular compounds and some aspects of optical molecules by trapping them in left or right handed molecular cavities. Powell was an excellent linguist with particular accomplishments in Russian and Chinese. In 1960 language representation, seeking to represent linguistic communication by a system of visual activity. He also originated and named a new class of molecular compounds (clathrates) in which he published a paper on how to read Japanese chemical papers without having to learn the molecular compounds of inert gas elements and devise the method of separating mirror image language, which aroused great interest amongst Western chemists. He also addressed questions of one atom or molecule is enclosed in a cage formed by others. Hence he was able to prepare stable Society in 1953. He died in 1991. Powell's scientific achievements were recognised by his election to the Fellowship of the Royal symbols. Amongst Powell's interests was writing short stories and other fiction. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION The material is presented in the order given in the list of contents. Section A, Biographical, includes obituaries, curricula vitae and Powell’s autobiographical drafts principally relating to his family background and school and university education. Also included here are examples of his short stories and other fiction. Section B, Oxford, documents Powell’s own education at Oxford University, the Laboratory of Chemical Crystallography, which Powell headed from 1944, and his university teaching. There are Powell’s undergraduate notebooks and his notes on the lectures of F. Soddy, C.N. Hinshelwood, J.W.J. Taylor and D.L. Chapman, 1925,1926. Chemical Crystallography material is not extensive but includes a small number of papers from or relating to Dorothy Hodgkin and Powell's historical notes on the development of chemical crystallography at Oxford. Powell's lecture notes were found in considerable disorder but cover an extended period from 1928 and such topics as crystal chemistry and molecular compounds. Section C, Research, is of interest for its presentation of laboratory notebooks covering the early part of Powell's research career from 1928 to about 1940. Included here is a notebook with lecture notes made during a visit by Powell to the Mineralogy Institute of the University of Leipzig in 1930. There are also later notes and drafts of 1950s work on inert gases, tri-o-thymotide etc. included is a documented by scripts, drafts and correspondence. Powell's invitation and publication lectures 1953-1968 and of his scientific papers 1942-1966. Included here are drafts and correspondence relating to his 1960 paper on Japanese chemical Oxford and drafts for texts by Powell of a general or popular scientific nature. A film on crystal writing and his 1966 spoof paper on colour in chemistry. There are also biographical accounts of Section D, Lectures, publications, film, is the largest in the collection. It includes drafts of some of colleagues in crystallography and chemistry including early recollections of Dorothy Hodgkin at structure made by the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Film Unit in collaboration with Powell is little documentation relating to Powell’s retirement symposium held in Oxford in 1974. Section E, Visits and conferences, covers the period 1948-1974. Particularly well documented is his There are also papers relating to visits to Roumania in 1964 and Russia in 1966 and 1969. Also 1962 visit to China as a member of a Royal Society delegation to the Academia Sinica, Peking. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Section F, Language, documents Powell's linguistic interests. His work on language representation is particularly well documented by notes and drafts. There are also drafts for a course on learning Russian prepared with the scientific student in mind. Section G, Scientific correspondence, is not extensive. There is an alphabetical sequence of principal correspondents including scientific colleagues such as W. Baker, F.G. Mann and R.S. Nyholm and industrial concerns interested in the applications of Powell’s work such as the British Oxygen Company, Imperial Chemical Industries and Johnson, Matthey & Company. Correspondence with the Ministry of Supply relates to research during the Second World War. There is a chronological sequence of shorter correspondence, 1935-1979. There is also an index of correspondents. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Professor Roy Harris was consulted on the language representation manuscripts in section F. P. Harper J.B.Alton T.E. Powell BATH 1995 H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION A BIOGRAPHICAL Obituary, Guardian, 16 March 1991. ‘Appreciation’ by Dorothy Hodgkin, Guardian, 18 March 1991. Obituary, Daily Telegraph, 25 March 1991. Order for Funeral Service, Hertford College Chapel, Oxford, 19 March 1991. Curriculum vitae, 1964. Entries for biographical directories. Press-cutting from The Times in which Powell gave his opinion on the first analysis of moon rock. Drafts for Powell’s after-dinner talk at his retirement symposium, 1974. See also E.36. items found with autobiographical Stories. sketch. Miscellaneous Includes curriculum vitae. biographical Powell wrote stories in his spare time and on at least one occasion offered some of them for publication. Autobiographical sketch presenting account of family background, schooling and undergraduate career at St John’s College, Oxford. 3 folders. Correspondence with Oliver & Boyd 1958. In 1958 Powell declined an invitation from publishers Oliver & Boyd to write ‘scientific textbooks and the like’ offering other material instead: ‘Some things can be written much more quickly and there is often the hour between Oxford and Paddington. So | have frequently thought of my fellow travellers; how | might make them laugh, or shudder rarely, instruct them sometimes and keep them wonderingly happy’. Oliver & Boyd explained that stories had never formed part of their list and suggested where they might more appropriately be placed. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Biographical ‘Amphigouri or January Black Melon’. 43pp typescript with manuscript additions and corrections. Nd. ‘Boustrophedon or the Zempokni’. 66pp typescript. Nd. ‘For those over Forty Five’. 6pp typescript. Nd. ‘Thirteen’. 1p typescript found with preceding. ‘The Return’. 14pp typescript. Nd. ‘Triumph of evil MS’. ‘A triumph of evil’. 35pp typescript and manuscript draft. Contents of envelope so inscribed: manuscript and typescript notes and drafts. Contents of envelope so inscribed: manuscript and typescript drafts. Contents of envelope so inscribed: manuscript draft and notes. ‘M.S. Witch’. ‘Witch MS’. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Biographical A.16-A.20 ‘Stories’. Contents of envelope so inscribed. ‘Just for fun, supposed tale bashed on the head’. Typescript paginated 161-182. in the future, one of the products of being ‘Conversation How we came to talk about the State’. Typescript paginated 201-[211]. ‘Nobby the Fraud’. Typescript paginated 249-275. Untitled. Untitled. Typescript paginated 28-34. Typescript paginated 131-154. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION B OXFORD B.1-B.19 OWN EDUCATION B.20-B.24 CHEMICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY LABORATORY B.25-B.33 UNIVERSITY TEACHING B.34-B.37 PHOTOGRAPHS OWN EDUCATION Notebook inscribed ‘Manipulation of gases’ on front cover and ‘H.M. Powell St. John’s College Oxford’ inside front cover. 1924 or later. Notes of lectures on physical chemistry by F. Soddy. Trinity term 1925. Notes of lectures on thermodynamics by C.N. Hinshelwood. term 1925 and Hilary term 1926. 2 folders. Michaelmas Notebook inscribed inside front cover ‘H.M. Powell St John’s Coll. Oxford’. Used for notes on colloids, production of sols, etc. Nd. Notebook inscribed inside front cover ‘H.M. Powell St John’s Coll. Oxford’ and ‘Practical Crystallography’. 1925. term 1926. 2 folders. Notes of lectures on ‘Chemical Statics and Dynamics’ by C.N. Hinshelwood. Nd. Notes of lectures on organic chemistry of nitrogen by J.W.J. Taylor. Hilary H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 B.10-B.12 Kinetic Theory Chapman’. Contents of folder so inscribed ‘Lect. Notes divided into three for ease of reference. Notes of lectures by D.L. Chapman. Trinity term 1926. B.13-B.18 Contents of Powell's untitled folder divided into six for ease of reference: draft answers to questions from chemistry papers. 1923-1926. Thesis submitted for B.Sc. degree on ‘The allotropy of lead monoxide’. Nd. CHEMICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY LABORATORY Chemical Crystallography needs, 1944. Carbon of letter from C.N. Hinshelwood to Registrar, Oxford University, enclosing memorandum from the two senior members of the Department of Chemical Crystallography, Powell and Dorothy Hodgkin. Only partial drafts of the memorandum were found with the carbon. Notes by Powell on the development of Chemical Crystallography at Oxford. Letter from Dorothy Hodgkin to Powell re arrangements for departmental teas, 26 May 1957. 2pp manuscript ‘Memorandum on the Birkbeck Apparatus’, 31 May 1945. by Dorothy Hodgkin re x-ray apparatus transferred from Birkbeck College London to Oxford at the outbreak of the Second World War. Nd. Accommodation, 1963-1964, 1966 and nd. Miscellaneous, 1960-1974. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 UNIVERSITY TEACHING ‘Molec. cpds lectures’. and unpaginated manuscript and typescript drafts. Contents of folder so inscribed: variously paginated Includes 1p manuscript November 1928 and typescript sequence dated 27 October 1955. ‘Crystallography: Elementary Practical’, dated 1 B.26-B.29 Contents of Powell's untitled folder divided into four for ease of reference: variously paginated and unpaginated manuscript and typescript notes and drafts for lectures. 1p manuscript dated 1942 but probably includes earlier material. ‘Introduction to Crystal Chem.’. Contents of folder so inscribed: variously paginated and unpaginated manuscript and typescript notes and drafts for lectures. Includes manuscript notes dated 1942. Principally draft of introductory lecture ‘Lecture XI. Determination of a structure’. 6pp manuscript, nd. Contents of Powell's untitled folder. on crystallography. Nd. Duplicated teaching material. Nd. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 PHOTOGRAPHS Oxford The descriptive titles are taken from the envelopes in which the photographs were found. ‘Photographs and records of Department on Saturday, June 3, 1893.’ the gas explosion at the Old Chemistry ‘Inorganic Chemistry Department photographs of reconstruction of the front to Parks Road, 1952-53’. ‘Museum House before and during demolition, 1954.’ ‘Photographs of the Scaffolding in the Court.’ Nd. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION C RESEARCH NOTEBOOKS NOTES, CALCULATIONS AND DRAFTS EQUIPMENT NOTEBOOKS Hard-backed laboratory notebook of miscellaneous notes and calculations on crystallographic experiments, some bearing dates between 8 February and 5 June 1928. Unused pages were subsequently used for later notes and ideas for work on visual language representation (F.1-F.14). In particular, the rear of the book contains an attempt at a pictographic lexicon of words in English beginning with ‘A’. Pages numbered 1-49. a later date and one Powell seems to have reviewed the notebook at additional comment is dated in 1939. Laboratory notebook inscribed inside front cover ‘H.M. Powell Univ. Museum Oxford’. Used for miscellaneous notes and calculations 1929-1930. Loose papers enclosed. calculations on crystallographic experiments, nd. Many pages unused. Laboratory notebook labelled inside front cover ‘H.M. Powell Department of Mineralogy, University Museum Oxford’. Used for notes and calculations on crystallographic experiments beginning with sequence of typescript notes notebook pasted into ferrocyanide September 7 - 22 October [?1932]’ and paginated 1-19. | Subsequent manuscript notes are headed ‘Research notes 1933’ beginning with further work on tetramethyl ferrocyanide. Loose papers enclosed. Hard-backed laboratory notebook inscribed inside front cover ‘H.M. Powell University Museum Oxford’ and ‘Notes on resetting of Xtals according to T.V.B[arker] System’. Used from the front and the back for notes and on ‘investigation of tetramethyl H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Research ‘Day crystallographic Hard-backed experiments. Many loose papers enclosed including papers dated 1938 and 1940. calculations Book’ used for on notebook front Powell Soft-backed inside Mineralogisches Inst. d. Universitat Leipzig’. Used for notes in German on lectures on physical chemistry and mineralogy. The first lecture is dated 7 May 1930. inscribed cover ‘H.M. Soft-backed notebook inscribed on Museum Oxford’. etc, nd. University Used for notes on the literature, draft on atomic theory front page ‘H.M. Powell Notebook without covers. Used from one end by Powell for notes on the literature etc (latest bibliographical reference 1936) and from the other for student classwork in another hand. NOTES, CALCULATIONS AND DRAFTS Fourier analyses etc, nd. Found in envelope postmarked 1939. Manuscript notes, calculations etc re x-ray analysis of crystals of potassium uranyl sulphate, nd (bibliographical reference 1937). Includes paper dated 14 May 1957. ‘T.O.T. [Tri-o-thymotide] Analyses’. into two for ease of reference: analytical results 1952-1957. Manuscript and typescript ‘Krypton xenon experiment ending July 5 1950’. ‘T.OT. Adducts Film Measurements’. Contents of envelope so inscribed. Contents of folder so inscribed divided inert gases experiments. Includes notes re H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Research Notes, calculations re work on tri-o-thymotide. 12 and 14 April 1957. Includes calculations dated Similar to preceding. January 1958. Includes calculations dated in March, April 1957, Similar to preceding, nd. Notes and correspondence re optical activity, 1953-1959. Miscellaneous notes and papers re clathrates etc, 1952-1959. Manuscript draft on the structure of methylammonium ferrocyanide, nd. EQUIPMENT ‘Instructions for use of Dr Muller’s X-ray goniometer spectrograph E.336 and Shearer X-ray tube F.245’. Contents of envelope so inscribed: blueprint, printed and typescript material. Includes papers dated 1927 and 1928. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION D LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS, FILM D.1-D.21 LECTURES D.22-D.55 PUBLICATIONS D.56-D.60 FILM LECTURES ‘lron pronunciation’. Typescript draft with manuscript additions and corrections. Nd but includes pages typed on back of carbon copies of correspondence dated 22 and 23 July 1953. with manuscript additions and corrections; letter re British Association, 5 September Typescript arrangements. draft nd; duplicated circular re publication of ‘Atoms in Oxford, 1 January 1954. cages’, Science Masters’ Association, Clarendon Laboratory ‘Sorting molecules by shape and size’, 1955. Typescript draft dated ‘24.11.55’; ?related drafts dated in March and April 1955 and British Association proceedings; typescript summary ‘Sorting molecules’ of British Association Section B Chemistry, 5 September 1995. version prepared for publication after the delivery of the lecture. Untitled lecture delivered at Solvay conference, ?9 March 1956. 58pp typescript ‘Complete Solvay manuscript April, 1956’. Probably the H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film ‘Unusual types of co-ordination compound’ Typescript draft, nd (latest bibliographical reference 1957); two annotated duplicated typescripts. Lecture on how molecules fit together, British Association, 23 September 1958. Typescript drafts. Miscellaneous and typescript notes and drafts. Contents of Powell’s untitled folder. Includes British Association lecture (see D.6) and ‘Leeds Jan 13/59 Organic Crystal Chemistry’. ‘Hole and Corner Chemistry’, Annual Meeting Society of Chemical Industry, Oxford, 14 July 1961. Manuscript and typescript notes and drafts; brief correspondence. Contents of Powell’s folder so inscribed divided into three for ease of reference. Manuscript and typescript notes and drafts including ‘Pentaco-ordination and some recent work on the stereochemistry of transition metals’ and ‘New methods for the resolution of optically active substances’. ‘5 co-ordination and other matters’ and ‘University College 31st January 1967’. Mamuscript and typescript notes for Powell's talk; menu card. Letter from UCL Chemical & Physical Society, 18 January 1965 (D.11) identifies the topic of Powell's lecture as ‘ New types of crystalline molecular compounds’. Oxford and Cambridge Chemists Dinner, Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 4 May 1968. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film ‘Inert gases’. Typescript drafts, nd. One of the drafts is headed ‘Leicester’. ‘Inert gases cpds lecture’. Contents of folder so inscribed: manuscript and typescript drafts, nd. Lecture on clathrates. Manuscript drafts, nd. Lecture on clathrates. 20pp typescript draft, nd. Includes manuscript draft in French. ‘Order Order Lecture’. Contents of envelope so inscribed: manuscript and typescript drafts, nd. Manuscript draft paginated 1-24 (pages torn from notebook), nd. ame Draft begins ‘I shall speak about crystalline molecular compounds’. ‘Lecture Disorders observed in structures of crystalline molecular compounds.’ Contents of envelope so inscribed: manuscript and typescript notes and drafts. Nd. Manuscript draft, nd but see also D.27-D.30. Talk on Powell's article in which ‘those who study Chemistry were shown how they might read the subject in languages that they did not understand’. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film ‘Optical activities’ Contents of folder so inscribed: includes notes on lecture demonstrations on optical properties of crystals, notes headed ‘introduction to crystal chemistry’, and untitled typescript draft of lecture, nd. Di20-D:24 Invitations to lecture, 1949-1969. D.20 1949-1959. 1961-1969. PUBLICATIONS D.22-D.39 Scientific papers D.40-D.44 D.45-D.54 Scientific biography General and miscellaneous D.22 Scientific papers Diss Correspondence 13 typescript draft ‘received 3 October 1942’, figures. ‘A method for determining the crystal structures of compounds containing very large numbers of atoms’. Typescript drafts; correspondence 1956-1957. Folder also includes typescript draft ‘A shortened approximate calculation of structure factors’ found with the preceding. ‘The crystal structure of dibenzylsulphidebromogold’. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film ‘Paper with Wetters’. Contents of folder so inscribed: typescript drafts on ‘forms of molecules in the inclusion compounds of tri-o-thymotide’, ‘molecular shape and molecular inclusion’, etc, 1957, 1958. ‘Crystal structure of a hydrated nickel cyanide ammoniate’. Correspondence only, 1958. ‘Some new chemistry in space’. Copy of correspondence, April, May 1958. article submitted to ‘Times Science Review’, 25 April 1958; D.27-D.30 ‘Japanese chemical writing - read it yourself’, Proceedings of the Chemical Society, April 1960. D:31, D:32 and typescript notes and drafts, correspondence Typescript drafts; reprint. ‘Stereochemistry of a 5-co-ordinated nickel compound’. Manuscript correspondence. 1960, 1961. 2 folders. Correspondence with Chemical Society re publication; arising; requests for reprints. 1959-1963. 3 folders. from Chinese publication, letter. 1966. Drafts of note by Powell on Chinese synthesis of crystalline insulin, reprint 6pp typescript, nd (latest bibliographical reference 1961). ‘Clathrates and anaesthesia’ reprints by others, H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film D.35-D.37 ‘Colour in chemistry’, Chemistry in Britain, December 1966. This spoof paper was published under the names A.H. Oakes, H.A. Dubois, Isa Beinzieher and Owa Tatodo. Reprint of ‘Colour in chemistry’, related printed and duplicated material. Manuscript and typescript notes. Correspondence with Chemistry in reprints. Britain re publication, requests for ‘Exhibition collection reprints’. Contents of envelope so inscribed: 2pp typescript note headed ‘H.M. Powell Some applications of X-ray diffraction to chemical problems’ introductory exhibits and a selection of thirteen reprints by Powell covering period 1935- 1961 annotated in connection with the exhibition. D.40 to Cambridge Crystallography of Draft Encyclopaedia of the Soviet Union, 1980. contribution Powell's on Scientific biography W.H. Bragg, O. Diels and H.G.J. Moseley. Encyclopaedia-style note on Clathrate compounds, nd. correspondence 1967. Drafts of contributions to McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography, correspondence 1969-1970. W.H. Bragg and M.v. Laue. Biographical Dictionary of contributions to Drafts of A Scientists; H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film D.LI. Hammick. Drafts of obituary notice or memoir, 1966 or later. D.M.C. Hodgkin. Early recollections of Dorothy Hodgkin at Oxford, nd but found in envelope with 1979 postmark. M.v. Laue. Article for Encyclopedia Americana; correspondence 1971 General and miscellaneous D.45, D.46 ‘Ms the Calculus’ Contents of envelope so inscribed: typescript drafts 1954, 1955. 2 folders. D.47-D.51 Draft sections for unidentified scientific publication. Sections C, D, E. The sections are identified by letters of the alphabet dated in April and May 1955 but are generally untitled. Exceptions include Section E ‘The Chemical Argument’ and Section Q ‘Height of a pile of pennies’. Sections S, T, X, Z. Sections A, B. Sections M, N. Section Q. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film Manuscript and typescript notes for ?popular book on chemistry, nd. Includes note headed ‘All your chem.’ ‘Solid World Carbons’. Contents of folder so inscribed: manuscript and typescript drafts. Draft introduction to book on crystals for the general reader, nd. Correspondence 155 Miscellaneous shorter correspondence re publications 1950-1979. Includes referee’s reports. Film D.56-D.60 ‘Crystal structure’ Film made by the ICI Film Unit in collaboration with Powell. with manuscript additions and corrections dated 8 July ‘Shooting script’ dated 18 August 1964. Retained in original folder. ‘Shooting script’ 1964. Retained in original folder. script’ and ‘copy of the commentary’. Correspondence, 1963-1964. Enclosures include annotated ‘draft shooting ‘Crystallography - draft shooting script’ dated 16 December 1963. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Lectures, publications, film ‘Film’ Contents of folder so inscribed: drafts "The topaz outline explained’ and ‘Notes on the film “crystal structure” ‘; letter dated 9 April 1965. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION E VISITS AND CONFERENCES First General Assembly of Harvard, Massachusetts, 28 July - 3 August 1948. International the Union of Crystallography, Letter from Royal Society re Powell's nomination as British delegate. Visit to Holland, 27 October - 5 November 1949. ‘Revised itinerary for Dr H.M. Powell in Holland’; letter re arrangements. Convegno internazionale sulla chimica dei composti di coordinazione, Rome, 1958. Powell gave the introductory lecture on ‘Unusual types of co-ordination compounds’. Photograph of Powell lecturing; reprint of Powell's lecture. Information in the Field on Scientific Conference Visit to China, 22 September - 7 October 1962. Invitation; letter from Powell to the effect that his acceptance depended on the result of enquiries re financial support for his journey to Japan. Powell was a member of the Royal Society delegation to the Academia Sinica, Peking. of International Crystallography and Solid State Physics, Nishinoya near Osaka, Japan, 3-4 October 1961. Miscellaneous travel papers. Correspondence re arrangements; correspondence and papers arising. Programme for language versions. the Royal Society delegation. Chinese and English H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Visits and conferences Notebook used for notes on scientific institutions visited by Powell: Institute of Experimental Biology, Academia Sinica; Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica; Peking University; Institute of Electronics, Academia Sinica. Manuscript draft of lecture by Powell on the development of x-ray diffraction in England. Memorabilia relating to China visit. 2 folders. E.10-E.12 Manuscript and typescript drafts for report on visit for the Royal Society. folders. 3 Miscellaneous shorter notes and drafts. Includes material re talks given by Powell on his visit to China. E.15-E.20 Visit to Roumania, 16-30 March 1964. Report on visit to China, 25 April - 2 June 1961 by E.B. Chain. Found with papers relating to Powell's 1962 visit. Chain made the visit as Scientific Director of the International Centre for Chemical Microbiology, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome. Powell took part in an exchange visit between Oxford and Jassy universities under the auspices of the British Council. The visit to Roumania took place first. method of structure analysis by the use of X-ray diffraction’. Correspondence re arrangements. Typescript drafts of Powell's report on visit. Manuscript draft of short talk in Roumania ‘on a particular application of the H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Visits and conferences Photograph; postcards etc. Papers re visit of the Roumanian delegation from Jassy to Oxford University, Trinity term 1964. Papers re visit of Roumanian local government officals to Oxford as guests of the British government, 1965. Found with the Oxford/Jassy exchange papers. Oxford and Edinburgh Universities expedition to Mongolia, 1965. Information only re proposed expedition. Powell did not visit Mongolia at this time. Includes report of the reconnaissance, August 1965. Seventh International Congress of Crystallography, Moscow, July 1966. E.23-E.30 Visit to the USSR, March 1969. Printed background material only. Correspondence re arrangements. Powell visited Russia as part of a programme of exchange visits between the Royal Society and the USSR Academy of Sciences. Notebook used for notes on more general aspects of Russian life. Notebook (lacks colleagues. covers) used for notes of discussions with Russian Visits and conferences ‘Russian expedition’. for ease of reference. Contents of envelope so inscribed divided into three Miscellaneous manuscript notes including pages torn from notebooks. Typescript draft beginning ‘Investigation of the stereochemistry of Ni(II) some of reprint. in its pentacoordinate complexes...’, possibly prepared for lecture; Invoices; printed memorabilia. Russian Visit’. Contents of ‘R.S. typescript notes and drafts. folder so inscribed: manuscript and ‘USSR’. Contents of folder so inscribed: draft report on visit. Powell lectured on ‘Order and disorder in molecular compounds’. Printed booklet with programme, abstracts etc; draft for Powell's lecture. Eighth International Congress of Crystallography, Stony Brook, New York, 7- 27 August 1969. Conference on Structural Studies of Partially Ordered Materials, University of Sussex, 9-11 April 1969. Correspondence and papers re arrangements. 2 folders. Information; statements of student protest addressed to congress delegates; report on the Congress from Powell as Chairman of the British National Committee for Crystallography. The symposium was held to celebrate the 80th birthday of Bragg. Sir Lawrence E.33, E.34 Bragg Symposium, 1-3 April 1970. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Visits and conferences Ninth International Congress of Crystallography, Kyoto, Japan, 26 August - 7 September 1972. Correspondence re arrangements; draft report on Congress, etc. Konferencija Vill Yugoslavia, 25-27 October 1973. Jugoslavenskog centra za_ kristalografiju, Opatija, Duplicated papers only. H.M. Powell Symposium, Oxford, 8-10 April 1974. The symposium was held to mark Powell’s retirement in 1974. A.2. He lectured on ‘The advance of Chemical Crystallography’. See also Programme of abstracts; list of participants. Draft for Powell's lecture; letter from J. Lewis. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION F LANGUAGE F.1-F.14 LANGUAGE REPRESENTATION Pol5-.19 RUSSIAN F.20 24 CHINESE CHEROKEE See also D.19, D.27-D.30. LANGUAGE REPRESENTATION Notes and drafts relating to an attempt by Powell to represent linguistic communication by a system of visual symbols. Powell’s aim was a lofty one, the devising of nothing less than ‘a method of direct universal communication’ which should express by non-language- specific signs encompassing ‘grammatical’ relationships and a full lexis the range of concepts conveyed in traditional languages. pictograms symbols, visual or abstract Although Powell was, in this respect, following in the footsteps of John Wilkins and the Royal Society in the seventeenth century, his work seems to have been undertaken entirely independently, possibly as a result of his There is no evidence of teaching of foreign languages to undergraduates. his having read any of the existing literature on linguistics or conceptual analysis, nor of acquaintance with the linguistic philosophy of the Oxford School. conference in 1982 (both included in F.12). This proved perhaps a more difficult task than he had at first assumed. At all events, nothing was completed for publication. A little of the surviving material is in typed or heavily-corrected manuscript form, but the majority consists of notes and ideas struggling to systematise the complexity of natural language into increasingly lengthier and more elaborate codes, often greatly more opaque than any standard alphabet. It would seem that this was a very long-term interest of Powell, though none of the notes and drafts are dated. A few are on the writing paper of the Oxford Chemical Crystallography Laboratory, but most are on foolscap paper suggesting a date before the early 1970s. There are notes on an chemical envelope postmarked 1966, writing paper of and the on a H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Language Attention is also drawn to the laboratory notebook of 1928 at C.1 which Powell later used for an attempt at a symbolic lexicon for English words beginning with ‘A’. Folders inscribed ‘Chap |’, ‘Chap II’, ‘Chap III’ for a proposed work on a non- alphabetic, visual symbols. non-language-specific of communication system by A few typed pages, paginated sequences. but mainly heavily corrected manuscript; a few ‘Chap |’. Various versions of introductory material on ‘The general nature of the problem’. ‘Chap II’. 2 folders. ‘Chap IIl’...‘mainly verb-equivalents’. Includes some paginated sequences. ‘Relationship in space’. ‘Possession’. ‘Doing’. ‘Mental activities’. ‘Quantity’. ‘More than one of a kind’. Shorter manuscript and typescript drafts on specific communication topics: folders. Notes, drafts, symbols, originally enclosed in envelope postmarked 1982. Manuscript and typescript pages. ‘Positives, negatives and opposites’. draft paginated 1-29 with many intercalated 3 H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Language ELON. At Manuscript and typescript drafts, a few paginated. 2 folders. F.12-F.14 Shorter notes. pictorial or coded forms. 3 folders. Attempts to analyse and express linguistic concepts in Includes notes on envelope postmarked 1966, and on writing paper of Symposium on Molecular Inclusion 1982 (F.12). RUSSIAN F.15-F.18 ‘Russian Course’. Contents of envelope so inscribed: drafts for course on learning Russian prepared with the scientific student in mind. 4 folders. Includes duplicated copies of Russian reprints 1962 (F.17). CHINESE CHEROKEE Miscellaneous notes. ‘The one page ten minute summary’. Drafts of short note on learning the Russian language, nd. Postcard depicting Cherokee alphabet sent to D.LI. Hammick 1961. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SECTION G SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE GENERAL SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence with individuals. order. In alphabetical G.23-G.30 SHORTER SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE. In chronological order. Baker, W. and Ollis, W.D. 1951-1955 Baker was Professor of Organic Chemistry at Bristol University and Ollis was a member of his department. re trithymotide and other compounds. 1951-1952. 1953-1955 British Oxygen Company Ltd (BOC) 1948-1958 Correspondence re clathrate compounds, inert gases, etc. Includes specifications for patent applications in respect of 1948-1950. ‘improvements in or relating to the purification of the rare gases’. Development Corporation. 1951-1952. connection with clathrate compounds’. Includes agreement between BOC and Powell for ‘services in 1953-1954, 1958. Includes correspondence with National Research H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Scientific correspondence Driver, J.E. 1954-1959 Driver was Professor of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong. Triphenylmethane derivatives, etc. Hargreaves, M.K. 1953, 1959-1963. Hargreaves was based at Bedford College University of London in 1953 and Queen Elizabeth College University of London 1959-1963. Research. Imperial Chemical Industries Limited (ICI) 1946, 1952-1956. Research. 1946. 1952-1954 1955-1956 Johnson, Matthey & Co. Ltd 1967-1970 X-ray crystallographic studies of compounds of interest to Johnson, Matthey. X-ray analysis of compounds from University of Cambridge. Mann was based at the University Chemical Laboratory, Cambridge. Jones, R.V. Mann, F.G. X-ray analysis of compound from University of Aberdeen. 1952-1953, 1962- 1963 1960-1961, 1967- 1974 H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Scientific correspondence Ministry of Supply 1942-1944 X-ray crystallographic examination of the cis and trans isomers of S dimer. Nyholm, R.S. 1960-1971, nd. Nyholm was Professor of Chemistry at University College London. Crystallographic work for Nyholm. Rayner, J.H. 1953-1958. Rayner was a Unilever's Research Department, Port Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts. student of D.Phil. Powell who subsequently worked in at Sunlight, Cheshire and then Research. Sayre, D. 1954 Soddy, F. 1951, 1953, 1974 1974 letter is from Russian biographer of Soddy. Sayre was an American who had worked in the Chemical Crystallography Laboratory in Oxford some years earlier. One letter only from Sayre at the University of Pennsylvania re possible return to Oxford. Research. Wallwork was a D.Phil. student of Powell who was subsequently based at the University of Nottingham. Report on visit to India October 1966 - April 1967. 1950-1957, 1979, 1981 Vaughan Williams, E.M. Wallwork, S.C. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Scientific correspondence Williams, D.J. 1957-1958 Williams was based at the Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff. X-ray analysis of lung crystals supplied by Williams. Wright, J.D. 1975 Wright was based at the University Chemical Laboratory, University of Canterbury at Kent. Report of stay at the University of Tokyo, January-September 1975. Powell supported the original application to the Royal Society which helped make the visit possible. SHORTER SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE 1950-1953. 1954-1959. 1960-1961. 1962-1965. 1935-1936, 1946-1949. 1970-1974, 1979. 1966-1969. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS ALLEN, D.W. ANDERSON, John Stuart ANDRADE, Edward Neville da Costa ARMSTRONG, R.J. AUSBACHER, F. BAKER, Wilson BARLOW, G.B. BARTINDALE, G.W.R. BELL, Ronald Percy BETTERIDGE, W. G.29 D.28, G.26, G.28 D.20, G.24 G.25 Gr2 Gi, G.2 G.26 G.24 G.28 G.28 BIRCUMSHAW, L.L. D.22 G.3-G.5 CAGLIOTI, V. CAMPBELL, J.A. CHATT, Joseph CHEMISTRY IN BRITAIN THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY BRAGG, Sir (William) Lawrence BRITISH OXYGEN COMPANY (BOC) G.23 See also E.33, E.34 G.23 D.20, D.28, D.37, D.55, G.24 COATES, Geoffrey Edward Gi2/ G.24 G.10 D.37 G.27 G.26 E33 CHILD, William C., Jr. COCHRAN, William COLMAN, Harold G. CLARK, A.M. G.3-G.5 H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Index of correspondents CORKILL, J. Michael CRANNA, N.G. CRUICKSHANK, Durward William John DALTON, G.M. DRIVER, J.E. FEINBERG, J.G. FOSS, M.E. FOX, A.H. GEE, R.J.D. GINGER, D.A. GLUECKAUF, Eugen G.26 G.24 35 G.24 G.6 G.24 G.24 G.23, G.24 G.28 G.27 G.25 GOODGAME, David MLL. GOODMAN, J.F. GRAMACCIOLI, Carlo M. GRISON, Emmanuel HOARD, J.L. HARGREAVES, M.K. G.25 G.23 C7, GRENVILLE-WELLS, H.J. G.27 G.26 G.26 HAMMICK, Dalziel Llewellyn G.26 HINSHELWOOD, Sir Cyril Norman HARTLEY, Sir Harold (Brewer) HIRSCH, Sir Peter (Bernhard) G.24 D.26 G.27 B:22;B'28 E.34 HASLETT, A.W. HENN, Dennis See D.42, F.21 H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 Index of correspondents HODGKIN, Dorothy Mary Crowfoot HOLMES, Derek HUDSON, Robert Francis B.21, B.23 See also D.43 G.24 G.26 IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES (ICI) D.59, G.8-G.10 INGOLD, Sir Christopher (Kelk) IRVING, Harry Munroe Napier Hetherington JARVIS, Tony JOHNSON, MATTHEY & CO., LIMITED JONES, Sir Ewart (Ray Herbert) JONES, J. Idris JONES, Reginald Victor C.18 G.30 D.22 Gia B.23 G.26 Git2 Gi23;'Gi25 LOW, Barbara W. MACGILLAVRY, C. McWHIRTER, Kennedy LEWIS, Jack, Baron LIPSON, Henry Solomon Eve D.21 G.26 LONSDALE, Dame Kathleen McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY MAYS, M.J. MAEGRAITH, Brian Gilmore MARTINETTE, Sister Mary G.23 D.40 G.29 MANN, Frederick George D.37 G.30 C.18 MASON, Sir Ronald MAXWELL, Tess CAS. Gals H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 MEYER, Horst MOORE, H. Index of correspondents G.25 G.24 NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Gis NEALE, A.E.T. NYHOLM, Sir Ronald (Sydney) OLLIS, William David PATON, Sir William (Drummond Macdonald) PERUTZ, Max Ferdinand PRHIGEIPS Rh. PICTON, Harold PIPPARD, Sir (Alfred) Brian G.25, G.26 D.31 Gr Gi2 G.29 E.33 G.23 G.24, G.25 D.20 POWELL, A.R. RAYNER, Jimmy H. D.25, G.16 G.28 REDDY, G.S. RIESZ, Peter G.23 G29 G27, de RADZITZKY, Pierre PIRIE, Norman Wingate ROBERTSON, John Monteath G.27, G.29 SCIENCE MASTERS’ ASSOCIATION THE ROYAL SOCIETY Gils D.2 G.10 E. 1 E.93):6.34°6.35 G.23, G.30 G.24, G.29 G.9, G.10 ROGERS, M.A.T. SAYRE, DAVID SEXTON, W.A. SMITH, Norman O. H. M. Powell NCUACS 58/1/96 SODDY, Frederick STACEY, G.J. STEINBERG, Meyer STEWART, Francis S. SZASZ, George S. TAYLOR, William H. THEWALT, K. THE TIMES TRUTER, Mary Rosaleen TURNER, H.S. Index of correspondents E.33, E.34 G.25 D.26, D.55 21, Gi29 G.25; G27 VOLKOFF, G.M. WILLIAMS, D. Jones WILLIAMS, Trevor I. WILSON, E.R. VACIAGO, Alessandro WHITLA, W. Alexander G.26 Gi25 G.19 G.24 VAN DER WAALS, J.H. WALLWORK, Stephen C. VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, E.M. G22 WOOLFSON, Michael Mark G.28 G.21 G.25 WRIGHT, John D. E.33, E.34, G.20 D.41, D.59, D.60 E.33, E.35
POWELL, Herbert Marcus
Published: 20 November, 2023 Author: admin