About the records


Title Records of John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research
Date Range 1789 - 2010
Reference MSS 0144
Extent 7.36 metres (597 items)
Repository The Barr Smith Library, The University of Adelaide
Abstract This is a guide to the collected research papers of Dr. John Jenkin on the lives and work of William Henry Bragg and his son William Lawrence Bragg (widely known as Lawrence Bragg), who were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in 1915 for introducing and developing the science of X-ray crystallography. The collection is particularly strong in covering their time in Adelaide, and the work which culimated in their receipt of the Nobel Prize.

Administrative Information

John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection was accessioned in March 2009, with the documentation of the records at inventory level taking place from 2 October 2009 to 8 September 2010.

The total collection, occupying approximately 725 linear cm of shelf space, is held by the Barr Smith Library, The University of Adelaide.

Scope and Content

The records in John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection cover the lives of William Henry and William Lawrence Bragg and are the result of Dr. John Jenkin's extensive research over a period of more than 25 years. While there are some original documents in the collection, John Jenkin (like many researchers) collected the majority of his material as photocopies, accompanied by handwritten notes on archival materials, secondary publications, correspondence and interviews. He also added annotations to many of the photocopied texts. Comprehensive correspondence throughout the files shows the history of his research and the people and institutions he contacted for assistance or advice.

The strengths of the collection are in these extensive notes and letters, the wonderful collection of original (or carefully re-printed) photographs which have been digitised and can be viewed as part of this guide, and perhaps most of all in the bringing together of diverse primary and secondary sources from libraries, archives and other sources nationally and internationally to create a truly authoritative collection - a rich, comprehensive and wide-ranging documentary resource covering the lives and work of William and Lawrence Bragg, focusing in particular on their time in Australia.

Furthermore, the completeness of the collection and thorough, highly organised documentation of the records, and of the research process itself, are a tribute to John Jenkin's dedicated and meticulous research.

Surveying and Mapping the Records

In June 2005, during the lead up to the Bragg About Adelaide exhibition at the South Australian Museum, John Jenkin was a focal point for people seeking photographs of the Braggs and related material, and came to realise the importance of his collection.

He contacted Gavan McCarthy, Director of the Australian Technology and Heritage Centre (Austehc, precursor to the eSRC - eScholarship Research Centre) and Rod Home from History and Philosophy of Science, both at the University of Melbourne, to ask their advice. Gavan subsequently spent some time with John discussing the records and conducting an informal survey of the collection.

Subsequently, on 30 October 2008, two four-drawer filing cabinets containing the collected documents of more than 25 years research into the Bragg's were delivered to the eSRC offices at the University of Melbourne. Additional material, including an expansive collection of photographs, were brought in over the following weeks and months.

By March 2009, the bulk of the collection had been transferred to the eSRC, at which time John Jenkin walked through the full collection with Michael Jones, who then surveyed and documented the collection in full. The resulting accession report, audio recordings of John Jenkin speaking about his records, and further information about this guide and the records it describes - including transfer arrangements, custodianship and other contextual information - are held in the office files and the Heritage Document Management System (HDMS) database at the eScholarship Research Centre, The University of Melbourne.

Arrangement and Description of the Records

At the time of the initial transfer of records to the eSRC, John Jenkin had expressed his hope that the records ultimately find a home in the Special Collections area of the Barr Smith Library at the University of Adelaide. Following a formal approach by John Jenkin and the eSRC requesting support to arrange and describe the Records, the Barr Smith Library agreed to fund this work and to take custody of the physical records on completion.

Following this agreement, eSRC staff undertook the full listing of the collection, inclulding the simultaneous re-housing of the material to ensure its preservation. A series structure was created based largely on the existing order of the records, reflecting the chronological and subject-based organisational system used by John Jenkin throughout the course of his research.

The 2010 edition of William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg: A guide to the research records of John Jenkin has been produced as a result of this work.

Digitisation

As noted above, a particular strength of the collection lies in the wealth of photographs collected by John Jenkin from many sources. Part of the proposal to the Barr Smith Library was that these photographs be made available online.

Therefore, during the course of processing eSRC staff digitally imaged the photographic section of the collection in full. Digital images produced as a result of this work are attached to the relevant inventory item descriptions in this guide.

How These Records Can Be Used

Researchers wishing to consult these records will need to contact the Barr Smith Library at The University of Adelaide regarding the access conditions that may apply to specific series or inventory items.

Where material from John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection is copied or quoted the source of the material must be acknowledged.

Preferred Citation

Records from John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection should be cited as [Inventory item number and title], [Series number], John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection, MSS 0144, Barr Smith Library, The University of Adelaide, Australia.

For citation of the published guide, an acceptable form would be: Melissa Downing and Michael Jones, William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg: A guide to the research records of John Jenkin, The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre, 2010 [URL and date accessed].

Publication History

This is the first edition of William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg: A guide to the research records of John Jenkin.

Copyright

William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg: A guide to the research records of John Jenkin has been published by the University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre (previously the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre). You may download, temporarily store in cache and display the material on this web site in unaltered form only. You may also print and copy the material on this site in unaltered form as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 only (retaining this copyright notice). This guide is the result of serious scholarly research and must be formally acknowledged as such when the guide itself or the records it catalogues are cited.

John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection is held by the Barr Smith Library, The University of Adelaide. The Barr Smith Library manages any rights (including moral rights) in all material contained in John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Records.

All information in the guide to this collection and in the material of the collection itself, served from Australia, is administered under Australian Intellectual Property Laws.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. John Jenkin for his ongoing involvement with and enthusiasm for the project; and the Barr Smith Library, The University of Adelaide, for their generous support.

We also thank Arlie McCarthy for her assistance with the digitisation process, and Ailie Smith and Gavan McCarthy from the eSRC, both of whom played important roles in bringing the project to completion.

Guide Image

The photograph seen on the top left hand side of the Guide is a detail of the William Henry and William Lawrence Bragg commemorative stamp, from BRAG00573, "105-107. Stamps", Series 6, John Jenkin's William H. Bragg and William L. (Lawrence) Bragg Research Collection, MSS 0144, Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, Australia.


Published by the The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on AustehcWeb, September 2010
Listed by Melissa Downing and Michael Jones
HTML edition
Updated 3 August 2020

The template for this finding aid is part of the Heritage Documentation Management System

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