Newspaper Cuttings and Other Printed Matter

Cuttings from newspapers, magazines and journals, principally relating to Francis Galton's work on eugenics, and the activities of the Galton Laboratory and Eugenics Education Society. The cuttings cover eugenics and its impact on social issues, such as poverty and the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress, and the effect of parental alcoholism on offspring, with a focus on Karl Pearson and Edith M Elderton's study of families in Edinburgh and Manchester.

Also covers reviews and articles on Galton's other work, particularly in the field of anthropometric investigation and examination in the use of fingerprints to identify habitual criminals and physical tests for civil service candidates, biographical articles and reports of his awards, and Galton's endowment of a Research Fellowship at the Galton Laboratory, University of London.

1840-1911

19 items

Twentieth century cuttings arranged according to the indexes enclosed (GALTON/2/13/1/3-14), or existing conflation of material (GALTON/2/13/1/15-18). One group of cuttings, GALTON/2/13/1/19, were not categorised or listed by Galton, and are recorded as a separate item.

Letter from E Augusta Jones, former secretary to Francis Galton, addressed to Karl Pearson indicates that these cuttings were discarded and duplicate cuttings from the selection process in the creation of Pearson's "Red Books". Indexes to the 20th century cuttings were created by Jones, and are enclosed.

The papers are available at UCL Special Collections and Archives subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

A digitised copy is held by the Wellcome Library as part of Codebreakers: Makers of Modern Genetics.

The original material is held at UCL Special Collections. This catalogue is held by the Wellcome Library as part of Codebreakers: Makers of Modern Genetics.