Papers of Arthur Keith
TitlePapers of Arthur Keith
ReferenceMS0018
Level of descriptionfonds
Date1890-1955
Admin./ biographical historySir Arthur Keith was a Physical Anatomist, Anthropologist, and Conservator of the Hunterian Museum. He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1894). Keith is best known for his contributions to the study of physical anatomy, and he wrote more than 500 works mostly on comparative anatomy and human evolution. After graduating with a Bacehlor of Medicine from the University of Aberdeen, he worked as a medical officer to a mining company in Siam. There he studied monkeys and apes, which sparked his interest to study human evolution. In 1894, he was awarded an M.D. by the University of Aberdeen for his thesis, "The Myology of the Catarrhini: A Study in Evolution".
After teaching at the London Hospital Medical School, he was appointed as the Conservator of the Hunterian Museum in 1908, where he served until 1933. His contributions to the College's works are documented in his lecture notes, journals, scientific writings, and his association with surgeons, anatomists and anthropologists who worked with him for shorter or longer periods in the Museum and its laboratories. After the First World War, the army medical authorities gave the College its collection of war specimens, and in 1946 a second collection was given. Other notable collections added during Keith's conservatorship were the Onodi collection of nasal anatomy specimens bought for the College in 1921, Sir William MacEwen's specimens given in 1924, and the Strangeways collection of chronic arthritis specimens. Keith also oversaw new collections of medico-legal, historical, odonatological specimens, and instrument collections.
In 1933, Keith resigned as Conservator at the College, and was appointed as a Master of the Buckston Browne Research Institute at Downe. Besides supervising young surgeons engaged in research at the institute, Keith continued to be active, writing many articles mostly on evolution and Darwinism.
For more information on Keith's life and career, please visit his profile on Plarr's Lives of the Fellows: https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/results?qu=arthur+keith&te=ASSET
After teaching at the London Hospital Medical School, he was appointed as the Conservator of the Hunterian Museum in 1908, where he served until 1933. His contributions to the College's works are documented in his lecture notes, journals, scientific writings, and his association with surgeons, anatomists and anthropologists who worked with him for shorter or longer periods in the Museum and its laboratories. After the First World War, the army medical authorities gave the College its collection of war specimens, and in 1946 a second collection was given. Other notable collections added during Keith's conservatorship were the Onodi collection of nasal anatomy specimens bought for the College in 1921, Sir William MacEwen's specimens given in 1924, and the Strangeways collection of chronic arthritis specimens. Keith also oversaw new collections of medico-legal, historical, odonatological specimens, and instrument collections.
In 1933, Keith resigned as Conservator at the College, and was appointed as a Master of the Buckston Browne Research Institute at Downe. Besides supervising young surgeons engaged in research at the institute, Keith continued to be active, writing many articles mostly on evolution and Darwinism.
For more information on Keith's life and career, please visit his profile on Plarr's Lives of the Fellows: https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/results?qu=arthur+keith&te=ASSET
Scope and ContentThe papers contain Keith's extensive correspondence, diaries (1908-1954), reports on work as conservator annual (1931-1934) and quarterly reports (1928-1932), talks, drafts of publications, unpublished manuscripts; drawings, notes on visits to Siam, Egypt and America.
Extent63 boxes
LanguageEnglish
Conditions governing accessThis collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. It is essential to book in advance so we can ensure material is available. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment. Access to some records may be restricted due to Data Protection legislation. We will advise where this is the case.
Conditions governing reproductionCopies of material in the archives can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. Some items within this collection may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Permission to publish material must be sought in advance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, where appropriate, the copyright holder. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.
Related objectsMS0017
Royal College of Surgeons of England Archives: Papers of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 1745 - date; Manuscript Collections: Papers of Frederick Wood Jones (1879-1954).
Royal College of Surgeons of England Archives: Papers of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 1745 - date; Manuscript Collections: Papers of Frederick Wood Jones (1879-1954).
NotesIt should be noted that where items in the Keith collection have been marked as missing, this is not necessarily the case. It means that they have not been clearly identified and marked with their reference numbers. Where this was not done at the time of cataloguing, it was not always possible to follow up afterwards.
Persons keyword Bernard Darwin, 1876-1961, author, journalist, Charles Robert Darwin, 1809-1882, scientist, naturalist, Leonard Darwin, 1850-1943, eugenicist, Frederick Wood Jones, 1879-1954, Professor of Anatomy, Celia Caroline Keith, d 1934, née Gray, wife of Sir Arthur Keith, Sir Arthur Keith, 1866-1955, Knight, anatomist, Karl Pearson, 1857-1936, mathematician, biologist, Miriam Louise Tildesley, b 1883, craniologist, James William Helenus Trail, 1851-1919, botanist, Margaret Willis, fl 1924-1962, wife of Rupert Allan Willis, Rupert Allan Willis, 1898-1980, pathologist, 1800-date Royal College of Surgeons of England
SubjectAnatomy, Anthropology, Botany
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