Janus: Papers of Joseph Needham as a historian of Chinese science, technology and medicine

Needham/NRI2/SCC4 contains:
1	Correspondence after publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1'
4	Correspondence on and after publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4, Part 1'
14	Cambridge University Press: Permissions
2	Correspondence on and after publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 2'
3	Correspondence on and after the publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 3'
5	Correspondence on and after publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4, Part 2'
6	Correspondence on and after publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 4, Part 3'
7	Correspondence on and after 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 5, Part 1'
8	Correspondence on and after 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 5, Part 2'
9	Correspondence on and after 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 5, Part 3'
10	Correspondence on and after 'Science and Civilisation in China Volume 5, Part 4'
See later -->

Papers of Joseph Needham as a historian of Chinese science, technology and medicine

Title	Correspondence after publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1'
Reference	SCC4/1
Covering Dates	1954–1977
Extent and Medium	Paper

Needham/NRI2/SCC4/1 contains:

Letter from Wu Shih-chhang [??? / Wu Shichang] with an 'extraordinarily kind memorandum' of points about the volume. The documents also include Joseph Needham's reply; response to the points; typed copy of the memorandum.
Creator: Wu Shih-chhang; Needham, Joseph.
8 sheets; Paper.

26 Sep. 1954–2 Oct. 1954

Copies of letters of thanks sent to F. H. Kendon and Brooke Crutchley of Cambridge University Press on receipt of the 'first complete advance copy' and Kendon's reply.
Creator: Needham, Joseph; Kendon, F. H.
3 documents; Paper.

27 July 1954–29 July 1954

Letter from D. M. Dunlop of Owlstone Road, Cambridge thanking Joseph Needham for the gift of a copy of the volume.
Creator: Dunlop, D. M.
1 document; Paper.

21 Aug. 1954

Note from Chistopher Brooke, Librarian of Gonville and Caius College congratulating Joseph Needham and thanking him for the gift of a copy of the volume.
Creator: Brooke, Christopher.
1 document; Paper.

18 Aug. 1954

Letter from [?] Of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, thanking Joseph Needham for a copy of the book.
1 document; Paper.

19 Aug. 1954

Note of congratulations from Philip [?] Of Cambridge. The note says 'with compliments' and Joseph Needham has noted that it came with '1 pkt Austrian cigarillos'.
1 document; Paper.

1954

Letter of best wishes from Fran Tempkin of Oxford.
Creator: Tempkin, Fran.
1 document; Paper.

16 Aug. 1954–1954

Letter of congratulations from Neville Whymant and Joseph Needham's reply.
Creator: Wymant, Neville; Needham, Joseph.
3 sheets; Paper.

16 Aug. 1954–2 Sep. 1954

Letters from George Sarton of Harvard University congratulating Joseph Needham stating his intention to write a review. The documents also include a copy of Sarton's 'Bulletin prepared to simplify my correspondence' (4 November 1953 to 2 June 1954), providing details of Sarton's work.
Creator: Sarton, George; Needham, Joseph.
3 sheets; Paper.

27 July 1954–24 Aug. 1954

Letter from Lu Gwei-djen discussing praise recieved for the book in Paris and the loan of a copy for an exhibition at an International Congress of Anthropologists.
Creator: Lu Gwei-Djen.
1 document; Paper.

8 Sep. 1954

Correspondence with Sir George Sansom discussing topics for a BBC broadcast on 'Science and Civilisation in China'. Sansom also expresses his 'interest and pleasure' at reading the volume.
Creator: Sansom, George.
3 documents; Paper.

19 Sep. 1954–21 Sep. 1954

Letter from Frank [?] in Paris expressing his appreciation at the volume and discussing other matters. Other matters discussed include an exhibition of paintings and Frank's? 'short history of rocket engines'.
1 document; Paper.

17 Sep. 1954

Postcard from G. Harvey congratulating Joseph Needham and Wang Ching-Ning [Wang Ling].
Creator: Harvey, G.
1 document; Paper.

28 Sep. 1954

Letter from Julian Huxley thanking Joseph Needham for a copy of the volume and discussing the influence of the Chinese writing system on scientific development.
Creator: Huxley, Julian.
1 document; Paper.

29 Sep. 1954

Correspondence with Otto van der Sprenkel about a review of the volume and other matters. [Buls] expresses his 'enourmous enjoyment' at the book and also includes notes on the volume which Joseph Needham replies he has 'marked in his interleaved copy'.
Creator: Sprenkel, Otto van der; Needham, Joseph.
3 sheets; Paper.

24 Sep. 1954–2 Oct. 1954

Letter of praise from Pat Coates of Ponteland, Northumberland and Joseph Needham's reply. Other matters discussed include L.C. Hopkins and the health of Dorothy Needham.
Creator: Coates, Pat; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

9 Sep. 1954–4 Oct. 1954

Cambridge University Press 'Staff Information Sheet', September 1954. The document includes an extract from Joseph Needham's letter to F.H. Kendon thanking the Press for their work (See SCC5/1/2); information about Chinese type; description of the 'author's rooms'.
1 document; Paper.

Sep. 1954

Letter of thanks and congratulations from H. Laugier of Paris.
Creator: Laugier, H.
1 document; Paper.

4 Oct. 1954

Letter of thanks from Andrew Boyd of Barnes, London.
Creator: Boyd, Andrew.
1 document; Paper.

7 Oct. 1954

Letter of thanks from John Grierson of Group 3 Limited, Beaconsfield Film Studios, Buckinghamshire.
Creator: Grierson, John.
1 document; Paper.

6 Oct. 1954

Letter from Miss M. E. Fell, Assistant Librarian to the Royal Asiatic Society thanking Joseph Needham for mentioning her in the preface.
Creator: Fell, M. E.
1 document; Paper.

2 Nov. 1954

Inscription suggested by Hou Pao-chang [??? / Hou Baozhang] for Laurence Picken's copy of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1'.
Creator: Hou Pao-chang.
1 document; Paper.

7 Oct. 1954–7Oct. 1954

Letter from Horace Goo of the Sino Press, London thanking Joseph Needham for an invitation to a party to celebrate the appearance of the volume.
Creator: Goo, Horace.
1 document; Paper.

28 Oct. 1954

Joseph Needham's list of people to invite to the party to celebrate the publication of the volume.
1 document; Paper.

Sep. 1954

Letter of congratulations from H. J. J. Winter of the University College of the South West.
Creator: Winter, H. J. J.
1 document; Paper.

8 Nov. 1954

Letters from Nelly Chatley and R. W. Sloley about the health of Dr. Herbert Chatley.
Creator: Chatley, Nelly; Sloley, R. W.
2 documents; Paper.

13 Nov. 1954–18 Nov. 1954

Notes by E .K.Eason of Dublin about the volume and his interest in China, and Joseph Needham's letter of reply.
Creator: Eason, E. K.; Needham, Joseph.
6 sheets; Paper.

30 Oct. 1954

Letter of congratulations from Prof. William Dobson of the University of Toronto, Canada, and Joseph Needham's reply.
Creator: Dobson, William; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

1 Oct. 1954–22 Nov. 1954

Correspondence with Peter G. Mar of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada about a signed copy of the book and other matters. Other matters discussed include 'medical politics' and Mar's position at St. Joseph's Hospital; mutual aquaintances in China; the situation in 'New China'.
Creator: Mar, Peter G.
4 sheets; Paper.

14 Oct. 1954–28 Nov. 1954

Correspondence with Wing-tsit Chan, Professor of Chinese Culture and Philosophy at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Chan's letter congratulate Joseph Needham on the volume. The letters also discuss the exchange of offprints and Prof. James George Needham.
Creator: Chan Wing-tsit; Needham, Joseph.
3 sheets; Paper.

9 June 1954–26 Dec. 1954

Letters form Rewi Alley in Peking congratulating Joseph Needham on the book and discussing other matters. Alley comments 'Your book is the most exciting thing I have had on my desk ever' and 'the make up is wonderful and the front covers superb'. He makes further comments on specific areas of the book. Other matters raised include Wang Yang-Ming; discussions with Bernal about 'training for industry'; possibility of making up an 'English kids book on Chinese Peasant rebellions'; taking of photographs of hydraulic works and other subjects for Joseph Needham; visit by Cedric Dover.
Creator: Alley, Rewi.
6 sheets; Paper.

29 Sep. 1954–12 Jan. 1955

Correspondence with Wesley E. Needham of Connecticut, U.S.A. and Joseph Needham's reply. W. Needham's letter congratulates Joseph Needham on the volume; describes his interest in Tibetan culture; advises he has been awarded an honorary degree at Yale University. Joseph Needham's reply congratulates W. Needham on his degree; discusses the English degree system. The documents also include a cutting of a 'New Haven Evening Register' article entitled 'Honorary Degrees are Conferred at Yale', which reports on W. Needham's degree, 7 June 1954.
Creator: Needham, Wesley E.; Needham, Joseph.
4 sheets; Paper.

7 June 1954–30 Nov. 1954

'Table to illustrate the Transmission of Some Mechanical and other Techniques from China to the West' provided for Charles Singer, author of 'A History of Technology' and related correspondence with Singer and Rupert Hall. The table is 'amplified' from Table 8 (p.242) of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1'. The documents include a letter from Singer explaining how his project deals with 'Oriental influences on the West' and requesting information; Joseph Needham's reply enclosing the table and stressing the that 'it would be most dangerous to under-rate the role of the Steppe People'; letter from Rupert Hall of Christ's College, Cambridge describing 'a couple of difficulties about dates of invention' shown in the table and Joseph Needham's reply; draft of text prepared to accompany the table; Joseph Needham's letter commenting on the draft.
Creator: Singer, Charles; Needham, Joseph; Hall, Rupert.
16 sheets; Paper.

16 Sep. 1954–27 Nov. 1954

Letter from A. H. Gordon of the Committee of Science for Peace about Joseph Needham's willingness to 'lecture on the book to some society such as the Society for the History of Science'.
Creator: Gordon, A. H.
1 document; Paper.

12 Dec. 1954

Letter from Mary M. and Russell Maore congratulating Joseph Needham on the work and discussing other matters. Other matters discussed include a 'week of lectures and symposia conducted by George Sarton' of Harvard University.
Creator: Maore, Mary M.; Maore, Russell.
1 document; Paper.

16 Jan. 1955

Letters from Charles and Dorothea Singer congratulating Joseph Needham on the work, and copy of Joseph Needham's reply.
Creator: Singer, Charles; Singer, Dorothea; Needham, Joseph.
3 sheets; Paper.

19 Aug. 1954–2 Sep. 1954

Letter from Kenneth Robinson in Singapore congratulating Joseph Needham on the work and discussing other matters. Others matters discussed include teacher training in Singapore; proof reading for the accoustics section.
Creator: Robinson, Kenneth.
2 sheets; Paper.

17 Jan. 1954

Letter of congratulations from Erwin Chargraff of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, U.S.A.
Creator: Chargraff, Owen.
1 document; Paper.

28 Jan. 1955

Letter of congratulations from H. Bruce Collier of the Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Canada.
Creator: Collier, H. Bruce.
1 document; Paper.

1 Jan. 1955–1956

Letter of congratulations from E. Newton Harvey of Princetown University, U.S.A.
Creator: Harvey, E. Newton.
1 document; Paper.

12 Jan. 1955–1957

Letter of thanks from ??? [Ts'ao Jih-Ch'ang / Cao Richang] of Academia Sinica on the arrival of 100 copies of the volume.
Creator: Ts'ao Jih-Ch'ang.
1 document; Paper.

9 Nov. 1954–1958

Part of a letter from C. P. FitzGerald of the Department of Oriental Studies at the Australian National University, Canberra, expressing admiration for the work.
Creator: Fitzgerald, C. P.
1 document; Paper.

4 Feb. 1955–1959

Letters to Joseph Needham and Dorothy Needham from Sidney and Erica [?] praising the work.
3 sheets; Paper.

18 Feb. 1955–23 Feb. 1955

Letter of congratulations from Horace Seymour of Westbury, Wiltshire, former British Ambassador to China and Joseph Needham's reply.
Creator: Seymour, Horace; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

13 Feb. 1955–6 Mar. 1955

Letter of congratulations from A. Lipschutz of the Instituto de Medicina Experimental, Santiago, Chile, and copy of Joseph Needham's reply.
Creator: Lischutz, A.; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

31 Mar. 1955–26 Apr. 1955

Letter of congratulations from the [?] director of the Cercle Culturel de Royaumont, France.
1 document; Paper.

25 Apr. 1955

Letter of congratulations from Murray [?] at the Palace Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2 sheets; Paper.

12 July 1955

Correspondence with Arthur Upham Pope of The Asia Institute, Connecticut, U.S.A. Pope's letters praise Joseph Needham's work and discuss work by Lauriston Ward entitled including an article entitled 'Relative Chronology of China'. The documents also include a copy of a letter sent by Pope to Ward about the article; copy of a letter by Pope published in the 'New York Herald Tribune' entitled 'Far East Crisis', 1 May 1955; copy of Pope's reply to a 'review by Maenchen of Dr. Ackerman's work on the ritual bronzes', published in the 'The Art Bulletin', March 1947.
Creator: Pope, Arthur Upham.
7 sheets; Paper.

Mar. 1947–2 Sep. 1955

Letter from Derk Bodde praising the work and including a list of 'insignificant' comments, and copy of Joseph Needham's letter of response.
Creator: Bodde, Derk; Needham, Joseph.
6 sheets; Paper.

30 Sep. 1954–15 Oct. 1954

Letter from E. G. Pulleyblank, Professor of Chinese, Cambridge and accompanying detailed notes on the volume.
Creator: Pulleyblank, E. G.
5 sheets; Paper.

9 Feb. 1955

Documents arising from Laurence Picken's reading of the volume. The documents comprise a letter from Picken of Jesus College, Cambridge raising points on the volume; correspondence with Joseph Needham arrising from those points; Joseph Needham's typed response to the points.
Creator: Picken, Lawrence; Needham, Joseph.
16 sheets; Paper.

21 Sep. 1954–4 Oct. 1954

Letter from R. Page Arnot of 'Labour Monthly' magazine raising several points about the work. The letter also mentions the magazine's review of the book and the possibility of Joseph Needham writing a review of 'Thomson's Studies in Ancient Greek Society Vol II'.
1 document; Paper.

25 Aug. 1955

Letter of congratulations and thanks from Hans Hoespester[?] of the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, U.S.A. and Joseph Needham's reply. In his reply Joseph Needham says 'How I wish that we could have some good talk together again!' though 'officially one would hardly be welcome'.
Creator: Hoespester, Hans; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

29 Mar. 1956–22 Apr. 1956

Correspondence with L. H. McConnel, Neurosurgeon of Saskatchewan, Canada about permission to use quotes from 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1'. McConnel wished to use quotes in his 'historical novel about Avicenna, the great Arabian physician'.
Creator: McConnel, L. H.; Needham, Joseph.
2 sheets; Paper.

5 July 1956–20 July 1956

Correspondence with Dr . W. Eichhorn of London about his review of the volume and suggestions of works which might have been included in the bibliography. The letters also mention new revelations on the history of clock making in China.
Creator: Eichhorn, W.; Needham, Joseph.
2 sheets; Paper.

3 Feb. 1956–23 Feb. 1956

Letter of admiration from M. J. Youhotsky of Kogarah, Australia.
Creator: Youhotsky, M. J.
1 document; Paper.

20 July 1956

Correspondence relating to a review by Dr. Ashwin Lippe of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, U.S.A. The review appeared in the 'American Journal of Archaeology'. The first letter is from L. Carrington Goodrich of Columbia University, New York City, U.S.A. and discusses Lippe's references to irrigation. The second letter is a copy of a Joseph Needham letter to Lippe thanking him for the review and asking for a copy.
Creator: Goodrich, L. Carrington; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

6 Dec. 1956–10 Jan. 1957

Correspondence with L. Carrington Goodrich of Columbia University, New York City, U.S.A. about his reviews and comments on the volume.
Creator: Goodrich, L. Carrington; Needham, Joseph.
6 sheets; Paper.

3 Jan. 1955–18 Mar. 1955

Correspondence with Prof. Wolfram Eberhard of Berkeley, California, U.S.A. about his review of the volume and points raised. The documents also include Joseph Needham's notes on the review.
Creator: Eberhard, Wolfram; Needham, Joseph.
6 sheets; Paper.

8 Feb. 1957–26 Apr. 1957

Letter from Howard L. Parsons of The University of Tennessee, U.S.A. about the volume and his work on 'The Uses of Reason in Religion'. The documents also include copy of a letter sent by Parsons to the editor of the 'Knoxville News-Sentinel' about 'the danger of radiation from atomic explosions'.
Creator: Parsons, Howard L.
2 documents; Paper.

31 May 1957–4 June 1957

Correspondence with M. H. Black of Cambridge University Press about a request to use the illustration of the Great Wall of China in another publication.
Creator: Black, M. H.
2 documents; Paper.

29 Jan. 1958–4 Feb. 1958

Letter from D. Vaughan [?] pointing out an incorrect reference.
Creator: Vaughan, D.
1 document; Paper.

20 Oct. 1957

Letter from Timoteus Pokora of the Oriental Institute of the Czechoslovac Academy of Sciences praising the work and listing 'some small inaccuracies'.
Creator: Pokora, Timoteus.
3 sheets; Paper.

18 Feb. 1958

Correspondence with Peter Burbidge of Cambridge University Press about a reprint of the volume.
Creator: Burbidge, Peter; Needham, Joseph.
2 documents; Paper.

2 Mar. 1965–5 Mar. 1965

Letters from Glynis Laws of Cambridge University Press about permissions relating to the volume.
Creator: Laws, Glynis.
3 documents; Paper.

10 July 1969–21 May 1971

Letter from Penelope Miller of George Rainbird Limited, London requesting permission to use the photograph of the Shang oracle bone (plate III) from the volume.
Creator: Miller, Penelope.
1 document; Paper.

2 Apr. 1973

Correspondence with Gillian Osband of Transworld Publishers Limited about permission to reproduce the photograph of the watch-tower from the volume.
Creator: Osband, Gillian.
3 sheets; Paper.

11 Apr. 1973–26 Apr. 1973

Copy of a communication by Charles Eames entitled 'Language of Vision: The Nuts and Bolts' published by The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. There is a quote from 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 1' on page 19.
6 sheets; Paper.

1974

Letter from Donald [?] of Canberra, Australia about his use of the 'inter-cultural relations' section and other matters. Other matters discussed include contact with Derk Brodde and Donald's forthcoming book on 'China Jews and the Jesuits'.
2 sheets; Paper.

5 Jan. 1977