Needham Research Institute

In the late 1930s, Dr. Joseph Needham (1900-1995) embarked on a long-term project to investigate the scientific and technical contribution of the Chinese people to human culture. This was the Science and Civilisation in China project, which to date has resulted in twenty-three substantial published works written by Needham and his collaborators.

The Needham Research Institute is home to the extensive and valuable body of documents created and collected by Needham and his colleagues in the course of this work. This includes correspondence, notes and other material on the full range of topics covered by the volumes of Science and Civilisation in China.
Note: These papers are not yet available for consultation. An on-going cataloguing project is scheduled for completion in July 2007.

Joseph Needham's personal papers are held at Cambridge University Library. A catalogue of these papers compiled by the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists can be accessed at http://www.a2a.org.uk/. Further enquiries should be directed to Dr. Patrick Zutshi, Manuscripts, University Library, West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DR, UK.

Joseph Needham's correspondence and other papers relating to chemical and biological warfare are held at the Imperial War Museum in London. A catalogue of these papers is also available at http://www.a2a.org.uk/. Further enquiries should be directed to The Department of Documents, Imperial War Museum, London.