Accession No
6759
Brief Description
three boxes of 2-inch square glass slides used by Professor Harry Godwin for lecturing on quaternary research, English, mid- to late 20th Century
Origin
England
Maker
Class
demonstration; earth science; natural history
Earliest Date
1948
Latest Date
1985
Inscription Date
Material
plastic; glass; paper
Dimensions
case length 142mm, width 59mm, height 57mm slide length 49mm, width 49mm, height 2mm
Special Collection
Cambridge Quaternary Research Collection
Provenance
Donated by the Scott Polar Research Institute on 14 November 2019.
Inscription
Description Notes
3 boxes of 2-inch glass slides used by Prof. Harry Godwin for lecturing on quaternary research.
The three plastic boxes could be separated and reassembled with mortise and tenon. A total of 95 glass slides present a wide range of subjects, including glacial strata, archaeological objects, carbon dating (C14, thoron), and pollen distribution in different areas. Most are black and white, with a few of colour (Kodak films). These glass slides were used by Sir Harry (1901-1985) when he lectured at the Cambridge Quaternary.
References
Events
Description
Professor Sir Harry Godwin (1901-1985) became the first director of the University Subdepartment of Quaternary Research, which he helped found. A distinguished plant ecologist, Sir Harry pioneered the study of pollen analysis and palaeobotany in Great Britain. During his directorship, in 1952 he applied for a grant from the Nuffield Foundation to set up a Radiocarbon Dating laboratory in Cambridge, which was a edge-leading technology and the technique later challenged the traditional argument about earth science.
The Quaternary Research is a semi-informal joint group of scholars and researchers from several departments, disciplines of which include botany, Geology (Earth Sciences), Geography, Archaeology, Zoology and Applied Biology (Agriculture). The reach has also extended to physics and the Scott Polar Research Institute. It has been within the University of Cambridge for more than one and a half century. The main scope of the Quaternary Research is to study the last 2.6 million years of geological time, and how history can help modern people understand the world and environment.
The legacy of Sir Harry's directorship includes the Godwin Laboratory, inaugurated in 1992, to continue the cause and purpose of the Quaternary Research.
04/10/2022
Created by: Guey-Mei Hsu on 04/10/2022
FM:47555
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