|
Primary sources for historical research: history of science and technology
This guide lists important collections of primary sources on the history of science, technology and medicine held by the Princeton University Library. It covers microform, print and digital collections. Microforms listed in this guide are housed in Firestone Library Microforms Service on C floor. Printed guides to these collections are usually also housed in Microforms Service and have call numbers beginning "FilmB." A few collections held by Princeton Theological Seminary or by the Center for Research Libraries are also listed in this guide. Please consult a librarian for help if you would like to use these collections. For further information, please see Guides to primary sources for historical research: introduction.
Table of Contents
Note: in addition to the microform and digital collections listed in this guide, a significant amount of scientific and medical material may be found in the digital library collections listed at Digital history: full text primary sources for historians.
| Landmarks of Science |
| Microfilm S01063; Microfiche 930; and
Micro-print I and II |
| This very large microform set reproduces many of the key works of science from the
late 15th century through the early 20th. Landmarks I contains monographs,
and Landmarks II contains both monographs and scientific journals. Though the microprint format
is mildly inconvenient to use, this is a key source. All individual titles are listed in the Main Catalog. For a complete list of
the titles in the set, do a keyword search in the Main Catalog for "landmarks of science." |
For access to recent issues of scientific and medical journals, please see the lists for Biological and Life Sciences, etc. in the Articles & Databases index.
The process of digitizing older scientific journals is ongoing, and many older journals are available only in print or microform. If you have a particular title in mind, search the Main Catalog to find back issues in all formats, print, microform and digital. Or use a index to scientific/medical journals to identify articles on your topic.
| Nineteenth Century Masterfile |
| This is an online version of several general, scientific, religious, psychological, and legal indexes covering the nineteenth century, including Poole's. |
| Medline/Pubmed/Index Medicus/IndexCat |
IndexCat is a digital edition of the Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office (61 volumes in 5 series, 1880-1961). Princeton also has the printed edition in Firestone 04956.922.
Index Medicus is the printed index that precedes Medline:
Index Medicus. 1879-1927. RECAP 04956.49
Quarterly cumulative index medicus. 1927-1956. Biology Library (SZ): Reference 04956.742
Current list of medical literature. 1941-1959. Annex A 04956.279
Medline and Pubmed are two different interfaces to the same index. Pubmed is free and available to the general public; Medline is a fee-based service. The index covers 1950 to the present comprehensively, with some citations to older material. |
| Web of Science |
| The major index to scientific journals worldwide. Covers 1900-present (our subscription includes the "Century of Science" backfile. ) |
Major English-language scientific and medical journals at Princeton
- Science [1883-present]
- Nature [1869-present]
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [1666-present]
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [ 1915-present]
- Lancet [1823-present]
Full text online, plus print: Vols 1-344 are in Annex B and more recent issues are in multiple locations.
- British Medical Journal [1857-present]
Princeton has 1937-1980 in Annex B, plus recent issues in multiple locations.
- Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) [1883-present]
Princeton has: 1900-1979 in Firestone, Call Number: 8950.124.2
- New English Journal of Medicine (NEJM) [1828-present]
Princeton has 1828-1851 on microfilm; 1950-1989 in Annex B; current issues in multiple locations.
- Scientific American [1846-present]
Princeton has access to 1845-1859 online and/or in microform, 1859-1906 in Annex B, 1907-present in Firestone stacks; current issues in multiple locations.
Some useful reference books
- British periodicals of medicine: a chronological list, 1640-1899. W.R. LeFanu [edited by Jean Loudon]. Rev. ed. Oxford: Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, c1984.
History of Science Grad Study Room Oversize Z6660 .L43 1984q
- A historical catalogue of scientific periodicals, 1665-1900: with a survey of their development. Robert Mortimer Gascoigne. New York: Garland Pub., 1985
History of Science Grad Study Room Z7403 .G3 1985
- Catalogue of scientific serials of all countries including the transactions of learned societies in the natural physical and mathematical sciences, 1633-1876. Samuel H. Scudder. New York: Kraus Reprint Corp., 1965
History of Science Grad Study Room 0494.847
Note: Published works by scientists, and printed editions of correspondence, are most easily found by searching the Main Catalog for the scientist as an author. This list focuses on unpublished papers and archival material.
To locate the archives of 20th-century British scientists, consult the online guide of the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists or the Access to Archives online catalog. The NCUACS catalogs supercede the microfiche edition of Catalogues of archives of scientists (Microfiche 928) listed below.
| Archives of British men of science [microform]: a survey of private and institutional holdings of British scientific archives |
| Microfiche 167 |
59 microfiches |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
Z7405.P7xM3 |
| Catalog of archives of 19th-century British scientists. |
| Catalogues of archives of scientists |
| Microfiche 928 |
|
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z6611.S4C37 |
| Catalogues of the Contemporary Scientific Archives Centre, which collected information about the archives of 20th-century British scientists. |
| Charles Edwin Bessey papers [microform] |
| Microfilm 05452 |
37 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
Z6611.B7G84 |
| This collection comprises the papers of
Charles Edwin Bessey, botanist, 1865-1915, which are held at the
University of Nebraska Archives. See http://www.anb.org/articles/13/13-00132.html |
| Professional correspondence of Franz Boas [microform] |
| Microfilm 05495 |
44 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms GN21.B56G84 |
| Consists of
the letters of Franz Boas, American anthropologist. Includes over 50,000 items, dating from 1881 through 1942. See http://www.anb.org/articles/14/14-00059.html |
| Letters and papers of Robert Boyle: from the Archives of the Royal Society |
| Microfilm 07182 |
16 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms QD22.B76 A3 |
| Robert Boyle, 17th-century natural philosopher, was a founder of the Royal Society. See http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3137. Consists of letters (to and from Boyle), manuscripts and notebooks. |
| Thomas A. Edison papers [microform]: a selective microfilm edition |
| Microfilm 09675 |
227 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms Z6616.E3G84 |
| Papers of Thomas Edison, inventor and entrepreneur. See http://www.anb.org/articles/13/13-00470.html. |
| Renaissance man [microform]: the reconstructed libraries of European scholars, 1450-1700. Series one, The books and manuscripts of John Dee, 1527-1608 |
| Microfilm 08218 |
112 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z997.D298 B66 |
On John Dee, Renaissance astrologer and antiquary, see http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7418. The collection reconstructs his library, which included books and manuscripts on many topics, but is especially rich in material on science and magic. See the online guide at
http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/. |
| Hartlib papers [electronic resource] |
| Computer File 398 (kept in Firestone Microforms) |
|
Printed guide: none |
| Papers and correspondence of Samuel Hartlib, a 17th-century scholar with very broad interests. See http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12500 |
| [Letters and papers] [Microform] [Joseph Henry] |
| 8204.453 |
7 reels |
Printed guide: none |
| Originals in the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University, Columbia University Library, Yale University Library, and the American Philosophical Society. Henry was a physicist and the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. See http://www.anb.org/articles/13/13-00739.html and also the published
Papers of Joseph Henry [Q143.H6 xA2] |
| Letters and papers of Sir John Herschel [microform]: from the archives of the Royal Society |
| Microfilm 08163 |
28 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
QB36 .H477 |
| Herschel (1792–1871) was a mathematician and astronomer. See http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13101. |
| Natural knowledge in social context [microform]: the journals of Thomas Archer Hirst FRS |
| Microfiche 858 |
80 microfiches |
Printed guide: none
Index: fiches 3-4 |
| Hirst was a 19th-century mathematician. See http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13364 |
| John Muir papers, 1858-1957 [microform] |
| Microfilm 01783 |
51 reels plus 53 fiches |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
Z6616.M84G84 |
| Consists of the papers of John Muir, the noted American naturalist and founder of the environmental movement. See http://www.anb.org/articles/20/20-00697.html |
| Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642-1727. Sir Isaac Newton : manuscripts and papers |
| Available through interlibrary loan from the Center for Research Libraries. See Borrowing Microforms from the Center for Research Libraries for more information. |
| This set includes the complete collections from Cambridge University Library, King's College Library, Cambridge and the Jewish National and University Library with other important holdings from Great Britain, Europe and the United States. A printed guide is also available from CRL. |
| Material published by Dr. Wilhelm Reich [microform] |
| Microfilm 05463 |
7 reels |
Printed guide: none |
| Microfilm of materials loaned by Eva Reich to R.J. Wolf of the Harvard University Medical School for reproduction; consists chiefly of Reich's publications, plus other materials relating to him. |
| Correspondence, 17th-18th cent . [Sloane, Hans, Sir, 1660-1753] |
| 0412.864 |
16 reels |
Printed guide: none |
| British Museum manuscripts, 4036-69; "Original correspondence, chronologically arranged." Cf. Edward J. L. Scott, Index to the Sloane manuscripts, London, 1904, p. 498. On Sloane, a physician and collector of books and manuscripts, see http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25730. |
Royal Society (Great Britain)
The Royal Society is the oldest scientific association still in existence, and its records are a valuable source for the history of science in the 17th and 18th centuries.
| Early letters and classified papers, 1660-1740 [microform] |
| Microfilm 06951 |
23 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Q41.L85 R692 1992 |
| Consists of letters sent to the Society by British and foreign correspondents, who reported news, discoveries and experiments. The classified papers are more substantive reports submitted to the Society, only some of which were published in the Society's journal, Philosophical Transactions. |
| Journal books of scientific meetings, 1660-1680 [microform] |
| Microfilm 05668 |
18 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms Q41.L85R69 |
| The Journal books record the business of the Society's regular meetings, at which papers were read and discussed. |
| Council minutes, 1660-1800 [microform] |
| Microfilm 08164 |
3 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms Q41.L85R69 |
| The Council minutes record the administrative business of the Society . |
| Miscellaneous manuscripts [microform] |
| Microfilm 08165 |
10 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms Q41.L85R69 |
| As the title suggests, this consists of an assortment of letters and papers that document contributions to the history of science. |
Other scientific organizations
| Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Minutes and correspondence, 1812-192 |
| Available through interlibrary loan from the Center for Research Libraries. See Borrowing Microforms from the Center for Research Libraries for more information. |
| Papers of the Academy from its founding date through 1924. Includes minutes (1812–1925), correspondence received (1812–1924), correspondence sent (1814–76), summaries of archival collections, memberships (1812–1924), nominations for membership (1812–1924), and donations (1812–1924). |
| Annals of the Royal College of Physicians, 1518-1915 [microform] |
| Microfiche 1510 |
417 microfiches |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
R35.R69 A66 |
| The RCP is the oldest medical society in England. The Annals are the official record of the proceedings of the College and directly document the College as an institution; indirectly, they document many aspects of medical practice from the time of the founding to the present. |
| Astronomers Royal Records, 1675-1764 |
| Available through interlibrary loan from the Center for Research Libraries. See Borrowing Microforms from the Center for Research Libraries for more information. |
These records are in the Public Record Office of
Great Britain, the Royal Greenwich Observatory (Great Britain. PRO.RGO/1-135.) The microfilm set contains the papers of the first three Astronomers Royal: John Flamsteed, 1675-1719; Edmond Halley, 1720-1742; James Bradley, 1742-1762. Also included are a small number of the papers of Nathaniel Bliss, 1762-1764. The records are observation and computation books, star catalogs, notes and private and official correspondence. |
| Franklin Institute and the making of industrial America [microform] |
| Microfiche 414 |
536 microfiche |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms T1.F83F72 |
| The Franklin Institute was formed in 1824 to promote the "mechanic arts" of the industrial revolution. This collection consists of selected material, chosen to illustrate the activities of the Institute, which included scientific experiments, investigations of new inventions, and educational programs including exhibitions. Most of the material dates from the 19th century. |
| Records of the Committee on Science and the Arts of The Franklin Institute, 1824-1900 |
| Microfilm 01800 |
28 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms T1.F84xM23 |
| Reports from the Franklin Institute committee that evaluated inventions. Covers a wide range of topics including electricity, the telegraph, agricultural and industrial equipment, and household appliances. |
| Lowell Observatory archives [microform] |
| Microfilm 04517 |
10 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
QB82.U5 xL2 |
| Consists of correspondence from 1894-1916. |
| Papers of the President's Science Advisory Committee, 1957-1961 [microform] |
| Microfilm 06174 |
3 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms Q127.U6 U492 |
| Records of the PSAC, which advised President Eisenhower about national security, the research agenda, and the space program. |
| Alphabetischer Katalog [microform]: Erscheinungszeitraum, 15. Jahrhundert-1976 |
| Microfiche 158 |
313 microfiches |
Printed guide: none |
| Bibliothek des Deutschen Museums München. |
| Early American medical imprints, 1668-1820 [microfilm] |
| Microfilm 10544 |
105 reels |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms
R128.7 .A452 1981 |
| Microfilm of works listed in Robert B. Austin's bibliography,
Early American medical imprints: a guide to works printed in the United States, 1668-1820 Firestone
Z6661.U5 A44. |
| Histoire des sciences, XVIIe-XIXe siècles [microform]: mathématiques, physique, chimie, minéralogie, géologie, sciences de la nature |
| Microfiche
1093 |
368 microfiches |
Printed guide:
Firestone Microforms Z7405.H6 H65 |
| Microform edition of works on science published in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Most material is in French. |
| Manhattan project [microform]: offical history and documents |
| Microfilm 04568 |
12 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
QC773.A1xG8. |
| A detailed history of the project, published by the National Archives in 1976 and based on materials in their collections. Also includes reports on the results of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. |
| [Rare and out-of-print books from the Vatican Library] |
| Microfilm 11644 |
1105 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
Z1033.M5 S26 |
| Incunabula and rare books from the Vatican Film Library,
Saint Louis University. Collections are arranged topically and include a substantial amount of material in history of science and medicine. It is necessary to use the mimeographed handlists to identify works of interest. |
| Revolution industrielle française, 1810-1870 [microform]: statistiques, enquêtes, expositions, documents |
| MICROFICHE 916 |
531 microfiches |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
Z7164.O7R48 |
| Microform collection of books on the economy, expositions, and government studies of industry in France in the 19th century. In French. |
| [Russian Academy of Sciences] |
| Available through interlibrary loan from the Center for Research Libraries. See Borrowing Microforms from the Center for Research Libraries for more information. |
| The Center for Research Libraries has an extensive collection of the publications of the Russian Academy of Sciences from its founding in 1723 to 1956; these include serials and monographs. The titles are cataloged individually in the CRL catalog. |
| Schlagwortkatalog [microform] |
| Microfiche 161 |
299 microfiches |
Printed guide: none |
| Bibliothek des Destschen Museums München.
Reproduction of catalog cards. |
| Sex & sexuality, 1640-1940 [microform]: literary, medical and sociological perspectives |
| Microfilm 11955 |
15 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
HQ21 .S47 1998 |
A collection of books and pamphlets on sex, gynecology and prostitution, from the Bodleian Library at Oxford and the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. See the online guide at
http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/. |
| Trade catalogues at Winterthur [microform] |
| Microfiche 809 |
ca. 3000 microfiches |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z7164.M18H43 1984 |
| Microform edition of 19th and early 20th century American trade catalogues from the collections of the Winterthur Museum. |
| Women and medicine [microform]: remedy books, 1533-1865 |
| Microfilm 11860 |
35 reels |
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms
RS131.28 .W66 2004 |
| Consists of about 260 manuscript recipe books compiled by women, from the collections of the Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine, London. The books contain cookery, medical, and miscellaneous household recipes. |
|
