Singer, Dorothea Waley, 1882-1964 (medical historian)
Dates
- Existence: 1882 - 1964
Biography
Dorothea Waley Singer (1882-1964), medical historian, was born on 17 December 1882. Dorothea collaborated with her husband on a series of papers dealing with the plague, but soon embarked on her own study of pre-Renaissance scientific manuscripts, publishing a study of over 100 plague tractates dating from about 1348 to 1485. In 1924 the Union Académique Internationale published the first volume of Dorothea's monumental catalogue of alchemical manuscripts, dealing with the Greek texts. She died at Kilmarth on 24 June 1964.
Found in 26 Collections and/or Records:
Correspondence with Dorothea Singer about the sorting of Charles Singer's papers following his death in June 1960, 1960-10-26 - 1961-01-16
This series contains files on each topic set out in Joseph Needham's grand plan for 'Science and Civilisation in China'.
Correspondence with Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall about the deaths of Shimon Bodenheimer and E. J. Holmyard and other matters, 1959-10-16 - 1959-11-05
Other matters discussed include Joseph Needham's election as Master of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and the publication of 'Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 3'.
Correspondence with Martin Johnson of The University, Birmingham, about his work on early instruments and related documents, 1948-09-03 - 1949-08-06
The related documents comprise a letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall, referring to Johnson's work; related Joseph Needham notes. The letters make particular reference to the instruments of the Maragha Observatory and those made by Kuo Shou-Ching at the end of the 13th century.
Dorothea Singer's list of comments on the 'Physics' section of 'Science and Civilisation in China', 1952-04
This series contains files on each topic set out in Joseph Needham's grand plan for 'Science and Civilisation in China'.
Dorothea Waley Singer: Correspondence to Charles Sayle, 1921-1922
Artificial collection of single item or small collection accessions. Mainly correspondence but includes other papers.
Greeting card/leaflet from Charles and Dorothea Singer of Kilmarth, Par, Cornwall, 1935
The Singers have created this leaflet as an alternative to a Christmas card. The outside has an illustration of a hydra. Inside the leaflet there is text describing the work of Abraham Trembley (1700-84) and his work on hydra. There are further illustrations showing Trembley and his pupils at work.
Greetings card from Charles and Dorothea Singer, reproducing an image from an Attic bowl of c.1540B.C. showing Dionysus in a boat with dolphins swimming around, 1950 - 1953
This series contains files on each topic set out in Joseph Needham's grand plan for 'Science and Civilisation in China'.
Letter from Charles Singer of Par, Cornwall about the meaning of 'natural law' and related documents, 1949-10-29
Singer's letter also discusses the work of the biologist and historian, F. S. Bodenheimer of Jerusalem; his scheme for a 'History of Technology'. The related documents comprise letter from Dorothea Singer also about the meaning of 'natural law'; related notes by Joseph Needham.
Letter from Dorothea [Dorothea Waley Singer], Par, Cornwall, 1951-04-08 - 1951
Matters discussed include an offprint of a Joseph Needham paper from 'Archivus'; copies of 'Stapleton's letters'.
Letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall about a project to catalogue scientific manuscripts in Istanbul libraries, 1949-12-20
This series contains files on each topic set out in Joseph Needham's grand plan for 'Science and Civilisation in China'.
Letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall about a work by Mario Bunge entitled 'Casuality; the casual place of the Principle in Modern Science', 1961-06-13
This series contains files on each topic set out in Joseph Needham's grand plan for 'Science and Civilisation in China'.
Letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall, about her attendance at the conference entitled 'The Structure of Scientific Change' to be held at Worcester College, Oxford, July 1961, and other matters, 1961-07-01
Other matters discussed include the work of New Zealander, J. M. Begg.
Letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall, about the 'Commission de Bibliographie' of the International Union for the History of Science, and related documents, 1959-08-27 - 1959-09-06
The related documents comprise a copy of a letter from Singer to the Council of the Union about the budget for the Commission; copy of Joseph Needham's reply.
Letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall about the high cost of membership of the Congress on the History of Science, 1959-01-09 - 1959-01-23
The documents also include a copy of related letter sent to the Vice President of the Congress; copy of Joseph Needham's letter of reply.
The letters also discuss Charles Singer's completion of 'History of Technology'; possibility of Joseph and Dorothy Needham making a trip to Cornwall.
Letter from Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall about the possibility of sending some of her late husband, Charles Singer's books to Prague, Czechoslovakia and copy of Joseph Needham's letter of reply, 1961-07-15 - 1961-11-09
The documents also include a copy of a letter from Otakar Matousek of Prague to Dorothea Singer requesting the books.
Letter from Dr. Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall, about the election of members of the International Academy for the History of Science, and copy of Joseph Needham's reply, 1956-08-10 - 1956-10-01
Joseph Needham presented a paper by 'Chinese Astronomical Clockwork', co-authored by Wang Ling and Derek Price. He was accompanied to the Congress by Dorothy Needham, Lu Gwei-Djen, Wang and Price.
Letter from Mrs Charles Singer [Dorothea Waley Singer] of Par, Cornwall, about a reference to early knowledge of circulation in China in a work by Benito Geronimo Feyjoo y Montenegro (1676-1764), 1943-02-02
This series contains files on each topic set out in Joseph Needham's grand plan for 'Science and Civilisation in China'.
Letter from Mrs Charles Singer [Dorothea Waley Singer] of Par, Cornwall to Dorothy Needham, about a worker at the Warburg Institute with a knowledge of Chinese alchemy, and other matters, 1944-07-13
Other matters discussed include Dorothy Needham in China; Charles Singer's work on the Vesalius and the history of the manufacture and uses of alum; flying bombs in London.
Letters from Charles and Dorothea Singer congratulating Joseph Needham on the work, and copy of Joseph Needham's reply, 1954-08-19 - 1954-09-02
These files of correspondence are particularly interesting as they provide an insight into people’s opinion of the volumes. Joseph Needham opened a file each time a volume was published.
Letters of thanks and congratulations from Charles and Dorothea Singer, 1956-07-13 - 1956-07-25
Joseph Needham's original file title reads 'Correspondence on and after pub. Vol. 2, including material for interleaved copy of 2'.
Manuscript list headed 'Important Sci. MSS in the Caius Library (DWS)', 1928 - 1935
The list appears to have been compiled by DWS [Dorothea Waley Singer] and Joseph Needham has highlighted several works and added comments.
Part of a letter from Dorothea Waley Singer of Par, Cornwall, about her explorations into the origins of Chinese alchemy and other matters, 1943-08-10
Other matters discussed include reactions to an article by Joseph Needham on 'Science and Agriculture in China and the West'.
Postcard from Charles and Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall, showing a recreation of an Egyptian painting from the tomb of Haremhab at Thebes, (1420-1411 B.C.), showing Phatmose, chief of the fowlers, with domesticated pelicans, 1945 - 1955
The postcard was sent 'With the compliments of the Season', and discusses the Singers' travel plans.
Seasonal greeting card from Charles and Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall, reproducing the 'First Picture of a Museum', ', 1946
The picture is from 'Dell' historia naturale di Ferrante Imperato Napolitano Libri XXVIII', printed at Naples in 1599. The documents also include brief notes on the picture.
Typescript of an obituary prepared by Joseph Needham for Dorothea Singer of Par, Cornwall and related documents, 1964-06-30
The related documents include a letter from E. Ashworth Underwood accompanying biographical details sent to help Joseph Needham write the obituary; letter from Julie S. Braham accompanying a cutting of the obituary as published in 'The Times'; copy of a Joseph Needham letter to the editor of 'The Times' expressing disappointment that the obituary was not published in full.
Additional filters:
- ARCHON code (for CUL materials)
- Archives and MSS Dept. (GBR/0012) 1
- University Archives (GBR/0265) 1