John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971) was born on 10 May 1901. He attended Cambridge University, 1919-1923, before working in the Davy Faraday Laboratory, London, 1923-1927. He was appointed Lecturer in Structural Crystallography at Cambridge in 1927, and Assistant Director of Research in Crystallography, Cambridge, 1934. He was made Professor of Physics at Birkbeck College, University of London, in January 1938.

During the War Bernal worked in the Ministry of Security, as a member of the Civil Defence Research Committee, 1939; at Bomber Command, 1941; and in Combined Operations, April 1942. He returned to Birkbeck in 1945, and carried out research at the Davy Faraday Laboratory, before working at the Biomolecular Research Laboratory, Torrington Square, opened in 1948. He was made Professor of Crystallography at Birkbeck College in September 1963. Bernal retired from Birkbeck in 1968, and died on 15 September 1971.

Bernal was a prolific writer and the largest sections of the archive, Series A-B, cover his publications, both scientific and non-scientific, including books, contributions to books, periodicals, unpublished writings, and broadcasts.

Series C records Bernal's work at Birkbeck College. It includes correspondence, photographs, visitor's books, lectures, and annual reports, etc.

Series D, 'War', covers his work for the Ministry of Home Security. It includes a set of eight diaries, correspondence, photographs, maps, reports, operational handbooks, and notes, etc.

Series E, 'Peace', records Bernal's work for the World Peace Council, including: his correspondence and papers dealing with various countries; congresses and meetings; World Peace Council; conferences; press; and other papers.

Series F, 'Science Policy', comprises correspondence and papers dealing with Bernal's document on the Finance of Fundamental Research in Britain which was circulated privately, and his work in helping to formulate the Labour Party’s policy on science.

Series G, 'Special Activities', covers his work on university education in Ghana, Meteorite Research, and the Crystal Data Centre.

Series H and I, 'Scientific Organisations' and 'Non-scientific Organisations', consist of papers of organisations to which Bernal belonged or to which he was closely associated.

Series J is a large series of Bernal's correspondence with individuals and with organisations to which Bernal did not belong, while series K covers his correspondence with publishers.

Series L comprises correspondence concerning the organisation of meetings and visits attended by Bernal.

Series M and N, 'Notes and Ideas' (scientific and non-scientific), comprise notes found at Birkbeck and among other papers, arranged alphabetically by topic where possible.

Series O, 'Personal', contains biographical material including family letters, last illness, greetings, certificates, and diaries.

Series P consists of material collected after Bernal's death on 15 September 1971, including correspondence, obituaries, and the papers of Anita Rimel, Bernal's Personal Assistant.

Series Q, 'Miscellaneous', includes: scrolls (membership scrolls and doctorate); an analysis of a Picasso drawing; the 1948 plans of Riley House; a large album of press cuttings; and Bernal's Stalin Peace Prize, 1953.

Series R, 'Previously restricted material', was opened to researchers in 2021. This series is not yet catalogued.

Note: An additional six boxes of uncatalogued material, now at Series S, is also available on request.