Identity
UGC 198/4
Papers of Guido Pellegrino Arrigo Pontecorvo, alpine plant
research correspondence
c1950s-1996
0.15 metres
Glasgow University Archive Services
Pontecorvo, Guido Pellegrino Arrigo (1907-1999 : geneticist
and Professor of Genetics : University of Glasgow, Scotland
English
Administrative history
Guido Pellegrino Arrigo Pontecorvo(1907-1999), who liked to be known by
his nickname, Ponte, was an Italian geneticist who became the University of
Glasgow's first Professor of Genetics in 1955, and has been described as "one
of the founding fathers of modern genetics". He endowed prizes and scholarships
for students at the University and the Genetics Building was named for him in
1995. Born and educated in Pisa, Pontecorvo was forced to leave Italy in 1938
and settled in Scotland. He was appointed a lecturer in Genetics at the
University's Zoology Department in 1945, and a new department was set up in the
Anatomy laboratories of the Anderson College building soon afterwards. He
became a Reader in 1952, three years before his appointment to the new Chair.
He left Glasgow in 1968 to take a post at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's
laboratories in London. Pontecorvo was one of the leading figures of his day in
the study of of cell genetics. For a more detailed biography see the
full Pontecorvo collection description.
Aside from genetics Pontecorvo's life long passion was alpine plant
photography and ecology. He set aside each summer for pursuits to some of the
world's most spectacular alpine regions, and his collection contains thousands
of slides of alpine flowers and their habitats which he was using to research a
book on plants at high altitudes (sadly this was never finished). He visited
various mountains and national parks in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s, in the
1970s he travelled to Iran to study the flora of the Fars region and Mt Elburz.
He explored the Himalayas in India and the Tien Shan and Kunlun mountains in
China in the 1980s. These trips were organized with the help of The Royal
Society or at the invitation of local academies and were often combined with
lecture tours and courses. Ponte often made excursions to mountains a
precondition for accepting invitations.
Scope and Content
Includes:
- Correspondence relating to Pontecorvo's alpine research,
c1950s-1990s;
- Draft manuscript and correspondence between Pontecorvo and the
Oxford University Press about research for his book on alpine plants,
c1970s-1990s;
- Notes and photographs relating to Pontecorvo's research on snow
cover in the Swiss Alps, c1970-1996.
This description is part of the main
Guido Pontecorvo collection which has been
divided into the following sections, each with its own separate description:
-
UGC 198/1, biographical material;
-
UGC 198/2, career and appointments;
-
UGC 198/3, genetics research
correspondence;
-
UGC 198/4, alpine research
correspondence;
-
UGC 198/5, material relating to research trips
abroad;
-
UGC 198/6, research slides;
-
UGC 198/7, publications;
-
UGC 198/8, lectures and broadcasts;
-
UGC 198/9, personal and family material;
-
UGC 198/10, personal photographs and
slides;
System of Arrangement
Arranged chronologically within record series.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248
procedures. Duplicates were removed.
Conditions governing access
Open
Copyright / Conditions governing reproduction
Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the
Archivist.
Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition
of documents
Related material
GB 248 UGC 198/6 contains boxes of slides of alpine plants and flowers
and their habitats, taken by Pontecorvo over a number of years in vatious
locations around the world.
GB 248 UGC 198/7 contains some of Pontecorvo's publications on apline
plants and habitats
GB 248 UGC 198/8 contains Pontecorvo's notes on lectures about alpine
plants and habitats.
Notes
Rules and Conventions
Description compiled in line with the following international
standards:
International Council on Archives,
ISAD(G) Second Edition, September 1999 and
National Council on Archives,
Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate
names
Note
Scotland is the location of all place names in the
administrative/biographical history element, unless otherwise stated.
Dates(s) of Descriptions
Collection catalogued by Gemma Tougher, Assistant Archivist
(Cataloguing) from February 2011 to August 2011. Converted to Encoded Archival
Description by Gemma Tougher, Assistant Archivist (Cataloguing) February 2012
and Michelle Kaye, Archive Assistant, February 2012.
University of Glasgow 1451-
Pontecorvo, Guido
Pellegrino Arrigo, 1907-1999
geneticist and Professor of Genetics, University of
Glasgow
Glasgow (Scotland)
mountains,
plant ecology,
research,
snow,
wild flowers,
wild plants,
SERIES DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1
Miscellaneous alpine research correspondence
c1950s-1990s
2 files, 3 items Glasgow University Archive Services
Arrangement
Chronological.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1/1
Letter
to Pontecorvo from Gerard Parker of the Alpine Garden Society regarding
Pontecorvo's list of possible excursions in the Val d'Anniviers
28 Feb
1967
1 letter (2 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1/2
Letter
to Pontecorvo (written in French) from Maureen [Fourauger]
22 Aug
1973
1 letter (2 pages)
French,
Glasgow University Archive Services
Scope and content
Includes photocopy of extract from Alfred Becherer's
Führer durch die Flora der
Schweiz.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1/3
Copy of
a letter to Dr Uppeandra Dhar concerning Pontecorvo's comments on a paper of
Dhar's on the life forms of Kashmir
2 Jan
1980
1 letter (2 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1/4
Letter
to Pontecorvo from Mr A A Rav enclosing two prints and thanking him for his
visit
19 Feb
1980
1 letter (2 pages), 2 photographs and 1
slide Glasgow University Archive Services
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1/5
Letter
to Pontecorvo from Mr A A Rav about his interest in high altitude flora in the
Western Himalayas and part of Soviet Uzbekhistan and his suggestion that
Pontecorvo should speak to students at his University
5 Feb
1983
1 letter (2 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
Scope and content
Written while Pontecorvo was in India to give the Ghandi Memorial
Lecture at the Raman Research Unit in Bangalore.
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/1/6
Bundle
of correspondence between Pontecorvo and Dr Beata Obomy and Professor John
Harper concerning vegetation in Mongolia, in preparation for Pontecorvo's trip
there
Dec
1990-Apr 1991
4 letters (8 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
The visited was postponed due to lack of communication and the
Royal Society's failure to find him research contact in Mongolia. The
rescheduled trip for 1992 ended up being cancelled as Pontecorvo developed
peneumonia.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2
Draft
manuscripts and and correspondence relating to Pontecorvo's book on "plants at
high altitudes"
c1970s-1990s
3 files, 4 items Glasgow University Archive Services
Arrangement
Chronological.
SUBSERIES DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/1
Draft
manuscripts
c1980s-1990s
4 items Glasgow University Archive Services
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/1/1
Working copy of manuscript titled
Part 1: High Altitude
Environments, with tables and figures
c1980s-1990s
1 manuscript (54 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
Scope and content
Discusses 1.1, "Convergent Evolution" and 1.2, "Radiation
Regimes".
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/1/2
Draft
section of manuscript p23-30 (with corrections) on the atmosphere, water
vapour, absorption and scattering
c1980s-1990s
1 draft manuscript (8 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
Scope and content
Earlier draft of working copy.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/1/3
Manuscript draft (with corrections) of p31-32 on
airmass
c1980s-1990s
1 draft manuscript (2 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
ITEM DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/1/4
Manuscript draft (with many corrections) of section 1.3 titled
The Role of Atmosphere
c1980s-1990s
1 draft manuscript (5 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
SUBSERIES DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/2
Correspondence relating to Pontecorvo's book on plants at high
altitudes
c1970s-1990s
3 files Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/2/1
File
of correspondence between Pontecorvo and Oxford University Press relating to
Pontecorvo's book on plants at high altitudes
Apr 1978-Aug
1992
41 letters (51 pages)
Oxford University Press,
Glasgow University Archive Services
Scope and content
Contains correspondence about plans for the book, agreements and
specific queries about colour slides, maps and progess updates.
Oxford University
Press, 1586-,
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/2/2
File
of correspondence between Pontecorvo and various academics concerning research
for his book on alpine plants and requests for copyright for figures and images
to use in the book
1978-1985
59 letters (77 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/2/2/3
File
of correspondence with Hunt and Broadhurst concerning Pontecorvo's plan for a
publication with 30 plus slides titled,
Plant Life on the High Mountains of the
Americas,
Mar 1977-Apr
1978
2 letters (19 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
With accompanying "teaching notes".
SERIES DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3
Snow
cover research notes and photographs
c1970-1996
12 files Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/1
File of
correspondence, data and notes relating to Pontecorvo's research into late snow
patches
Dec
1981-Nov 1982
13 letters with accompanying notes and reports (48
pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/2
Snow
patch paper for the Anderson Lecture at the Alpine Garden Society Annual
General Meeting in 1988 with related correspondence, notes and
drafts
c1980-1987
47 pages Glasgow University Archive Services
SUBSERIES DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3
Photographs relating to Pontecorvo's research on snow
cover
c1970s-1996
10 files Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/1
Bundle of photographs of the Alps with height in metres noted in
ink, taken by Pontecorvo c1979
c1979
8 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/2
Bundle of photographs of snow patches on the Alps taken by
Pontecorvo 22 Jul 1980
22 Jul 1980
4 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/3
Bundle of photographs of snow patches on the the Swiss Alps taken
by Pontecorvo 24 Jul 1980
24 Jul 1980
8 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/4
Bundle of photographs of snow patches on the the Swiss Alps taken
by Pontecorvo 7 Aug 1980
7 Aug 1980
3 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/5
Bundle of photographs of snow patches on the the Swiss Alps taken
by Pontecorvo 7 Sep 1980 to 3 Oct 1980
7 Aug 1980-3
Oct 1980
2 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/6
Large
bundle of photographs relating to Pontecorvo's research into snow cover taken
at his Swiss chalet in Val d'Anniviers showing views of the Alps in
1980-1981
c1980-1981
7 photographs, 3 photocopies, 1 caption and 1
negative (12 pages) Glasgow University Archive Services
Including photographs taken by Pontecorvo and aerial shots sent
by the University of Dundee
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/7
Bundle of photographs of snow patches on the Swiss Alps taken by
Pontecorvo 27 Jul 1981 to 7 Sep 1981
27 Jul 1981-7
Sep 1981
10 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/8
Miscellaneous bundle of photographs of the Swiss Alps annotated
by Pontecorvo for research purposes
c1980s-1990s
21 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/9
Bundle of colour photographs of Swiss Alps taken by Pontecorvo in
Aug 1993
Aug 1993
3 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services
FILE DESCRIPTION
UGC 198/4/3/3/10
Bundle of colour photographs of Swiss Alps taken by Pontecorvo
and Keith Cohen Jul-Sep 1996
Jul 1996-Sep
1996
5 photographs Glasgow University Archive Services