AAD/1977/3
Helen Megaw, crystallographer : papers
1937 - 1977
V&A Archive of Art and Design.
Helen Megaw
59 files
English
Helen Megaw (1907 - 2012) read chemistry for her first degree and after completing a PhD obtained a post as a crystallographer at Girton College, Cambridge. In the 1940s she began to use crystal structure diagrams as a basis for decoration. In 1949 Mark Hartland Thomas, chief industrial officer of the Council of Industrial Design, liaised with Megaw about her design work. She was subsequently appointed scientific consultant to the Festival Pattern Group for the Festival of Britain, 1951.
The Festival Pattern Group worked on the Crystal Design Project which involved 28 manufacturers representing the cutlery, glass, paper, pottery and textile industries. They used patterns on their products derived from crystal structure diagrams which were supplied by Megaw and her scientific colleagues, including those from china clay, haemoglobin and insulin. Many of the motifs were used on furnishings and tableware in the Regatta Restaurant at the Festival of Britain in 1951.
Given by Helen Megaw, 1977
Designs, drawings and photographs of crystal structures (1937 - 1977); instrument catalogues (1945); correspondence, draft articles and press cuttings relating to crystal formations and design (1945 - 1962); Festival Pattern Group minutes (1949 - 1951); correspondence with scientists (1949 - 1953); publications produced by the Committee of the Festival of Britain (1951); correspondence relating to samples of crystal structure designs from the 1960 International Congress of Crystallography (1951 - 1960).
Sorted by document type.
Full list available at AAD and NAL.
Textiles & Dress Collection, holds a jacket and length of furnishing fabric given by Dr. Megaw.
See also AAD/1979/5 Festival of Britain publicity material and film; AAD/1980/3 Misha Black, industrial and exhibition designer and architect: archive; AAD/1988/18 Central Office of Information Photographs Division: the Festival of Britain collection; AAD/1994/10 Festival of Britain printed ephemera, photographs and publications; AAD/1994/9 George Backhouse, former Chief Executive Officer, Personnel and Organisation, Festival of Britain: papers.
Bibliography:
Helen Megaw 'The Investigation of Crystal Structure', Architectural Review, Vol. 109, No. 652, April 1951, pp. 236-239.
Mark Hartland Thomas 'Festival Pattern Group', Design, No. 29-30, May-June 1951, pp. 12-25.
Mary Banham & Bevis Hillier ed. 'A Tonic to the Nation: The Festival of Britain 1951', (London: Thames & Hudson, 1976).
This archive collection is available for consultation in the V&A Study Rooms by appointment only. Full details of access arrangements may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.
Access to some of the material may be restricted. These are noted in the catalogue where relevant.
Information on copying and commercial reproduction may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.
Crystallography
Ceramics--History--20th century
Textile design--Germany--History--20th century
Festival of Britain (1951)
Thomas,
Mark Hartland
Megaw,
Helen. (
1907 - 2002)
Design Council (Great Britain) (
1944 - )
Festival Pattern Group
International Congress of Crystallography
Megaw-1
Publications reporting, or produced by the Committee of the Festival of Britain
1951
7 files
AAD/1977/3/1
The souvenir book of crystal designs
1951
1 item
16pp. illus
AAD/1977/3/2
Cox, Ian.South Bank exhibition - a guide to the story it tells. HMSO
1951
1 item
ca.100pp. illus
AAD/1977/3/3
Festival of Britain - souvenir in pictures. News Chronicle
1951
1 item
ca.40pp. illus
AAD/1977/3/4
Architectural Review
1951
1 item
Contains: "The investigation of crystal structure" by Helen Megaw. pp.236-239. Vol. 109 No. 652. illus
AAD/1977/3/5
British Textiles. Festival of Britain and British Industries Fair number. 47th ed.
1951
1 item
Contains "Design - science reveals a new basis of textile design" (pp. 50-55).
159pp. illus
AAD/1977/3/6
Homes and GardensVol.32 No.11
1951
1 item
Contains: "Design finds new themes" (pp.34-35).
120pp. illus
AAD/1977/3/7
Design. No. 29-30
1951
1 item
Contains: "Festival Pattern Group" by Mark Hartland Thomas (pp. 12-25).
40pp. illus
Megaw-2
Correspondence and papers relating to crystal structures and design
1945-1962
32 files
Includes a draft article for the Design Research Unit, minutes of the Festival Pattern Group, and correspondence with designers and manufacturers.
AAD/1977/3/8 to 35
Correspondence with the Design Research Unit and the Council of Industrial Design relating to the crystallography project
1945-1949
1 folder (29 items)
AAD/1977/3/36
"Patterns in crystallogrpahy" draft article.
ca. 1946
1 folder
Typescript. 13ff
AAD/1977/3/37
"Patterns in crystallography" typescript notes and unfinished draft
ca. 1946
28ff
AAD/1977/3/38
Notes and draft for "Patterns in crystallography"
ca. 1946
1 folder
20ff
AAD/1977/3/39 to 54
Correspondence concerning crystallographic designs
1949
1 folder (16 items)
Papers relating to copyright are listed separately in AAD/1977/3/55 to 64.
AAD/1977/3/55 to 64
Copyright position with regard to the crystallographic designs: correspondence
Nov 1949 - Jan 1950
1 folder (10 items)
AAD/1977/3/65 to 107
Correspondence relating to crystallographic designs, much dealing with individual designs
Jan 1950 - Mar 1951
1 folder (43 items)
AAD/1977/3/108 to 120
Papers and correspondence with Mark Hartland Thomas
Sept 1950 - ca. Apr 1951
Correspondence mostly relates to revisions to his article for
Design, and to publicity.
See AAD/1977/3/7 for copy of this periodical.
AAD/1977/3/121
Two typed copies of Mark Hartland Thomas's article forDesign
1951
1 folder
AAD/1977/3/122 to 157
Agenda and minutes of meetings of the Festival Pattern Group of the Council of Industrial Design
Dec 1949 - Apr 1951
1 folder (37 items)
Includes some correspondence giving details and dates of forthcoming meetings.
AAD/1977/3/158 to 170
Press release with lists of manufacturers co-operating with the Festival Pattern Group
1951
1 folder (13 items)
Includes notes on individual manufacturers.
AAD/1977/3/171 to 240
Correspondence with the designers and manufacturers of crystallographic designs
1950-1951
1 folder (69 items)
Includes correspondence and papers relating to the selling and availability of the designs.
AAD/1977/3/241 to 245
Correspondence relating to the circulation of a free pamphlet
Aug 1951
1 folder (5 items)
AAD/1977/3/246 to 249
Correspondence relating to a propsed display at Liberty's
1951
1 folder (4 items)
AAD/1977/3/250
Letter from Ronald Dickens
29 Jan 1951
1 folder (1 item)
AAD/1977/3/251 to 252
Correspondence with the Cement Marketing Company Ltd
1951
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/253 to 254
Correspondence with Warerite Ltd
1951-1952
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/255 to 258
Papers and correspondence with the University of Birmingham
1962
1 folder (4 items)
AAD/1977/3/259 to 261
Correspondence with Alan-Bowen Ltd., industrial designers, Leamington Spa
1950-1951
1 folder (3 items)
AAD/1977/3/262
Letter from Ursula Block to Dr Megaw
24 July 1957
AAD/1977/3/263-270
Correspondence, papers and one illustration of the Cunard Steamship Co. Ltd.
1953-1954
1 folder (8 items)
AAD/1977/3/271 to 272
Correspondence with Dewsbury Textile Society
1951
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/273 to 276
Correspondence with the Incorporated Institute of British Decorators and Interior Designers
1959
1 foler (4 items)
Includes one photograph of wallpaper designs.
AAD/1977/3/277 to 285
Correspondence with London Typographical Designers Ltd.
1951-1956
1 folder (9 items)
AAD/1977/3/286 to 308
Papers and correspondence with Oxvar Ltd., London
1951-1955
1 folder (23 items)
AAD/1977/3/309-310
Letter and sketch from Arthur Shepherd, Tailor of Cambridge
July 1960
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/311 to 312
Correspondence with Tomkinsons Ltd, carpet manufacturers, Kidderminster
June 1951
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/313 to 324
Correspondence with Vanners and Fennell Brothers Ltd., Sudbury
1954
1 folder (12 items)
AAD/1977/3/325 to 327
Correspondence with Dr William Mall, Washington University
1962
1 folder (3 items)
AAD/1977/3/328 to 331
Correspondence with J. A. Dunkin Wedd, consultant designer
1955
1 file (4 items)
AAD/1977/3/332 to 348
Correspondence with Peter Wall and Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd.
1949-1952
1 folder (17 items)
AAD/1977/3/349 to 350
Correspondence with Henry Widnell and Stewart Ltd., carpet manufacturers, Midlothian
Mar 1960
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/694 to 704
Correspondence with scientists wishing to obtain samples of designs and requests for addresses
1951-1953
1 folder (11 items)
Information held in this file may not be published without permission.
AAD/1977/3/705 to 734
Correspondence with scientists regarding the use of crystallographic diagrams plotted by them in designs
1949-1951
1 folder (30 items)
Information in this file may not be published without permission.
Megaw-3
Papers and correspondence dealing with attempts to obtain samples of crystallographic designs frojm manufacturers for an International Congress of Crystallography held in Cambridge, 1960
1951-1960
1 file
AAD/1977/3/351 to 369
Papers relating to obtaining designs for an International Congress of Crystallography
1951-1960
1 folder (19 items)
Megaw-4
Catalogues of instruments for the study of crystal structures
ca. 1945
1 file
AAD/1977/3/370 to 374
Catalogues of the company of Seemann Laboratorium, Frieburg, manufacturers of scientific and optical equipment
ca. 1945
1 folder (5 items)
Megaw-5
Articles fromNature
1937-1943
4 files
AAD/1977/3/375
Wrinch, D.M. Dr. "The cyclol theory and the globular proteins".NatureVol 139, p.972, illus.
5 June 1937
1 folder
AAD/1977/3/376
Langmuir, Irving, Dr. and Wrinch, Dorothy, Dr. "Vector maps and crystal analysis".Nature, Vol. 142, No. 3595 pp.581-583, illus
24 Sept 1938
1 folder
AAD/1977/3/377
Piley, D.P. "A derived patterson analysis..."NatureVol. 143 pp.648-649, illus.
15 Apr 1939
1 folder
AAD/1977/3/378
Boyes-Watson, Joy and Perutz, M. F. "X-ray analysis of Haemoglobin".NatureVol.151 pp.714, illus.
26 June 1943
1 folder
Megaw-6
Designs, photographs and working drawings of crystal structures
ca. 1937-1977
10 files
AAD/1977/3/379 to 419
Photographs of illustrations of crystal structures
ca.1937- ca.1946
1 folder (41 items)
AAD/1977/3/420 to 471
Miscellaneous workigng drawimgs of crystallographic structures, some annotated
ca.1946- ca.1951, 1977
1 folder (52 items)
AAD/1977/3/472 to 516
Diagrams and notes relating to the construction of patterns as maps of three dimensional structures
ca. 1947- ca.1951
1 folder (46 items)
AAD/1977/3/517 to 576
Miscellaneous illustrations of crystal structures in envelope inscribed "Duplicates and photo prints to be sent in (possibily to Crystal Pattern Group)
ca. 1946- ca.1951
1 folder (61 items)
AAD/1977/3/577 to 584
Photographs of designs (some executed in lace, textiles and wallpaper) exhibited at the Festival of Britain, with one photograph of the Regatte Restaurent which was the centre-piece for the display of Festival Pattern Decorations.
1951
1 folder (8 items)
The photographs are annotated.
AAD/1977/3/585 to 586
Photograph of a tea service with an envelope giving full description
ca. 1977
1 folder (2 items)
AAD/1977/3/587 to 606
Designs sent to Oxvar Ltd with folder
1952-1954
1 folder (74 items)
See also AAD/1977/3/286 to 308.
AAD/1977/3/661 to 664
Working drawings for paper for [cover?] booklet, with a sample of the finished design. Prepare for the IUC conference held in Cambridge in 1960 and published by Heffer's
ca. 1959- ca.1960
1 folder (4 items)
AAD/1977/3/665
Seeman, H. "Das Weitwinkeldiagram mit Rontgemoder Elktronenstrahlen...".Pysikalische ZeitschriftVol 16, pp.365-380, illus.
1940
1 folder
Megaw-7
Papers relating to articles published on crystal structure and design
1951
2 files
AAD/1977/3/666 to 678
Draft of an article by Helen Megaw, "The investigation of crystal structure" published inArchitectural ReviewVol. 109 No. 652 April 1951; correspondence relating to its publication, and one page of the proof.
1951
1 folder (13 items)
AAD/1977/3/679 to 684
Correspondence with F. H. K. Henrion of Futura Publications Ltd. concerning the publication of some designs in the June 1951 issue of Futura
1951
1 folder (6 items)
Megaw-8
Press cuttings regarding crystal designs
1951-1952
1 file
AAD/1977/3/685 to 693
Presscuttings reporting the designs to be used in the Festival of Britain, and related subjects
1951-1952
1 folder (9 items)