The Kettlewell Archive

Henry Bernard Davis Kettlewell (1907-1979) bequeathed his correspondence and papers to Wolfson College.

Henry Bernard Davis Kettlewell was an outstanding lepidopterist and geneticist, best known for his work on industrial melanism in the Lepidoptera which illustrates evolution in action. He is also well known as an enthusiastic field worker and as a popularizer of science, and was co-founder of the Rothschild-Cockayne-Kettlewell Collection of Lepidoptera (now National Collection RCK) in the British Museum of Natural History. A Fellow of Wolfson College from its inception, he bequeathed his correspondence and papers to the College. This site was primarily set up to make available the list of Kettlewell's correspondence. It is also hoped that it will provide a focus for the study of his life and work.

Wolfson College is grateful to Audrey Z. Smith (former Hope Librarian, University Museum, Oxford) and Ruth M. Wickett (former secretary to Dr H.B.D. Kettlewell) for collating and listing the correspondence.

Up to January 1993 Kettlewell's research data and experimental notes have not been found. If anyone knows the whereabouts of these papers, please inform the Archivist, Wolfson College, Oxford.

In February 2000 the Kettlewell Archive was transferred to the Department of Special Collections & Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library. Ownership of the archive is retained by Wolfson College. Enquiries concerning access to the archive should be directed to:

Department of Special Collections & Western Manuscripts,
Bodleian Library,
Broad Street,
Oxford OX1 3BG
Phone: 01865 277158
Fax: 01865 277182
email:specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

specialcollections.bookings@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

For the Bodleian as a whole: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/subjects-and-libraries/collections

For the Weston (special collections library): https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/weston/using/guidance

The Kettlewell Archive website will continue to be maintained by Wolfson College and enquiries concerning the contents of the site should be sent to the Archivist.