Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Date:
- 1912-2011
- Reference:
- JDW/2/12
- Part of:
- James D. Watson Collection
- Archives and manuscripts
About this work
Description
The Memorabilia and Ephemera series consists of artifacts and ephemera gathered and saved by James D. Watson during his life and travels. This series includes postcards, pamphlets, awards, certificates, plaques, degrees, framed photographs, and other assorted artifacts. His personal items date back from his childhood. His early love of ornithology, the primary impetus for his academic zoological studies, is reflected in the bird-watching records he and his father, James D. Watson, Sr., meticulously kept. Also well documented are his world travels, including trips to Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Of historical note is Watson’s original RNA Tie Club tie. The tie was designed by George Gamow and first worn by Watson to dinner at the Athenaeum in late 1954.
The series is organized into 6 subseries, and arranged chronologically. The arrangement of the series is dictated by how Watson himself organized and labeled the items.
1. Family Memorabilia (1912-1957)
2. Bird Memorabilia (1913-1951)
3. Awards and Degrees (1944-2011)
4. Personal Memorabilia (1915-2010)
5. Paper Ephemera (1946-2010)
6. Travel Ephemera (1955-1967, 2000-2010)
The material in this series has not been digitized.