Spiller, John (1833-1921), chemist

Correspondence and papers of John Spiller, mainly relating to his chemical and photographic interests.

A: Letters from Sir William Crookes (1832-1919), his friend and contemporary at the Royal College of Chemistry. The letters, almost all dated 1850-1868, concern personal and family matters, cooperation with experiments, their common interests in photography (including 'Talbotypes' 1851 and the early development of photography) and chemistry (including disinfectants 1860, and the effect of carbolic acid on 'cells or germs' 1866); also includes Crookes' work as editor of Chemical News. Material dated 1850-1868 and 1897-1914.

B: Letters from various correspondents, including Sir Frederick Abel, J S Brazier, and Sir William Perkin, 1850-1915; The letters are arranged chronologically.

C: Miscellaneous papers, 1870-1892.

1850-1915

446 items

Mainly purchased from T H Court, 1927. Further items were acquired at Stevens' 19 Sept. 1930, lots 267-9, and 17 Oct. 1930, lot 251.

Educated at the Royal College of Chemistry, Spiller served as an assistant chemist at Woolwich Arsenal from 1856 to 1868, before joining the coal tar dye works of Brooke, Simpson and Spiller. He held, in turn, every office in the Royal Photographic Society.

Database description taken from that in: Richard Palmer, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine: Western Manuscripts 5120-6244 (London: The Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine, 1999).