Roy Porter

The following is an interim description which may change when detailed cataloguing takes place in future:

Full bibliogrpahy of Porter's works; personal and biographical information such as obituaries and material relating to his school and undergraduate careers; copies of publications including journal articles, monographs, book chapters, introductions, forewards and reviews; broadcast scripts.

c.1950s-2002

Uncatalogued: 4 transfer boxes, 6 archive boxes, 1 oversize archive box, 58 digital files and 3 VHS tapes

These papers were assembled by Carole Reeves of the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College, and given to the library at Wellcome Collection in 2002.

Roy Porter was educated at Wilson's Grammar School, Camberwell and at the University of Cambridge, graduating in history in 1968. After a Fellowship at Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1972 he moved to Churchill College, Cambridge, as Director of Studies in History and became Dean of the College in 1977. In 1979 he moved to the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine in London, becoming Professor of the Social History of Medicine in 1993, retiring in 2001.

Porter was perhaps the best known and most prolific historian of medicine of his generation, writing or editing over a hundred books. His work ranged across social, medical and psychiatric history. He also lectured and spoke widely and made many television and radio appearances, such as presenting BBC Radio 3's Nightwaves programme.

For more biographical information, see:

W F Bynum, "Roy Porter", Guardian, March 5, 2002

Julia Sheppard, "Roy Porter 1946-2002", Medical History, 3 (2002)

Hugh Freeman, "Roy Porter, Formerly Medical and Social Historian", Psychiatric Bulletin, 26 (2002): 398-399

This collection is currently uncatalogued and cannot be ordered online. Requests to view uncatalogued material are considered on a case by case basis. Please contact collections@wellcomecollection.org for more details.