Galton, Sir Francis to Karl Pearson

Manuscript and typescript letters.

Folder 1 : 18 Nov 1893-23 Nov 1895

Concerning asymmetry in the curve of frequency; discussing "algebra of evolution"; discussing papers which Pearson had sent; concerning heredity and measure of fraternal regression; character of F Howard Collins and his problems of receiving collective data on families (Collins letter enclosed); concerning Pearson having access to Korosi's Table 1 in his unpublished paper.

Folder 2 : 5 Oct 1896-21 Dec 1896

Discussing papers which Pearson had sent on evidence of inherited fertility / physical characteristics and heredity; concerning height and weight measurements of men and women; possibility of "simplifying statistical nomenclature" by using words such as length, width and depth; relative influences of male and female parents; problems with the cause and correlation arguments; Galton's paper on "Selection as a cause of apparent correlation" enclosed - wants to know whether it is worth publishing - Galton noted: "I love to receive real criticism like yours and hate unreasoning acquiescence"; printed letters regarding aid from the Royal Society to establish a Biological Farm; concerning the law of spurious correlation with mathematical examples; one sheet of notes.

Folder 3 : 15 Feb 1897-4 Dec 1898

Concerns data from dogs and mentions Davenport's experiments on pigs (see GALTON/3/3/4/14); forecasting inheritance; the curve of trolley speeds; fraternal / general regression; invite to the Philosophical Club with card; discussing wording used in a paper and suggests "progenic selection" and "genetic selection"; page entitled "A Problem Relating to Fallible Judgements" and wants to know whether it is a recognised problem.

Folder 4 : 6 Feb 1899-13 Dec 1900

Praising Pearson's work. Galton said that he would send on all his work on hereditary eye colour, and also offers his work on longevity, art and music, consumption and temper; volume with extracts from "Family Records"; concerning Alice Lee's doctorate from the University of London; states that he has just spent a week digging with Flinders Petrie at Wady Halfa in Egypt (Feb 1900); has read his "Grammar of Science" book; discussing conclusions of the skull paper (Nov 1900).

Folder 5 : 2 Jan 1901-13 Dec 1902

Discussing Darwin's attitude to statistics; praising Pearson's editorial work; letter dated 31 Dec 1901 discusses his study of large heads, about E Henry's reclassifying fingerprints; discussing papers for Biometrika; discussing Weldon's paper; note about memoir on "Inheritance of colour among pointers"; letter dated 12 Jul 1902 concerning self-measurement; considering a new departure regarding fingerprints and heredity and will want to discuss this (enclosure not attached).

Folder 6 : 24 Jan 1903-29 Dec 1905

Letter dated 24 Jan 1903 Galton states that "I have been continually plaguing myself over fingerprints, and am at last satisfied that they may become an excellent way of working at heredity." Letters discuss Galton's work on fingerprints. Letter dated 1 May 1903 has press cutting attached about early Egyptians; enclosed paper on representative curves accompanies letter dated 11 Dec 1903; how to measure snails with sketch of apparatus to use; concerning Biometrika.

Folder 7 : 1 Feb 1906- 5 Oct 1906

Concerning WFR Weldon's death and legacy; letter dated 14 May 1906 telling Pearson to educate the biologists at the Royal Society in the elements of higher statistics by staying and not resigning; concerning the commission of a medallion for the most valuable biometric publication in memory of Weldon; concerning biography and photograph of Weldon.

Folder 8 : 24 Oct 1906-25 Dec 1906

Concerning Galton's will and leaving money to the University of London for the study of eugenics under the guidance of Pearson; letter dated 2 Dec 1906 has signature cut out; Letter dated 25 Dec 1906 encloses paper on how to obtain the mean test of a rectangular picture.

Folder 9 : 5 Jan 1907-28 Dec 1907

Concerning the Eugenics Laboratory; concerning Eva Biggs's health; copy of The Malthusian, Feb 1907; letter dated 21 Apr 1907 about eugenics "gaining a university status!"; account of Pearson's "Boyle Lecture" from The Oxford Magazine 23 May 1907 where he spoke about "national eugenics"; Leonard Darwin urged to offer "hereditary" to the Poor Law Royal Commission; mentions Jonathan Hutchinson and his museum; letter dated 8 Sep 1907 demonstrates a method of "lexiconising" silhouettes with diagram attached; discussion on improving scientific literature and his talks with Alexander Geikie about this; Miss Elderton's "memoir" considering the quantitative measure for uncle, aunt, nephew or niece.

Folder 10 : 25 Jan 1908-30 Dec 1908

Concerning Pearson giving a talk at the Eugenics Education Society; awaiting the first batch of his Memories; discussing the Butler pedigree and redrawing the Butler family tree; concerning a codicil to his will to provide for a permanent Laboratory and for a professorship.

Folder 11 : 8 Jan 1909-3 Dec 1909

Recommending Mr Heron and Miss Elderton; family news; press cutting regarding birth rates in 1909; regarding his own health; Elderton's book Primer; his portrait in Trinity College; his will, the Laboratory and the Professorship; about Pearson's test acuteness of eye sight; his bust had been modelled by Frampton; Wee Ling, the puppy.

Folder 12 : 1 Jan 1910-14 Dec 1910

Discussing Heron's paper on "Environment by intelligence"; Bernard Shaw and his talk at the Eugenics Education Society; letter dated 11 July 1910 concerning a letter to the editor of the Westminster Review which he was amazed to find was written by a boy aged 17 [Harold Laski]. "He will prove a valuable recruit." Letter dated 4 August 1910 describes Laski who had been for tea. Copy of a letter to the editor of the British Journal of Inebriety about Dr Saleeby; about receiving the Copley Medal from the Royal Society; Dec 1910 - housebound and Alexander Geikie came to give scientific news; glad that Pearson was going to visit.

1893-1910

325 letters, 12 enclosures, 1 volume

The papers are available at UCL Special Collections and Archives subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

A digitised copy is held by the Wellcome Library as part of Codebreakers: Makers of Modern Genetics.

The original material is held at UCL Special Collections. This catalogue is held by the Wellcome Library as part of Codebreakers: Makers of Modern Genetics.