Archive of the Cancer Research Campaign Available for Research

The archive of the Cancer Research Campaign is now fully catalogued and available to researchers at the Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine. Founded as the British Empire Cancer Campaign in 1923, "to attack and defeat the disease of cancer in all its forms, to investigate its causes, distribution, symptoms, pathology and treatment and to promote its cure", it was renamed in 1970. This important collection (comprising 120 boxes) includes records of the Campaign's administrative and scientific committees and material relating to its origins and organisation, founding members, senior office-holders and committee members, local branches, relations with other UK and overseas cancer organisations, fund-raising appeals, research equipment and chemicals, cancer causes and "cures", cancer education, publicity and enquiries from the general public. It is thus an important primary resource for the study of the history of cancer research and cancer charities, and also illustrates changing public awareness and understanding of cancer, in the UK, from 1923 to 1981. Any queries should be directed to Archives and Manuscripts, The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine, The Wellcome Trust, 183 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE. E-mail: arch+mss@wellcome.ac.uk. (Details of the Wellcome Library opening hours, registration procedures, etc., are available on-line at: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/library)