Record

CollectionGB 0231 University of Aberdeen, Special Collections
LevelFile
Ref NoMS 3750/1/7/2
TitlePapers regarding dispute over authorship and copyright
Date1950s
Extent1 file
Description1. Memorandum entitled 'Production of Text Book' containing detailed notes on Hamilton and Fyfe's involvement in the 'original project', c1944, which was to have been a short textbook of Anatomy for Physiotherapists: 'Prof. Lockhart invited the cooperation of myself and Dr. Fyfe and suggested that Dr Hamilton should do the sections on the Nervous System, Dr. Fyfe that on Splanchnology and Prof. Lockhart the remainder. It should have been possible to complete this in a reasonable period and on this basis the form of acknowledgement now proposed would have been acceptable i.e. a Textbook by Professor Lockhart with "assistance" from Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Fyfe'. These modest plans evolved by 1947 to a 'full-scale Anatomy for Medical students and practitioners with naturally an enormous increase in the work involved'. The notes explain that the division of work between the authors remained unchanged at this point.

Hamilton describes the work involved in producing the illustrations and text, noting that he 'paged the whole of the book. In fact in order not to break the continuity of my ideas, for day after day, I had coffee and a sandwich sent over from the Union instead of going to lunch and worked on it from nine in the morning till seven, eight or nine at night!'.

Continues with a description of the respective contributions made by Fyfe and Lockhart, the departmental assistants who helped write versions of descriptions of the bones of the limbs, and other departmental staff, who proof-read text, and around 1957 were 'conscripted' to work on the index: 'In order that I be not accused of overclaiming I wish to acknowledge the considerable assistance I received from junior members of the staff who have not been acknowledge [sic] by name even in the Preface. Thus in preparing the muscle section, for example, every day Dr Laurenson would assist me in checking facts and specimens on a particular section. I would type a first version of text with him beside me, checking facts querying expressions and making suggestions. In the evenings I would revise this text ?extremely overwriting it and altering it. The next day Dr Laurenson would check this final version and the [sic] Dr ?Ruddinson typed a fair copy while Dr Laurenson and I proceeded to the next muscle. This fair copy was then read by other members of the staff and Professor Lockhart ?said alterations were almost negligible'. [See also letters referring to help from staff members and others in MS 3750/1/8].

2. Memorandum entitled 'Status', in which Hamilton maintains that the three authors should have equal authorship recognition and explains, in detail, the evolution of the recognition and copyright debate. Particular reference is made to poor communication between the authors and publishers, and between Lockhart, and his co-authors. Reference is made to a letter written by Lockhart regarding proposals to have all three authors equally represented on the frontspiece, being missing from 'the open files which contain all the correspondence relative to the Text book'.

3. Transcript of a conversation between Hamilton and Lockhart regarding Lockhart's correspondence with Sautoy; Faber's position relating to copyright and Hamilton's concern with the matter; Lockhart's contract with Faber; and Hamilton's desire for being properly recognised.

4. Memorandum entitles 'Table of Contents' indicating which sections and the number of pages that Lockhart, Hamilton and Fyfe respectively produced. Hamilton appears to have written more text than his co-authors and Fyfe to have produced more illustrations.

5. Further comparisons of the allocation of work between Lockhart and Hamilton, including Hamilton's rudimentary plan for the title page, in pencil.

6. Incomplete transcript of a letter from Lockhart to Du Sautoy relating to royalties, Lockhart's contract with Faber, ?and possibly saying that Lockhart does not mind if the three authors' names appeared equally on the front cover, , dated 2 August 1958.
Access StatusOpen
Access ConditionsAccess permitted at the discretion of the Senior Curator, Special Libraries and Archives.
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