Papers of Lewis T. Waters
- Reference:GB 237 Coll-1264
- Dates of Creation:1904-1967
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:1 folder
Scope and Content
The collection is composed of the following copies of letters:
- letter, manuscript, from Arthur Geddes to Mrs. J. Unwin [undated]
- letter, typescript, from Mrs. J. Unwin, London, to Arthur, 7 May [no year]
- letter, manuscript, from Arthur Geddes, Edinburgh, to Mr. Waters, 9 May 1967
- letter, typescript, from Unwin at the Greater London Regional Planning Office, Westminster, to Geddes, Montpellier, 26 May 1930
- letter, manuscript, from Geddes at the College des Ecossais, Montpellier, to Unwin, 20 May 1930
- letter, typescript, from Unwin, in Hampstead, to Geddes, 18 December 1922
- letter, manuscript, from [Geddes], on paper of the Zionist Commission to Palestine, to Unwin, November 1919
- letter, typescript, from Unwin, in Hampstead, to Mrs. Geddes, Ramsay Gardens, Edinburgh, 30 November 1914
- letter, typescript, from Unwin, in Hampstead, to Geddes, c/o His Excellency Lord Pentland, Madras, 24 November 1914
- letter, typescript, from [perhaps a third party?] to Unwin, in Hampstead, 19 December 1911
- letter, typescript, from Unwin, in Baldock, Herts, to Geddes, Valleyfield, Dunfermline, 14 September 1904
Administrative / Biographical History
Lewis T. Waters from Maryland, USA, studied and researched at Edinburgh University in the 1960s. He was awarded the degree of Ph.D (Edinburgh) in 1970 for his thesis entitled Urban form systems in physical planning: a case study of Cumbernauld. During the course of his research, and with relevance to a portion of his thesis, he found some correspondence between Sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) and Sir Raymond Unwin (1863-1940) particularly interesting. The material had been passed to him by Arthur Geddes, the younger son of Sir Patrick Geddes.
Patrick Geddes was born in Ballater, Aberdeenshire on 2 October 1854. He was educated at Perth Academy and then studied at the Royal College of Mines in London, 1874-1878. He lectured in Zoology at Edinburgh University, 1880-1888. He held the Chair of Botany at University College, Dundee, from 1888 to 1919, and the Chair of Sociology at the University of Bombay from 1919 to 1924. Geddes was actively occupied in city improvement, town planning, and educational initiatives at home, on the continent, and in India. He drew up a city plan for both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and he developed the Cite Universitaire Mediterraneanne (College des Ecossais) at Montpellier, France, and the educational facility at the Outlook Tower, Edinburgh.
Geddes was knighted in 1932. His publications included: Evolution of sex, with Sir J. Arthur Thomson; Cities in evolution; and The life and work of Sir Jagadis C. Bose. Sir Patrick Geddes died in France, at Montpellier, on 17 April 1932. Geddes was an influence on several British urban planners, notably Raymond Unwin.
Raymond Unwin was born on 2 November 1863. He was the younger son of William Unwin of Balliol College, Oxford. He was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, and then he trained in engineering and architecture, and practised as an architect from 1896. He laid out schemes such as: New Earswick, York; Letchworth; and, Hampstead Garden Suburb. From 1911 to 1914 he was a special Lecturer in Town Planning at Birmingham University. In 1914 he became Chief Town Planning Inspector, Local Government Board, and during the War he was Director of the Housing Branch, Ministry of Munitions. After the War, he was Chief Architect, Housing, at the Ministry of Health, and he served on several Departmental Committees dealing with housing and town planning matters. He was Chief Advisor to Greater London Regional Town Planning Committee, 1929-1933.
Unwin was knighted in 1932. His publications included: The art of building a home, with Barry Parker; Town planning in practice; and Nothing gained by overcrowding. Sir Raymond Unwin died in June 1940.
Access Information
Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but some material closed. Please contact repository for details about access to the collection in advance of any visit.
Acquisition Information
Material acquired April 2010. Accession no: E2010.14
Archivist's Note
Compiled by Graeme D. Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections.
Related Material
Held too at Special Collections, Edinburgh University Library, is Material relating to the Outlook Tower Current Events Club, Outlook Tower, Edinburgh. at Gen. 2025. There is also Material relating to Patrick Geddes, biologist sociologist, educationist and town planner (1854-1932), being letters to R. E. Muirhead. at E2008.54. Look too at the local Index to Manuscripts, Special Collections, Edinburgh University Library, for other items such as correspondence with C. Sarolea. There are also collections relating to Sir Patrick Geddes at Strathclyde University Archives.
Subjects
Personal Names