STHC-L: The Science, Technology and Health Care Archives Forum

Re: Fire at Glasgow University

• Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 08:23:21 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
• To: sthc-l@library.ucla.edu
• From: Russell A. Johnson <rjohnson@library.ucla.edu>
• Subject: Re: Fire at Glasgow University
• Message-ID: SIMEON.10110260821.C@bio-s-his008.library.ucla.edu

Forwarded to STHC-L from EXLIBRIS.

The URL which Jacob Nadal forwarded gives updates about demolition and 
conservation work at the Bower Building.

A history of the Bower Building may be found at:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/newsletter/228/html/news2.html

--Russell Johnson

--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 06:06:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jacob Nadal 
Subject: Re: Fire at Glasgow University - Anybody have details?
Sender: exlibris@library.berkeley.edu

News link from University of Glasgow:

http://www.newsdesk.gla.ac.uk/stories.asp?id=525


On Thursday, October 25, 2001, at 07:10 AM, Ron Lieberman wrote:

Darwin books 'lost' in fire at university
By Tara Womersley
(Filed: 25/10/2001)

A FIRE in a 100-year-old building at Glasgow University is thought to 
have destroyed first edition works of Charles Darwin and caused £8 
million of damage.

It is estimated that books and equipment worth up to £3.5 million have 
been lost and the repairs to the Bower building, which housed one of 
Britain's earliest biological laboratories, will cost up to £5 million.

Items destroyed in the blaze included rare 19th century botany books 
and it is feared that first editions of some of Darwin's works, along 
with his manuscripts, were among them. Records from around 2,000 
students were also thought to have been burnt.

Around 40 people were led from the building, which had two botany 
laboratories and is also used as an administrative centre for the 
department of biomedical and life sciences, after the blaze broke out 
at around 1.30pm. Neighbouring buildings were evacuated.

The Bower building was due to undergo a £3.5 million refit and the fire 
is thought to have started in the roof space, used for storage. More 
than 70 firemen attended the blaze, which spread quickly due to the 
building's age.

The collection of books was housed on the third floor. Prof John 
Coggins, dean and director of the department, was deeply saddened by 
their destruction.

"Some of these would have included works by Darwin but what is more 
irreplaceable is the loss of original manuscripts. Although we may have 
duplicates of these in the university's library, it is tragic that we 
have lost the originals.

"Many student records may also have been lost but it is important to 
stress the most important ones would have been held centrally. The 
disruption to undergraduates will be minimal."

--
Ron & Isabel Lieberman
THE FAMILY ALBUM, ABAA
At the Old Mill
4887 Newport Road
Kinzers, PA 17535
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         For Over Thirty-Two Years
--- End Forwarded Message ---