Collection BSDB - The BSDB Archive

Extent: 13 boxes

BSDB - the British Society for Developmental Biology, the UK society promoting developmental biology: Papers relating to the history and administration of the BSDB: meeting and symposium papers, programmes, agendas, minutes books, correspondence, material relating to the history and origins of the Embryologists Club and it's evolution into the SDB/BSDB; newsletters; committee and membership papers and correspondence; material relating to involvement with other organisations especially EDBO and ISDB.

Admin History: The Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) was founded in January 1964 as a successor to the Embryologists' Club founded in 1948. It added the 'British' in 1969 following a dispute with the American 'Society for Developmental Biology'. Its four main aims were: 'to bring together British biologists and other scientists interested in developmental problems; to encourage contact with colleagues and scientific agencies in other countries; to organize regular scientific meetings at which papers would be read to members and to organize short informal meetings on specialized subjects'. The original Embryologist Club was founded by thirteen embryologists and the first meeting was held at King's College London on 19 February 1948. Meetings were held three to six times a year with an illustrated lecture usually at University College London, then housing the only department of embryology and anatomy in the country. The first symposium was held on 7 January 1952 on ' Biological Aspects of Developmental Abnormality' consisting of 5 lectures and was well attended. The BSDB has digitised The Embryologist Club and BSDB meetings and newsletters available at http://bsdb.org/about-us/bsdb-newsletters/