Introduction
A
Correspondence, 1944-76
B
Research material, 1920s-1973
C
Photographs, 1893-1985
D
Publications, 1921-74
E
Papers relating to Ida Mann, 1980-97
F
Papers and photographs relating to the Ida Mann Lecture
and Medal, 1979-2007
| Abstract: Papers of Ida Mann, ophthalmologist (1893-1983), and papers relating to her. |
Ida Mann was born in 1893 in West Hampstead, London, and educated at Wycombe House School, Hampstead. Having passed the Civil Service Girl Clerks' exam, she secured a job at the Post Office Savings Bank, aged seventeen. A benevolent visit to the London Hospital in Whitechapel revived a fierce desire to study medicine and she was amazed to discover that such a career was possible if she enrolled at the only medical school open to women, the London School of Medicine for Women. Despite opposition from her father, she passed the London matriculation exam in 1914, one of only eight women out of hundreds of passes. She completed her studies, 'with no trouble and intense delight' (Mann 1986: 64), and qualified in 1920. After applying for many junior posts, she was appointed to work under the Ophthalmic House Surgeonship at the hospital. Although she had no particular interest in eyes, she soon realised that this fascinating subject was to be her life's work. She developed her specialism in ophthalmology and embryology and at the same time acquired her qualification in general surgery, becoming F.C.R.S. in 1924. She was appointed to a staff post at Moorfields in 1927 (an unpaid but prestigious position) and was the first woman to achieve this seniority. She funded her independence by establishing a private practice in Harley Street. Her curiosity led to research into the comparative anatomy of the invertebrate eye, working with the reptiles in London Zoo.
In 1941 she was appointed the Margaret Ogilvy Reader in Ophthalmology at Oxford University. During her tenure she oversaw the building of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, appointed Antoinette Pirie as Biochemist, replaced the matron with a more competent sister from Moorfields, re-started the diploma courses, inaugurated the Orthoptic School and re-instituted the Oxford Congress. She also continued her work for the war effort as the head of a research team working for the Chemical Defence Research Department, testing the effects of toxic chemicals on the eye. She collaborated with Rudolph Peters, biochemist, who had discovered British anti Lewisite, an antidote to the chemical warfare agent, Lewisite, and she also worked with Sir Howard and Lady Florey on the effects of penicillin on bacteria in humans. Her efforts were recognised by the university in 1945 when she was given a personal professorship, the first woman to receive one.
In 1944 she married Professor William Gye, a pathologist and director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. After the war, partly due to his poor health, they emigrated to Australia where she continued her clinical practice and also conducted research into the impact of genes and the environment on eye disease, with particular reference to the Aboriginal people. She travelled extensively throughout Australia and Oceania studying the incidence of eye disease in different races and cultures. In particular she highlighted the high incidence of trachoma amongst Aboriginal peoples, at a time when it was thought to have been eradicated in Australia. She was incredibly hard-working and insatiably curious, and continued working and exploring into old age. She was appointed CBE in 1950 and DBE in 1980. She died at her home in Perth in 1983.
The papers comprise correspondence with colleagues, draft lectures, patient records, off-prints of journal articles, as well as personal photographs, and her draft autobiography. Additionally there are papers relating to Ida Mann, comprising correspondence of her colleague, Dorothy Potter; papers and correspondence of Anthony Bron, and correspondence and photographs relating to the Ida Mann Lecture and Medal.
Acquired as a donation from the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, 1 May 2008.
Aboriginal artefacts donated to the Bodleian Library with this collection have been transferred to the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, accession number 2011.68. Diaries, 1953-83; letters, manuscripts and articles by and about Ida Mann, 1930-?, and poetry and photographs, are held at the J.S. Battye Library of West Australian History, State Library of Western Australia, Perth, where they were deposited by Mary Durack. The manuscript of her book, Culture, Race, Climate and Eye Disease, 1967, is held at the National Library of Australia, Canberra.
Oxford University Archives holds papers relating to the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, OP 1-52, some of which relate to Ida Mann.
| Correspondence with colleagues and
friends Date: 1944-76 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7891 Extent: 75 leaves Restrictions on Access: Fols. 1-19 are restricted. Scope and Content: Comprising:
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| Drawings Date: late 1920s-1962 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4008 Extent: 137 leaves Scope and Content: Comprising:
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| Lectures, articles and research
notes Date: 1920s-73 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7892 Extent: 216 leaves Restrictions on Access: Fols. 111-216 are restricted. Scope and Content: The research material and draft papers on Maoris were supplied by Dorothy Potter to Anthony Bron in 1989. Comprises:
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| Slides of personal photographs of Ida
Mann Date: 1893-1980 Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 498 Extent: 98 slides Scope and Content: Comprises slide of the following photographs:
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| Photographs of Ida Mann and
others Date: 1960s-1985 Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 499 Extent: 16 photographs Scope and Content: Comprising:
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| Photographs of Ida Mann, presented as a display by
Dorothy Potter at the Oxford Congress, c.1993 Date: 1900-83 Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. a. 40 Extent: 42 photographs Scope and Content: The photographs have been glued to two display boards with captions by Dorothy Potter. A loose description by Anthony Bron has been placed in MS. Eng. c. 7894, fol. 17. Some of the captions may be erroneous, and for this reason Potter's captions are given first, followed by a revised description. The photographs have been listed chronologically and are black and white unless specified otherwise. Comprises the following photographs:
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| Mounted studio portrait of elderly woman,
unidentified, possibly an ancestor of Ida Mann Date: [early 20th century] Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 500 Scope and Content: Taken by W. Eavey & Son, Harrogate. |
Arranged chronologically, preceded by a subject index.
| 'Reference listing of the publications of Ida
Mann: scientific papers classified under subject' Date: 1920-68 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4009 Extent: 10 leaves |
| Published articles Date: 1921-32 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4010 Scope and Content: Comprising:
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| Published articles Date: 1933-49 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4011 Scope and Content: Papers comprise:
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| Published articles Date: 1950-69 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7896 Scope and Content: Comprises:
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| Ida Mann, 'The Chase', first part of her draft
autobiography Date: [1974] Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4012 Scope and Content: Typescript, containing pages 1-408, with contents page. |
| Ida Mann, 'The Chase', second part of her draft
autobiography Date: [1974] Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4013 Scope and Content: Typescript, containing pages 409-767; page 561 is a photocopy. |
| Ida Mann, 'The Chase', complete photocopy of
typescript Date: [1974] Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 4014 Scope and Content: Photocopy of complete typescript, with copy of manuscript title page. Address, bottom right of title page, '56 Hobbs Avenue / Nedlands 6009 / Western Australia'. Pages numbered 1-766; page 738 is missing. |
| Correspondence of Dorothy Potter, relating to Ida
Mann Date: 1980-8 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7897 Scope and Content: Correspondence of Dorothy Potter seeking biographical information about Ida Mann, with supporting newspaper cuttings and other material. |
| Correspondence of Anthony Bron relating to his
efforts to compile an archive relating to Ida Mann Date: mostly 1980-9 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7898 Scope and Content: Comprises:
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| Obituary by Anthony Bron, and material gathered
for the same Date: 1984 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7899 Scope and Content: Comprising two pages of Ida Mann's draft autobiography, showing her family tree, drafts of the obituary, time-line, list of her publicatons, a black and white photograph of Ida Mann in her laboratory coat, standing outside the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology in Oxford, [1945], and an enlarged print of the same. Written and compiled by Anthony Bron for publication in the American Medical Association's Archives of Ophthalmology. |
| Correspondence and research material of John
Tiffany, Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, as contributor to the
Dictionary of National Biography, in the field of
ophthalmology Date: 1995-7 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7900 Scope and Content: Relating to his biographies of Ida Mann and William Rawson (1783-1827). Contains correspondence with the editors of the DNB about the decision to include Ida Mann; copies of obituaries and memorials to Ida Mann; drafts of the DNB entry. |
The Ida Mann lecture was an annual lecture organised by the department of ophthalmology, at the University of Oxford, and funded by the Oxford Eye Hospital Trust. The first lecture was held in 1980, and each lecturer was presented with a commemorative medal. Further photographs of the Ida Mann lecturers, 1980-94, are held by Oxford University Archives OP 38/1-10.
| Correspondence, papers and photographs relating to
the Ida Mann Lecture and medal Date: 1979-2007 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7901 Scope and Content: Correspondence relating to the foundation of the lecture series and the annual organisation of the event. There are two photographs of the inaugural lecturer, Professor M. Goldberg, receiving his medal after the lecture, a photograph of the 1980 medal, and a photograph of an unidentified lecturer. |
| Slides of photographs relating to the Ida Mann
lecturers and medal Date: 1980-7 Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7902 Extent: 80 slides / transparency strips Scope and Content: Comprises:
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