Ashgate is co‐operating with the Business Archives Council to produce a series of Studies in British Business Archives. The first two titles are this book and one on banking. Research for the series has been partially funded by the Wellcome Trust.
This book starts with three short, but very comprehensive, essays. These cover the early years, the British pharmaceutical industry since 1851, and the scope and use of the archives. Briefly the story has two lines. The first is the transformation from small practitioners making much of the medicine they sell to an industry dominated by large multinational companies and the general separation of community pharmacy from manufacturer. The second is the move from natural products of apparent efficacy to carefully manufactured products of known pharmacology. The first line is detailed in this book, but is driven by the second. What is fascinating is how parts of some of the great multinationals can be traced back to small firms. Although these essays cover just 50 pages they take a while to read as there is so much information. The only point repeated was the importance of advertising, and especially its use by Thomas Holloway. The only error was the suggestion that in‐house publications and catalogues are not covered by copyright – they are, even if the British Library does not receive a copy. The essays are completed by chronological list of pharmaceutical legislation, a bibliography, a user guide and a glossary.
After this comes the real justification for this book: over 350 pages listing the location and outline content of the records of companies (300 pages) and trade organizations and pharmacy schools. Each has an outline history, which are worth reading on their own, and a list of records by location. Much of the Holloway collection is at Royal Holloway College. The building itself ought to be included in the archive as the decoration proclaims Thomas Holloway's industry and generosity from every surface. Wellcome are also one of the longer entries, partly from their success and, I expect, partly from Henry Wellcome's tendency to hoard. As I write there is an exhibition of some (0.1 per cent) of his collection of medical and anthropology artefacts at the British Museum (Arnold and Olsen, 2003).
After the major records there is a geographical index of minor records. The London Borough of Brent has records for G. Zeiderman of 10 Handel Parade, Edgware. As a child our local chemist, or community pharmacist as we would now say, had this shop although none of the family can recall the name. It is still a pharmacy, but now under another name. The authors of this book have found no record of Horace Wright, the other local chemist, who was also a gifted painter of old Edgware and prominent figure in the local Church. Perhaps there is nothing, or may be something will be found – that is one of the fascinations of archives.
Also provided is a guide to public records and the book is completed by indices of names, places, subjects and archive repositories. Historians of business and pharmacy will find this work of value. Major archival collections and large pharmaceutical companies interested in the origins of the industry may also find it of use. Additionally, as my review indicates, local and family historians will find points of interest. This is a very commendable book and I wish the series well.
