John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971) was one of the most eminent scientists of the twentieth century whose research had a groundbreaking impact across the medical humanities, from x-ray crystallography research, to the impact of war on human life. He was a passionate socialist and visionary of the beneficial role of science in society and a driving force in world-wide peace campaigning. His archives and library were divided between the Marx Memorial Library, where he was President 1950-1971, which holds his political papers, and Cambridge University where he studied and worked, home to his scientific archive.

Bernal’s ‘peace library’ was donated to the MML in 1979. It comprises 35 linear metres of material including

• The papers of Bernal himself relating to articles and lectures on peace and scientific themes, in addition to photographs and audiovisual material
• Papers of Eileen Bernal, his wife, including newspaper scrapbooks on conflicts of the twentieth century and papers of Pensioners for Peace
• Other archives on similar themes including papers of Ivor Montagu, papers relating to the Lenin Peace Prize, and those of other peace groups including, for example, the Manchester Anti-Nuclear Group.
• Series of congress, meeting and organisational reports and papers, from the World Peace Council, the Pugwash conferences - addressing the impact of war on humanity -, and other national and international bodies
•  A collection of pamphlets covering subjects including the nuclear threat, the potential impact of nuclear war and disarmament campaigns
• A library of books on science and peace

Bernal material on our catalogue can be browsed here.