Stephen Hawking's archive, office acquired for UK public 27 May 2021, by Sylvia Hui Lucy and Tim Hawking stand with the whelchair used by their late father Professor Stephen Hawking which has been acquired by the Science Museum Group, in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science Museum Group and Cambridge University Library will announce that they have acquired the historic contents of Professor Stephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive (going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth London's Science Museum and the Cambridge University library said Wednesday they have acquired a large collection of items belonging to late physicist Stephen Hawking, from his personalized wheelchairs to landmark papers on theoretical physics and his scripts from his appearance on "The Simpsons." The entire contents of Hawking's office at Cambridge—including his communications equipment, memorabilia, bets he made on scientific debates and office furniture—will be preserved as part of the collection belonging to the Science Museum Group. Hawking occupied the office at the university's department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics from 2002 until shortly before his death in 2018. Highlights will go on display at the London museum early next year. Museum officials are also hoping to create a touring exhibition in the U.K. before setting up a permanent display in London. Meanwhile, his vast archive of scientific and personal papers, including a first draft of his bestselling "A Brief History of Time" and his correspondence with leading scientists, will remain at Cambridge University's library. The institutions' acceptance of Hawking's archive and office meant that his estate settled 4.2 million pounds ($5.9 million) in inheritance tax. This was done through a U.K. government plan which allows those who have such tax bills to pay by transferring important cultural, scientific or historic objects to the nation. Artefacts accepted under the plan are allocated to public collections and available for all. Kate Perks, Senior Collections Care Conservator stands with a portrait of Professor Stephen Hawking by artist Fred Cuming, which has been acquired by the Science 1 / 5
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Stephen Hawking's archive, office acquiredfor UK public27 May 2021, by Sylvia Hui
Lucy and Tim Hawking stand with the whelchair used bytheir late father Professor Stephen Hawking which hasbeen acquired by the Science Museum Group, inLondon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents ofProfessor Stephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) andhis archive (going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/KirstyWigglesworth
London's Science Museum and the CambridgeUniversity library said Wednesday they haveacquired a large collection of items belonging tolate physicist Stephen Hawking, from hispersonalized wheelchairs to landmark papers ontheoretical physics and his scripts from hisappearance on "The Simpsons."
The entire contents of Hawking's office atCambridge—including his communicationsequipment, memorabilia, bets he made onscientific debates and office furniture—will bepreserved as part of the collection belonging to theScience Museum Group.
Hawking occupied the office at the university'sdepartment of applied mathematics and theoretical
physics from 2002 until shortly before his death in2018.
Highlights will go on display at the London museumearly next year. Museum officials are also hoping tocreate a touring exhibition in the U.K. before settingup a permanent display in London.
Meanwhile, his vast archive of scientific andpersonal papers, including a first draft of hisbestselling "A Brief History of Time" and hiscorrespondence with leading scientists, will remainat Cambridge University's library.
The institutions' acceptance of Hawking's archiveand office meant that his estate settled 4.2 millionpounds ($5.9 million) in inheritance tax.
This was done through a U.K. government planwhich allows those who have such tax bills to payby transferring important cultural, scientific orhistoric objects to the nation. Artefacts acceptedunder the plan are allocated to public collectionsand available for all.
Kate Perks, Senior Collections Care Conservator standswith a portrait of Professor Stephen Hawking by artistFred Cuming, which has been acquired by the Science
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Museum Group, in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.Science Museum Group and Cambridge UniversityLibrary will announce that they have acquired the historiccontents of Professor Stephen Hawking's office (going toSMG) and his archive (going to CUL). Credit: APPhoto/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Hawking studied for his PhD at Cambridge andlater became the university's Lucasian Professor ofMathematics, the same post that Isaac Newtonheld from 1669 to 1702.
Cambridge's acquisition of the 10,000-page archivemeans that Hawking's papers will join those ofNewton and Charles Darwin at the universitylibrary, where they will soon be free for the public toaccess.
"The archive allows us to step inside Stephen'smind and to travel with him round the cosmos to, ashe said, 'better understand our place in theuniverse,'" said Jessica Gardner, the university'slibrarian.
"This vast archive gives extraordinary insight intothe evolution of Stephen's scientific life, fromchildhood to research student, from disabilityactivist to ground-breaking, world-renownedscientist," she added.
Diagnosed with motor neuron disease at 22 andgiven just a few years to live, Hawking survived fordecades, dying in 2018 at 76. His work on themysteries of space, time and black holes capturedthe imagination of millions, and his popular sciencebooks made him a celebrity beyond the preservesof academia. Hollywood celebrated his life in the2014 biopic "The Theory of Everything."
A letter written by Professor Stephen Hawking and hissister Mary to their father when they were children, whichhas been acquired by Cambridge University Library, inLondon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents of ProfessorStephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive(going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Kate Perks, Senior Collections Care Conservator standswith the wheelchair used by Professor Stephen Hawkingwhich has been acquired by the Science Museum Group,in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents of ProfessorStephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive(going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
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A letter and bet made by Professor Stephen Hawkingand Kip Thorne with John Preskill on whether informationcan be recovered from a black hole, signed withHawking's thumbprint, which has been acquired by theScience Museum Group, in London, Wednesday, May26, 2021. Science Museum Group and CambridgeUniversity Library will announce that they have acquiredthe historic contents of Professor Stephen Hawking'soffice (going to SMG) and his archive (going to CUL).Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Examples of Professor Stephen Hawking's work BlackHole Explosions which predicted Hawking Radiation,along with copies of various scientific papers which havebeen acquired by the Science Museum Group, inLondon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents of ProfessorStephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive(going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
The Franklin Medal awarded to Professor StephenHawking which has been acquired by the ScienceMuseum Group, in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.Science Museum Group and Cambridge UniversityLibrary will announce that they have acquired the historiccontents of Professor Stephen Hawking's office (going toSMG) and his archive (going to CUL). Credit: APPhoto/Kirsty Wigglesworth
One of five copies of Professor Stephen Hawking's PhDthesis, Properties of Expanding Universes, which hasbeen acquired by the Science Museum Group, inLondon, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents of ProfessorStephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive(going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
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A CBE medal awarded to Professor Stephen Hawkingwhich has been acquired by the Science Museum Group,in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents of ProfessorStephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive(going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Professor Stephen Hawking's tortoiseshell spectacles withanalogue sensor are displayed in front of an earlygeneration voice synthesiser box used by StephenHawking, which have been acquired by the ScienceMuseum Group, in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.Science Museum Group and Cambridge UniversityLibrary will announce that they have acquired the historiccontents of Professor Stephen Hawking's office (going toSMG) and his archive (going to CUL). Credit: APPhoto/Kirsty Wigglesworth
The Papal Medal awarded to Professor Stephen Hawkingwhich has been acquired by the Science Museum Group,in London, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Science MuseumGroup and Cambridge University Library will announcethat they have acquired the historic contents of ProfessorStephen Hawking's office (going to SMG) and his archive(going to CUL). Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Hawking's children, Lucy, Tim and Robert, saidthey were pleased that their father's work will bepreserved for the public for generations to come.
"My father would be so pleased and I think maybeat the same time, just a tiny bit overwhelmed thathe was going to form part of the ... history ofscience, that he was going to be alongside thegreat scientists, the people whose work he reallyadmired," Lucy Hawking said.
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APA citation: Stephen Hawking's archive, office acquired for UK public (2021, May 27) retrieved 10 May2022 from https://phys.org/news/2021-05-stephen-hawking-archive-office-uk.html
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