The Discovery of the Double Helix, 1951-1953: Documents

The Francis Crick Papers

The Discovery of the Double Helix, 1951-1953: Documents

• Biographical Information
• The Discovery of the Double Helix, 1951-1953
• Defining the Genetic Coding Problem, 1954-1957
• Deciphering the Genetic Code, 1958-1966
• Embryology and the Organization of DNA in Higher Organisms, 1966-1976
• From Molecular Biology to Neurobiology, 1976-2004
• Further Readings
• Glossary

Background Narrative
Visuals

Click to see detailed information about each document.

Wilkins, Maurice H. F. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 4 Images. [ca. 1948-1953].

Wilkins, Maurice H. F. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. [ca. 1948-1953 (Thursday)].

Wilkins, Maurice H. F. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. [ca. 1948-1953 (Saturday)].

Wilkins, Maurice H. F. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. [ca. 1948-1953 (Friday)].

Crick, Francis. "Biochemical Work on Lysozyme." Notes. 8 Images. [ca. 1950-1951].

Vand, Vladimir. Letter from Vladimir Vand to William Cochran and Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 13 December 1951.

Crick, Francis. [Notebook entry on] "DNA". Excerpt. Laboratory Notebook. 1 Image. 14 December 1951.

Franklin, Rosalind, and Raymond Gosling. [Satirical note announcing the death of the DNA helix]. Notes. Obituary. 1 Image. 18 July 1952.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis and Odile Crick. Letter (correspondence). 5 Images. [11 August 1952].

Crick, Francis. "Is [alpha]-Keratin a Coiled Coil?" Nature 170, 4334 (22 November 1952): 882-883. Article. 2 Images.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to David Harker. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 21 January 1953.

Watson, James D., and Francis Crick. "Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid." Nature 171, 4356 (25 April 1953): 737-738. Article. 2 Images.

Watson, James D., and Francis Crick. "Genetical Implications of the Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid." Nature 171, 4361 (30 May 1953): 964-967. Article. 4 Images.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Rosalind Franklin (and notes on two papers by Franklin and Raymond Gosling). Letter (correspondence). Notes. 6 Images. 5 June 1953.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Harold Himsworth, Medical Research Council of Great Britain. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 15 June 1953.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 9 October 1953.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 12 November 1953.

Donohue, Jerry. Letter from Jerry Donohue to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 23 November 1953.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 16 December 1953.

Crick, Francis. [Fragment of notes on a double helix model for DNA]. Draft. Excerpt. Notes. 10 Images. [ca. 1953].

Crick, Francis. [Notes on a proposed structure for DNA]. Notes. 2 Images. [ca. 1953].

Crick, Francis. [Notes on] "Genetics". Notes. 1 Image. [ca. 1953].

Watson, James D. [Notes on the genetical implications of the structure of DNA]. Notes. 8 Images. [ca. 1953].

Crick, Francis. [Notes on the possible configuration of bases in the DNA structure]. Notes. 1 Image. [ca. 1953].

Crick, Francis. [Notes on the structure of DNA]. Diagram. Notes. 1 Image. [ca. 1953].

Watson, James D., and Francis Crick. "A Structure for DNA" (draft). Article. Draft. 6 Images. [1953].

Crick, Francis, and James D. Watson. "A Structure for DNA" (draft). Article. Draft. 5 Images. [1953].

Watson, James D., and Francis Crick. "The Structure of DNA." Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology 18, (1953): 123-131. Article. 9 Images.

Crick, Francis. "Structure and Function of DNA." Discovery 15, (January 1954): 12-17. Article. 6 Images.

Crick, Francis, and James D. Watson. "The Complementary Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London 223, Series A (1954): 80-96. Article. 18 Images.

Crick, Francis. "The Complementary Structure of DNA." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 40, (1954): 756-758. Article. 3 Images.

Crick, Francis. "The Structure of DNA." The Chemical Basis of Heredity. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1956. Pp. 532-539. Article. 8 Images.

Crick, Francis. "The Discovery of the Structure of DNA." Lecture Notes. 6 Images. [ca. 1959].

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 2 August 1960.

Friberg, Sten, and Karolinska Institute. Telegram from Sten Friberg, Karolinska Institute to Francis Crick. Telegram. 2 Images. 18 October 1962.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 30 October 1962.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Maurice Wilkins. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 30 October 1962.

Tamm, Igor Y. Letter from Igor Y. Tamm to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 9 November 1962.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Igor Y. Tamm. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 5 December 1962.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson. Draft. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 10 March 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson (and notes concerning Watson’s book, "The Double Helix"). Letter (correspondence). Notes. 16 Images. 31 March 1966.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 10 May 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 27 September 1966.

Wilkins, Maurice H. F. Letter from Maurice Wilkins to James D. Watson. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 6 October 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 10 October 1966.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 19 October 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Thomas J. Wilson, Harvard University Press. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 21 October 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 1 November 1966.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 23 November 1966.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Maurice Wilkins. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 28 November 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Nathan M. Pusey, Harvard University. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 1 December 1966.

Pusey, Nathan M., and Harvard University. Letter from Nathan M. Pusey, Harvard University to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 9 December 1966.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Nathan M. Pusey, Harvard University. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 23 December 1966.

Pusey, Nathan M., and Harvard University. Letter from Nathan M. Pusey, Harvard University to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 13 January 1967.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Maurice Wilkins. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 19 January 1967.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Lawrence Bragg. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 23 February 1967.

Edsall, John T. Letter from John T. Edsall to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 14 March 1967.

Doty, Paul. Letter from Paul Doty to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 16 March 1967.

Watson, James D. Letter from James D. Watson to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 24 March 1967.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to James D. Watson. Letter (correspondence). 6 Images. 13 April 1967.

Pauling, Linus. Letter from Linus Pauling to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 25 April 1967.

Vaughan, Paul. "The Double Helix Revisited–Francis Crick and James Watson Talk to Paul Vaughan about Their Discovery of the Molecular Structure of DNA." The Listener 88, 2281 (14 December 1972): 819-821. Article. Interview. Transcript. 3 Images.

Crick, Francis. "The Double Helix: A Personal View." Nature 248, 5451 (26 April 1974): 766-769. Article. 4 Images.

Swann, Michael. "The Race for the Double Helix–Providence and Personalities." The Listener 92, 2363 (11 July 1974): 41-43. Article. Interview. Transcript. 3 Images.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Andrew Poggenpohl, National Geographic Magazine. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 19 August 1974.

Friend, Charlotte. Letter from Charlotte Friend to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 11 September 1979.

Markham, Margaret. Letter from Margaret Markham to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 12 September 1979.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to Charlotte Friend. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 18 September 1979.

Klug, Aaron. Letter from Aaron Klug to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 18 September 1979.

Crick, Francis. "How to Live with a Golden Helix." The Sciences 19, (September 1979): 6-9. Article. 4 Images.

Crick, Francis. Letter from Francis Crick to the Editor of The Sciences. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image. 2 October 1979.

Klug, Aaron. Letter from Aaron Klug to Francis Crick. Letter (correspondence). 2 Images. 9 October 1979.

Friend, Charlotte. Letter from Charlotte Friend to the Editor of The Sciences. The Sciences, (December 1979): 3. Letter (correspondence). 1 Image.

http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/SC/Views/Exhibit/documents/doublehelix.html

 

Cambridge scientists Francis Crick and James Watson with a model of the double helix of DNA, which they discovered in 1953