RussellingPapers

RussellingPapers Overview

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Puzzle

While putting things away from an exhibit at McMaster's Museum of Art, I found these numbers tucked into the pocked of one of Bertrand Russell's suits. While he wrote some of his notes in Greek to keep casual readers from looking at it, that doesn't seem to be what's going on here. I couldn't figure out what all the numbers were for, but I thought maybe some of you would.

1.18.1.5.1

1.7.9.2.10

1.13.6.4.5

2.26.9.1.3

1.17.9.4.2

2.6.1.5.3

1.21.4.1.4

1.5.6.3.1

1.19.8.8.1

1.4.7.7.6

1.25.10.6.2

1.11.5.1.1

1.5.3.1.1

1.5.5.5.5

1.15.7.5.3

2.19.3.6.2

1.24.6.8.2

2.8.6.9.3

1.11.4.5.9

1.16.3.4.4

1.5.4.5.4

1.17.1.6.4

2.7.3.1.3

2.4.5.3.5

2.19.7.1.2

2.19.1.4.1

1.25.8.2.2

2.26.1.7.1

1.3.7.3.6

2.19.2.8.3

2.13.7.2.5

2.9.37.1.9

2.16.3.7.4

2.4.5.7.1

2.25.7.2.6

2.26.2.2.7

2.6.9.2.2

2.5.5.1.2

2.6.2.13.2

1.17.3.1.7

2.5.4.3.1

1.11.3.4.2

2.11.5.5.4

1.21.2.1.2

2.9.4.4.1

1.4.8.6.2

2.12.6.8.6

2.4.8.2.2

2.19.6.9.3

2.3.4.4.1

1.10.2.4.2

1.3.8.2.9

1.14.8.4.2

1.9.9.1.4

1.18.6.5.4

1.9.1.5.7

1.22.4.7.9

1.24.7.2.6

1.3.2.2.2

2.4.7.1.2

How Bertrand Russell's Archive Ended Up in Hamilton

In 1967 Bertrand Russell was trying to sell his archive to establish his Peace Foundation. He was in private talks with a university in Texas. The FBI, who weren't big fans of his stance on the Vietnam War and other activities, leaked the news to the press. The Texan university decided to wait until things calmed down.

William Ready, the University Librarian at McMaster University, saw the news and immediately wrote Russell a letter suggesting the material come to Hamilton. After some negotiations and fundraising an agreement was reached. The main portion of the Archive arrived in two chunks and more continues to be added. On the fiftieth anniversary of McMaster's acquisition, the collection was moved to this newly renovated space and welcomes researchers from around the world. The University continues to add to the collection, from letters to pipes to books and work is underway to digitize portions of it.

Note: This is being published during the Covid-19 pandemic. At this time the Bertrand Russell Archives are closed to the public. However, whenever it is safe to do so, please feel free to stop in and check out the small permanent exhibit. Hours of operation will be posted when we open again.