Serendipity: a personal tale of two biographies, William Richard Gowers (1845-1915) and his son Ernest (1880-1966)

This article describes the author’s experience conducting the research for two biographies at a time when the research tools available were rapidly shifting from paper-based to digital records. Technological aids have made the preliminary research of historians easier, but they have not taken the place of hard copy archive-based research. While the paper will focus primarily on the biography of William Richard Gowers, the author describes the research methods she employed to help reveal the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of both men, each of whom left his own intellectual legacy.
Source: Journal of Medical Biography - Category: History of Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research