Saudek, Robert

Papers of Robert Saudek (1881-1935), consisting of: case files with specimens of handwriting, drawings, photographs, some correspondence, and biographical information about the individuals relating to research about twins in collaboration with Ernest Seeman, 1928-1935; detailed research files on pairs of twins used by Saudek and Ernest Seeman, and also H.H.Newman and H.J.Muller, in published articles on the graphology and mental and physical characteristics of twins, 1921-1937; general research files containing specimens of handwriting with some correspondence arranged under various categories such as mental and physical illness, occupation or life experience, 1908-1936; general graphological research files, including correspondence with other academics and illustrations and notes for published works, 1918-1949; other research material, including material relating to the Sociedad Argentina de Grafologia and tools for conducting intelligence tests, 1924-1934; photographic material, including a photograph of Saudek and glass plate negatives of his published handwriting specimens, 1926-1927.

Robert Saudek was born in Koln, Czechoslovakia on 21 April 1881. Between 1903 and 1909, he wrote several plays, essays, epigrams and novels, including A Child's conscience and Jewish Youths (1903), Eine gymnasisltragödie (1904), Und über uns leuchtende Sterne (1907) and Das Märchen des Meere (1909). Around the same time, he also studied at the University of Prague, Leipzig and the Sorbonne. During the First World War, Saudek maintained an Intelligence Unit in The Hague and at the end of the War in 1918 he entered the diplomatic service for the Czechoslovakian Government, serving in Holland and in England before finally settling in London. In that same year, Saudek also completed 'Die diplomaten' which was published in German, Czech, Dutch, French and Italian, and dealt with problem of graphology. In 1925 he published Wissenschaftliche Graphologie (Psychology of handwriting) which was followed by Experimentelle Graphologie (Experiments with handwriting) the following year, the latter published in Czechoslovakia and Holland. Saudek also lectured about experimental graphology at Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels and Prague. In 1931, he was one of the founders of the quarterly journal Character and Personality: An international quarterly for psychodiagnostics and allied studies in which he regularly published articles during the early 1930s. He completed the more populist work, What your handwriting means in 1932. Saudek died in London in 1935.

The collection comprises 6 sections:
MS1004/1: Twin Case Files
MS1004/2: Twin Research Files
MS1004/3: Graphology Subject Files
MS1004/4: Graphology Research Files
MS1004/5: Other Material
MS1004/6: Photographic Material

RESTRICTED
Sections 1,2 and 3 of the Saudek collection are closed as they contain personal information regarding individuals, and various files across section 4 are closed for the same reason. Material is closed in section 6 due to preservation issues and problems that would arise from handling. The files closed due to personal reasons are due to be opened 100 years after Saudek's death as many of the subjects investigated were of a young age at the time of compilation (release date: 1 January 2036).

n/a

Hard copy catalogue. This collection has been fully listed and is included in the ULRLS on-line catalogue, http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/default.aspx.

Catalogued by Stefan Dickers.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Eric Dingwall (1890-1986) bought one box of this collection from the Graphological Library in 1949. Provenance of the remainder is unknown.