George Parker Bidder: bills, receipts and miscellaneous letters 1880-1934

George Parker Bidder: bills, receipts and miscellaneous letters 1880-1934

G.P. Bidder was educated at Harrow School (1876-81), University College London (1881-82) and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Natural Sciences (BA 1886, MA 1895). After graduating he carried out research on the biology of sponges, and became a leading figure in the world of marine biology. Inherited wealth enabled him to live the life of a gentleman scholar (in addition to his scientific studies he was a mathematician and a classicist), and to make very generous gestures in support of the biological sciences (including the purchase of two journals that were in danger of closure, and of a steam trawler which he converted into a research vessel [1]). He married in 1899, and settled in Cambridge in 1902. He died there on 31 December 1953, aged 90.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

The following papers were presented to Cambridge University Library in 1955 by his younger daughter, Dr Anna Bidder.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

Further Bidder papers will be found at MSS Add.8657, 8679, 8680, 8970 and 9227.