Ref NoLDGSL/1033
TitleAudio interviews by Hank Frankel on the history of Plate Tectonics
Date[1981-2012]
LevelSeries
Extent14 cassettes
FormatAudio visual
DescriptionFourteen audio cassettes (5 x 60 & 9 x 90 mins) of interviews between Hank Frankel and mainly four of the British protagonists involved in Plate Tectonics - Ted Irving, Drum Matthews, Dan McKenzie and Fred Vine.

The cassettes which have been digitised contain various content. Some are straightforward interviews in person or by telephone. Other recordings are taken at conferences. The audio quality is therefore quite variable and can be very muffled particularly for the conference recordings. Comprises:

Ted Irving - 8 x cassettes of recordings taken at conferences and interviews by phone.

Drum Matthews - 2 x cassettes of an in-person interview.

Dan McKenzie - 2 x cassettes containing part of an interview with Dan McKenzie, the rest is a recording taken at an unknown conference convened by Frankel on the subject of Plate Tectonics which includes parts of presentations given by Xavier Le Pichon, Derek Fairhead and David Howell.

Fred Vine - 2 x cassettes of an in-person interview.
Administrative HistoryHenry 'Hank' Frankel was an historian of science who held a particular interest in the history of Plate Tectonics. These interviews were recorded during Frankel's research for his various papers on the subject which culminated in his four volume work 'The Continental Drift Controversy', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, (2012). Frankel was awarded the Geological Society's Sue Tyler Friedman Medal in 2013 in recognition of his book which took years to research.
CustodialHistoryThe cassettes were digitised in February 2026.
ProvenanceThe cassettes were donated to the Society by Hank Frankel in October 2017 to be added to the Library's other holdings on Plate Tectonics.
Access ConditionsAccess is by appointment only. Please contact the Archivist for further information.
LanguageEnglish
Physical DescriptionThe originals are audio cassettes
Related MaterialWritten correspondence between Frankel and Dan McKenzie (archive ref: LDGSL/1107), Fred Vine (archive ref: LDGSL/1111) and Ted Irving (archive ref: LDGSL/1108) is in their respective archive collections.
ArchNoteDescription by Caroline Lam
CreatorNameFRANKEL | Henry Robert | 1944-2019 | geological historian
IRVING | Edward | 1927-2014 | geologist and palaeomagnetist
MCKENZIE | Dan Peter | 1942- | geophysicist
MATTHEWS | Drummond Hoyle | 1931-1997 | marine geologist
VINE | Frederick John | 1939-2024 | marine geologist and geophysicist
Persons
CodePersonNameDates
DS/UK/1633FRANKEL; Henry Robert (1944-2019); geological historian1944-2019
DS/UK/966MATTHEWS; Drummond Hoyle (1931-1997); marine geologist1931-1997
DS/UK/1209VINE; Frederick John (1939-2024); marine geologist and geophysicist1939-2024
DS/UK/1192MCKENZIE; Dan Peter (1942-); geophysicist1942-
DS/UK/1166IRVING; Edward (1927-2014); geologist and palaeomagnetist1927-2014
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