Victor and Joan Eyles

These papers, maps and volumes were collected by Victor and Joan Eyles as a library on the history and practice of geology. The main body of the collection, DM 1536, consists of published works, correspondence, lecture notes, geological notebooks, geological surveys, and an extensive collection of biographical notes on eminent geologists throughout history. This material was researched and written by Victor and Joan Eyles as both a professional interest and a hobby. Victor Ambrose Eyles (1895-1978) was the son of W.H. Eyles, Lord Mayor of Bristol. During the Great War (1914-1918) he served in the Gas Brigade of the Royal Engineers. After he was wounded he served as an observer in the Kite Balloon Section of the Royal Flying Corps. After the War, he joined the Geological Survey of Great Britain, with which he served until 1955, conducting extensive geological surveying work throughout the British Isles. In 1931, following a whirlwind romance, he married Joan Mary Biggs (1907-1986), who thereafter worked with him on every project he engaged in. After retiring from the Geological Survey, Victor continued to tour Britain, giving lectures on Geology and the history of the science. In 1955 he graduated as a Doctor of Science at the University of Bristol. After his death in 1978, Joan continued to work on amassing the Eyles Library and worked on the History of Geology. After Joan's death, the Eyles papers were bequeathed to the University of Bristol.