Notebook belonging to James Lovelock whilst studying chemistry at the University of Manchester, 1939. Unable to read label on front cover as partially torn. Includes sketches; doodles; lecture notes, mostly on chemistry; diagrams. Pages titled 'Atomic Structure', 'Hydrogen', 'Coordination Compounds', plus many others. Pages at the back have been torn out. Ink and pencil; binding and front cover damaged; measurement of depth 24 mm, when open 376 mm (w).

James Lovelock studied chemistry at the University of Manchester, graduating in 1941. In his autobiography he describes choosing the university because of his unrequited love for a girl who studied there. He decided to study chemistry because at the time it involved very little arithmetic, a subject he had struggled with since school owing to his dyslexia. Despite his passion for science, the doodles in this notebook suggest his mind may not have always been entirely focused on the task at hand. Though he graduated with a lower-second-class degree, he impressed his professor and was recommended for a job at the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), where he went on to work.