NATURE. A Weekly Journal of Science. The six milestone papers on the structure of DNA

London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd 1953, 1953. Two bound volumes. Volume 171 (January 3 1953 to June 27 1953) and Volume 172 (July 4 1953 to December 22 1953). Bound in maroon (vol. 171) and brick-red (vol. 172) cloth, spine lettered in gilt. In very good condition. Front pastedown has the bookplate of Worthing Public Library and title page of volume 172 (and verso of volume 171) has a small round Worthing Public Library stamp. The papers are as follows: 1. Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid, by J.D.Watson and F.H.C. Crick. Nature, Volume 171, No. 4356. April 25 1953. pp737-738. 2. Molecular Structure of Deoxypentose Nucleic Acids, by M.H.F. Wilkins, A.R.Stokes and H.R.Wilson Nature, Volume 171, No. 4356. April 25 1953. pp738-740. 3. Molecular configuration in Sodium Thymonucleate by Rosalind E. Franklin and R.G.Gosling. Nature, Volume 171, No. 4356. April 25 1953. pp740-741. 4. Genetical Implications of the Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid by J.D.Watson and F.H.C.Crick. Nature, Volume 171, No. 4361. May 30 1953. pp964-967. 5. Evidence for 2-Chain Helix in Crystalline Structure of Sodium Deoxyribonucleate by Rosalind E. Franklin and R.G.Gosling. Nature, Volume 172, No. 4369, July 25 1953. pp156-157. 6. Helical Structure of Crystalline Deoxypentose Nucleic Acid, by M.H.F.Wilkins, W.E.Seeds, A.R.Stokes and H.R.Wilson. Nature, Volume 172, No. 4382, October 24 1953. pp759-762. Together these papers, announcing the discovery of DNA, provide the single most important advance in biology since Darwin's theories. Although Crick and Watson are the best known of the scientists working on the structure of deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) it was a collaborative venture and it is now recognised that the model used by Watson and Crick was based almost completely on the findings of Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.