MSS 2/0032-02 Acc. 1992-034 CHANCE, BURTON (1868-1965) Collection on the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, 1924-1935 Biographical Burton Kollock Chance, Philadelphia ophthalmologist and medical historian, was born on 30 January 1868. He was the tenth and youngest child of Robert Chambers and Elizabeth Gale (Corson) Chance. In 1903, Burton Chance married Maria Scott Beale. Chance died on 4 March 1965. Chance received his M.D. from the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1893. He then served an internship at St. Joseph's Hospital. In 1894, he became Resident Physician at Wills Eye Hospital. He became Assistant Dispensary Surgeon at the Eye Dispensary of the University of Pennsylvania in 1895, and from 1895 to 1898, he also served as Physician in Charge of the Children's Department at St. Joseph's Hospital. In 1899, Chance became Assistant Surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital and opened his private practice. In 1909, he became Ophthalmic Surgeon to the Pennsylvania Railroad as well as Ophthalmologist to the Germantown Dispensary and Hospital. Chance became Chief Surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital in 1916 and held this position until 1933 when he withdrew to consulting status. Chance was the author of over 250 publications, including case studies of neoplasms and color blindness and articles on biography and medical history. Burton Chance was a member of many professional organizations, including the Philadelphia County Medical Society, the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania, the American Medical Association, and the American Ophthalmological Society. He became a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1900 and was very active in the Section on Ophthalmology. Scope and contents The collection on the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, spanning 1924 to 1935, was collected by Burton Chance, a member of the Society. Included is correspondence, announcements of meetings, programs, receipts, and miscellaneous material. Especially well documented in the collection is the 1925 Convention of English Speaking Ophthalmological Societies. Series 1 includes correspondence with members of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, including Basil Graves, A. Maitland Ramsay, T. Harrison Butler, and W. T. Holmes Spicer. Most of these letters are of a personal nature; some concern Society meetings. Series 1 also contains a letter from Mr. G. Taylor, who wrote to Chance about his successful "artificial eye business" in London, and a letter from Theodore Hamblin Ltd., with an enclosed pamphlet describing "Hamblin's Telescopic Spectacles". Chance corresponded with the wives of several famous ophthalmologists, including A. Constance Bickerton, the wife of Thomas Herbert Bickerton (1857-1933), and Mita Critchett, the widow of Sir George Anderson Critchett (1845-1925). Chance and Critchett had planned to meet in July 1925 when Chance was in England for the Convention of English Speaking Ophthalmological Societies, but Critchett died unexpectedly in the spring of that year. Series 2 contains materials relating to the 1925 Convention of English Speaking Ophthalmological Societies, which was held in London and sponsored by the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom. This series contains Chance's mementos of the convention, including preliminary programs, a program of scientific business with a catalogue of exhibits, invitations to receptions, a banquet menu, and his convention member ticket. Series 3 contains announcements and notices for meetings of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom; included are announcements of exhibits and lists of proposed officers. Present in Series 4 are programs for the Society's Annual Congresses. Series 5 contains Chance's receipts for journal subscriptions and annual Society dues. Miscellaneous material is contained in Series 6. Present is a reprint of the constitution of the Council of British Ophthalmologists and a reprint of an article by E. Treacher Collins, President of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom in 1925, with a dedication from the author. Also included in Series 6 is an illustrated pamphlet describing the comfortable, natural looking artificial eyes produced by Mr. G. Taylor. Provenance The collection on the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom was donated to the Historical Collections of the Library of the College of Physicians, probably by Burton Chance at an unknown date. The collection was processed and catalogued in 1992. 1924-1935 1 box (.2 linear ft.) 3/26/1992 wvg MSS 2/0032-02 Acc. 1992-034 CHANCE, BURTON (1868-1965) Collection on the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, 1924-1935 Ser. 1 CORRESPONDENCE, 1925-1935. 1. 1925 Apr. 6-Dec. 25 (1 folder) 1925 2. 1926 Mar. 29-1930 Feb. 4 (1 folder) 1926-1930 3. 1935 Aug. 22 (1 folder) 1935 2 CONVENTION OF ENGLISH SPEAKING OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETIES, 1925. 1. Preliminary Programs 1925 July 14-17 (1 folder) 1925 2. Programs of Scientific Business and Catalogue of Exhibits 1925 July 14-17 (1 folder) 1925 3. Miscellaneous 1925 May 30-Aug. 29 (1 folder) 1925 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NOTICES, 1926-1933. 1926 Mar. 31-1933 Dec. (1 folder) 1926-1933 4 ANNUAL CONGRESS PROGRAMS, 1926-1930. 1926 Apr. 1930 Apr. (1 folder) 1926-1930 5 RECEIPTS, 1924-1930. 1924 Dec. 1930 Jan. 25 (1 folder) 1924-1930 6 MISCELLANEOUS, 1924-1933. 1. Council of British Ophthalmologists 1925 Feb. 1929 Apr. 13 (1 folder) 1925-1929 2. Reprints 1924 Oct. 25-1931 Jan. (1 folder) 1924-1931 3. Miscellaneous 1924 Sept. 15-1933 Dec. 27 (1 folder) 1924-1933 1924-1935 1 box (.2 linear ft.) 3/26/1992 wvg