As part of an interdisciplinary research project, involving socio-historical study, differential psychology and history of statistics, focused on cross border European research in education [examinations and testing] in the 1930s, an archive of documents, images and objects has been created in Edinburgh on the Scottish contribution to early research on intelligence testing. This archive is linked to the researchers in Scotland in this period who were working on intelligence testing, teacher training on testing, and factorial studies in intelligence. The main person was Prof Sir Godfrey Thomson, Bell Professor of Education in Edinburgh and Principal of Moray House Training College. He was a scientist in intelligence studies, producer of well known IQ tests, and educationalist with international links [especially with Thorndike in Teachers College, Columbia]. It has been difficult to collect information about Thomson outside of his range of journal papers, journal letters, and committee memberships. Interesting but limited interview anecdotes and searches in rare archives have produced insights into his character. Sociology of science would not regard the person as separate from the science nor that it is simply context. The person, the place and the work are related, they are significant. By a series of coincident links [an article, a telephone call, a friend] a garage in the Orkney Isles was searched and 5 vinyl discs [78 speed] were found intact of a lecture by Godfrey Thomson in 1950. This paper is based on the questions raised by this recording, how it can be used in the project and what new unexpected areas it leads into

Historiography based on material objects and the relation between different kinds of evidence and their weighting. Plus insight from sound recording which has been not obtainable so far from any other sources, and revealing evidence about person, context and science relation.

No conclusions but new directions. Based on idea of Parallel Lives - how can connections be made which incorporate different kinds of evidence [statistical, experimental, managerial, academic, network, private and personal].