6.
X-ray photographs
 Maurice
Wilkins had already succeeded in taking X-ray photographs
of DNA crystals. He was now working with a trained crystallographer,
Rosalind Franklin, trying to obtain better pictures
which might give more clues to the structure.
Crick
and Watson were not the only researchers interested
in the photographs from King's College. Linus Pauling
had asked if Wilkins would send him copies in California.
Wilkins was hoping to find the structure himself, so
told Pauling that the photographs weren't ready to be
made public.
In
November 1951 Watson went down to London to hear Franklin's
preliminary report on her DNA photographs. It was clear
that the researchers in London were still collecting
X-ray crystallography data, and not yet suggesting possible
structures for the molecule.
When
Watson returned to Cambridge he told Crick about Franklin's
photographs, but couldn't remember all the details.
Crick felt that the photographs suggested DNA should
be a helix, but could have two, three or four strands.
They decided to start building models to see if they
could find the structure.
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