Showing 24 results

Correspondence concerning the possible development of the property at 56 Queen Anne Street. These include internal correspondence and reports on the needs of the Society and possible courses of action; correspondence with the solicitor, Michael Downs of TL. Wilson; correspondence with the building surveyors, Morton-Smith and Co., and with the Howard de Walden Estates.

The Royal Asiatic Society considered over its tenancy both ways of developing the property, of increasing its income through extra rental, of extending the lease and of trying to buy the property from Howard de Walden Estates. For this purpose, at various times a Development Committee was established. These papers contain Minutes from Development Committee Meetings and allied correspondence.

Letter from Perowne, Gedge and Company, Solicitors, to Royal Asiatic Society, to inform the Society that the Embroiderers' Guild had just entered into a contract for purchase of their own property and therefore would be vacating the rooms at 56 Queen Anne Street. Dated 7 April, 1950.
Also a print block for an advertisement for the for "Exhibition of Embroidery Then & Now" 1959 for the Embroiderers' Guild Expansion Fund to be held at the Old Knoll, Eliot Hill, Lewisham. The exhibition was being held by the kind invitation of Dr and Mrs J.E. Stokes, presumably the then inhabitants, and to be opened by Wingfield-Digby, Keeper of Textile Department at the V&A.

Notes and correspondence regarding the history of 56 Queen Anne Street. These are:

• "The Royal Asiatic Society's House in Queen Anne Street" - a typed history of the building plus two further pages of typed and handwritten notes.
• Letter from Elliott, Son & Boyton, Surveyors, concerning former lease holders of the property, dated 23 May 1947.
• Correspondence with Howard de Walden Estates about former lease holders, 4 letters, 20 July 1967-29 August 1967.
• Letter from Brian Rawford concerning his memories of the house, dated 26 September 1968.
• Correspondence with the Embroiderers' Guild concerning their memories of the property, 2 letters, dated 25 January 1968 - 26 January 1968.
• Correspondence with the Librarian, University of Nottingham, and the County Archivist, Nottingham, concerning the Portland Papers, 12 items, dated 26 November 1969 - 25 February 1970.

Lease of a messuage and premises No.56 Queen Anne Street between General Real Estates Investment and Trust Limited and the Royal Asiatic Society for the 63 years commencing on 6th July 1946 and expiring in 2009. The lease was for a Fine of £8000 with a rent of £350. This is a copy of the original that was certified as a true copy of the original on 2 September 1948.

In 1984, the Royal Asiatic Society sought letters of support for the Society concerning a possible move to larger premises. The letters are from:

• Godfrey Goodwin, Director of Royal Asiatic Society
• Jack Franses, Sotheby & Co.
• Professor Joshua Blan, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Halil Inalcik, University of Chicago
• Helen Philon, Benaki Museum
• C. K. Pattanashetti, Bangalore University
• K. Enoki, The Toyo Bunko
• Dr. Hani Al-Amad, University of Jordan
• V Durairajan, Annamalai University
• H.A. [Backakob] Kirpal Singh, Guru Nank Dev University
• Hajime Nakamura, The Eastern Institute, Tokyo
• K. Brooker, London Head Teachers Association