Showing 18 results

Correspondence from 2001:

• Letter from the Travellers Club, Pall Mall, London to thank Michael Pollock, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, for securing for them a book from the late Professor Beckingham's library. Typed, 1 piece, dated 8 February 2001.
• Correspondence and proposals concerning a research grant to catalogue the Society's coin collection. Typed, 11 pieces, dated 7 January 2002 - 21 November 2007.
• Letter from Michael Pollock , Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, to Paul Thackeray to thank him for the generous gift of coin cabinets for the Society's Collections. Typed, 1 piece, dated 31 August 2003.
• Letter from Roger Parsons to the Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society, to offer his services as a volunteer. Typed, 1 piece, dated 21 August 2004. Roger continued to volunteer at the Society until 2024.
• Correspondence concerning the possibility of the Society having an entry in the Directory of Photographic Collections in the UK. Copy of emails, 1 piece, dated 30 January - 19 February 2007.
• Correspondence from the School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, University College, London, concerning the possibility of a work placement for a student on their MA in Library & Information Studies course. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 31 August 2007 - 22 August 2008.
• Correspondence and agreement with the Public Catalogue Foundation about inclusion of the Society's paintings within their catalogue. Typed and printed, 8 pieces, dated 29 January - 27 March 2010.
• List of attendees at the Sino-British Fellowship Trust Annual reception taking place on 25 June 2015. Typed, 1 piece,

Correspondence concerned with administration of activities for care and accessibility of the Collections. Much of this is not kept for archival purposes. These documents give illustration of the type of material produced in administration of the Collections.

Correspondence covering the period 1823-1969:

• Correspondence between the India Office and the Royal Asiatic Society; the first letter from the India Office sends a copy of the correspondence concerning a manuscript belonging to the late Lieutenant Fryer which was sent to the Society in 1856. The India Office asks for the manuscript to be sent to them so it may be returned to the Madras Presidency. With this letter is a printed copy of the evidence about the manuscript, 2 pieces, dated April 1860. Further correspondence to accompany the returned manuscript and acknowledge its receipt. Handwritten letters, 3 pieces, dated 23 February - 4 March 1861.
• Letter from the Office of Special Inquiries & Reports, Board Of Education, London, to the Royal Asiatic Society to return a book to the Society which had mistakenly been returned to the Board's Library. Typed, 1 piece, dated 5 January 1928.
• Correspondence concerning the discovery of a Muslim tunic by Her Highness the Dayang Muda of Sarawak and efforts to understand its calligraphy. Typed and handwritten, 20 pieces, dated 31 January - 29 April 1931.
• Correspondence concerning the compilation of the 1940 Decade Index for the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society carried out by Collections staff. Typed and handwritten, 5 pieces, dated 5 - 27 August 1940.
• Correspondence with Sir Richard Winstedt, Royal Asiatic Society President, concerning the identification of Buddhist and Hindu bronzes, and Malay manuscripts. Typed and handwritten, 10 pieces, dated 26 March 1946 - 29 March 1951.
• Correspondence between the Pilgrim Trust and Richard Winstedt, Royal Asiatic Society President, concerning the possibility of a grant to maintain the Society's activities. Typed, 4 pieces, dated 3 July - 30 July 1958.

Samples of correspondence concerning journal exchange for the period 1920-1970:

• Letter from Harold Alfred MacMichael, colonial administrator, to Mrs Fraser, Royal Asiatic Society Secretary, concerning the journal Sudan Notes and Records. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 6 November [1927].
• Letter from Charles Otto Blagden, School of Oriental Studies, to Colonel Hoysted, Royal Asiatic Society Secretary, concerning a journal about Burma (Myanmar). handwritten, 1 piece, dated 26 June 1932.
• Letter from Mahmahopadhaya, Chief-Editor and Secretary, Ganganatha Jha Research Institute, concerning the possible exchange of their Journal, the Banganatha Jha Research Journal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 26 November 1943.
• Letter from the British Council concerning a possible exchange with the Finno-Ugrian Society for their publication, Julkaisut. Typed, 1 piece, dated 29 July 1948.
• Letter from O.A. Nanajana Arami, Honorary Secretary, Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur concerning the possible exchange with one of their publications. Typed, dated 5 February 1965.
• Letter from the Editor, Research Publications, Sanskrit College, Calcutta (Kolkata), to ask for missing copies of the Society's Journals. Typed, 1 piece, dated 25 August 1965.
• Correspondence with Deutsche Staatsbibliothek concerning possible exchange of journals. Typed, 10 pieces, dated 30 September 1966 - 15 May 1968.
• Letter from the Dacca University Library, East Pakistan (Dhaka, Bangladesh), to send a complimentary copy of their catalogue of Persian, Urdu and Arabic manuscripts and ask for an exchange publication in return. Typed, 1 piece, dated 23 February 1967.
• Correspondence with the Sudasien-Institut, University of Heidelberg, Germany, concerning exchange of journals between the institutions. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 2 August - 15 January 1968.
• Letter from the Numismatic Society of India to acknowledge receipt of the Royal Asiatic Society's journals. Typed, 1 piece, dated 13 December 1967.
• Correspondence with the Journal of Tamil Studies, Madras (Chennai)concerning possible exchange of journals. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 4 May - 3 August 1970.

Correspondence from the period 1961-1980:

• Correspondence from the British Academy to inform of grants of £500 and £300 to cover bills for binding at the Royal Asiatic Society. Typed, 4 pieces, dated 22 May 1963 - 28 May 1964.
• Correspondence from the Survey of Manuscripts on Asia and Africa in the British Isles concerning the Society's contributions. Typed, 5 pieces, dated 12 -25 May 1965.
• Letter from A.H. Bivar, Royal Asiatic Society President, to Diane Crawford, Royal Asiatic Society Secretary, concerning gaining a grant from the newly-projected British Library for the support the Society has given historically to the National Central Library. Typed, 1 piece, dated 4 June 1972.
• Letter from the Historical Records Project, British Library of Political and Economic Science, London School of Economics, concerning a visit to see the Society's records which would help in compilation of their reports. Typed, 1 piece, dated 30 May 1973.
• Letter from the Ford Foundation, New York, to inform that the Society has been given a grant for renovation of the library and study rooms, and conservation of manuscripts and books. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 30 April 1975.
• Report from the Security Advisor to Museums and Galleries in the UK, and accompanying letter, concerning the Royal Asiatic Society's premises at Queen Anne Street. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 12-18 November 1976.
• Correspondence with Austin Coates concerning his publications being part of the Society's Collections. Typed with handwritten annotations, 5 pieces, dated 21 March - 5 April 1977.
• Correspondence concerning damage to books due to flooding in the Society's basement at Queen Anne Street. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 5-18 September 1979.
• Letter from John Hansman to inform that he is leaving a print of the Thatched House Tavern (site of the inaugural meeting of the Society) and that he is seeking alternative accommodation for his books currently stored at the Society. Typed, 1 piece, 2 September [1976].

Sample correspondence from 1971-1980:

• Correspondence with the South Asian Studies Association concerning exchange of their journal, South Asia. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 18 August -7 December 1971.
• Letter from the Archaeological Survey of India to inform the Society will continue to receive Epigraphia Indica and the Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy. Typed, 1 piece, dated 18 July 1972.
• Correspondence from A.D.H. Bivar concerning the National Central Library becoming a subscribing library. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 7 October 1972.
• Correspondence with Deutsche Staatbibliothek concerning exchange of publications. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 2 November - 4 December 1973.
• Letter to the Association pour l'avancement des Etudes iranniennes concerning an exchange for their journal, Studia Iranica. Typed, 1 piece, dated 19 July 1974.
• Correspondence with the Centre de Documentation et de Recherches sur l'Asie du Sud-Est et le Monde Insulindien, Paris, concerning exchange for their journal. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 17 June - 10 September 1974.
• Correspondence with the Library of the Academy of Sciences of the GSSR concerning exchange of publications. Typed and printed, 2 pieces, dated 4 July - 11 September 1974.
• Letter from the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Himachal Pradesh, India, thanking the Society for their donation of publications and sending their own The Tibet Journal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 22 October 1975.
• Correspondence with the Sultanate of Oman concerning exchange with their publication the Journal of Omani Studies. Typed, 8 pieces, dated 15 January 1976 - 12 July 1978.
• Correspondence concerning the exchange of Studia Iranica. Typed, 5 pieces, dated 3 January - 29 April 1977.
• Letter from the Intercultural Research Institute, Kansai University, Osaka, Japan, concerning the exchange of their journal the Journal of Intercultural Studies. Typed, 1 piece, date 21 January 1977.
• Letter from the National Library of Peking (Beijing), China, concerning an exchange with the Royal Asiatic Society. With the letter are lists of possible publications for exchange. Typed and printed, 7 pieces, dated 10 February 1977.
• Letter from the Institute of Ethnology, Taiwan, concerning exchange of their journal the Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnology. Typed, 1 piece, dated 24 February 1977.
• Letter from the University of Buenos Aires concerning possible exchange of journals. Typed in Spanish with handwritten English translation, dated 11 March 1977.
• Correspondence with the Bihar Research Society concerning missing volumes in the exchange. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 2 February - 12 July 1978.
• Correspondence with the American Historical Association concerning an exchange with the American Historical Review. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 6 March - 15 June 1978.
• Correspondence with the Archaeological Survey of India concerning missing volumes in the exchange process. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 13 April -17 July 1978.
• Letter from the American Schools of Oriental Research concerning a breakdown in receipt of Journals. Typed, 1 piece, dated 8 August 1979.
• Correspondence concerning an exchange with institutions in Leningrad. Typed and handwritten, 2 pieces, dated October 1980 - 15 June 1981.

Administrative correspondence from the period 1981-2000:

• Letter from Anthony S. Bennell concerning the revitalising of the Collections following the resignation of Simon Digby as Honorary Librarian. Typed with handwritten annotation, 1 piece, dated 29 April 1985.
• Letter from Richard Pankhurst, former Librarian, to Godfrey Goodwin, Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society, to give a forwarding address and express his hope that Goodwin is enjoying the role. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 1 October 1987.
• Correspondence from Intercultura to Godfrey Goodwin, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, to ask if he would consider being on the advisory committee for a major exhibition on Islamic science and technology, due to his extensive knowledge of Ottoman architecture, and to update him on the project. Typed, 4 pieces, dated 2 November 1997 - 7 May 1988.
• Letter from Godfrey Goodwin, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, to Simon [Digby] concerning missing books. Copy of a handwritten letter, 2 pieces, dated 7 November 1988.
• Correspondence between Godfrey Goodwin, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, and Andrew Topsfield, Ashmolean Museum, concerning suggestions for appropriate publications on Indian Art for the Society's collections. Typed and copy of handwritten, 4 pieces, dated 22 December 1988 - 17 January 1989.
• Correspondence with the Central Secretariat Library, Government of India, concerning the Indian Manuscripts: Bibliographical Survey they were undertaking. Typed and copy of handwritten, 2 pieces, dated 13 April - 4 May 1989.
• Correspondence and report from J.D. Smith, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, concerning the computerisation of the Society's Library catalogues. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 15 June 1990 - 31 January 1991.
• Correspondence concerning the payment for the CATS computer catalogue system. Typed, handwritten and copy of handwritten, 4 pieces, dated 27 October 1993 - 14 June 1994.
• Correspondence concerning the papers of Colonel James Tod and a request to see them from Norbert Peabody (Royal Asiatic Society President, 2024-2027). Typed, 2 pieces, dated 25 - 26 April 1994.
• Correspondence concerning the rehanging of pictures in the Society's rooms. Typed and copies of handwritten, 6 pieces, dated 20 June - 3 October 1994.
• Letter concerning the change in the opening hours of the Library. Typed, 1 piece,, dated 27 July 1995.
• Correspondence from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Government of Pakistan, concerning the donation of the Society's publications to a proposed new institute at Taxila, Typed, 2 pieces, dated 15 October - 31 October 1996.
• Correspondence from John Randall, Books of Asia, concerning some books with RAS stamps that have come into his possession. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 24 February 1999 - 23 March 2000.
• Correspondence concerning staffing of the Library. Copy of an email, 1 piece, dated 29 July 1999.
• Letter from Jan Turner, Deputy Librarian, Royal Geographical Society concerning a visit of their staff to the Royal Asiatic Society. Typed, 1 piece, dated 5 July 1999.
• Letter from the National Library, Republic of Turkey regarding contributions to their publication, The Bibliography and the Catalogue of the Published Works Related to Ottoman Heritage in the World. Typed, 1 piece, dated 13 August 1999.
• Correspondence concerning the stamping of the Richard Burton Collection. Typed, 6 pieces, dated 14 January -8 May 2000.

Sample correspondence from 1981-1990:

• Correspondence regarding exchange with the journal Studia Islamica. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 4 May - 14 December 1981.
• Letter from Frantisek Polkorab, Chief of the Acquisition Department of the Central Library of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, concerning the postal arrangements for exchange of publications. Typed, 1 piece, dated 1 June 1983.
• Letter from the Librarian. Archaeological Department Colombo (Sri Lanka) concerning the exchange of their publication, Ancient Ceylon. Typed, 1 piece, dated 11 October 1983.
• Correspondence with Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR concerning exchange of journals. Typed, 4 pieces, dated 29 February - 26 September 1984.
• Correspondence with the Institut for Geschichte der Arabisch-Islamischen Wissenschaften concerning a new publication for possible exchange. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 13 March - 18 June 1985.
• Correspondence with the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem concerning the exchange of their journal, Levant. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 1 May -20 May 1985.
• Letter from C. Raceau, Conservator, Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient to request an update of the exchange agreement. Typed, 1 piece, dated 12 October 1988.
• Letter to the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka to request missing volumes of their journal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 17 November 1988.

Sample correspondence from 1991-2000:

• Correspondence concerning the exchange of Studia Iranica. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 2 April - 21 March 1991.
• Correspondence with Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw, Poland concerning the continuation of the exchange of journals. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 29 May - 6 August 1991.
• Correspondence with the American Schools of Oriental Research concerning the initiation of an exchange of Journals. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 17 September - 15 October 1981.
• Letter from the Library, School of Oriental and African Studies, concerning continuation of an exchange of journals. Typed, 1 piece, dated 21 January 1994.
• Letter to Mr Gordon Johnson, Wolfson College, concerning acquiring the journal, Modern Asian Studies. Typed, 1 piece, dated 12 September 1995.
• Correspondence with Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Neue Hofburg, concerning missing volumes of their journal. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 6 June -4 July 1997.
• Letter from the Director of Qurtuba, Cordoba, to send the second volume of their journal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 8 June 1998.
• Correspondence with the Société Asiatique concerning missing volumes of journals. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 31 March - 6 October 1998.
• Correspondence with the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society concerning missing volumes of their jounral. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 25 August - 7 September 1998.
• Copies of emails with Dr Yaprak Eran concerning renewal of the exchange agreement for the journal Anatolian Studies, Typed, 4 pieces, dated 25 October 1999 - 31 May 2000.
• Copy of an email to the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh concerning missing volumes of their journal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 21 July 2000.
• Correspondence with Dr Juliette Jabaji, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, concerning continuation of the exchange agreement. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 25 October 2000 - 15 October 2002.

Sample correspondence from 2001. Much of this correspondence is still within current records:

• Letter from the Museum für Völkerkunde, Vienna concerning payment for their journal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 10 May 2001.
• Letter to the Editor, Quarterly review of Historical Studies, to update the exchange agreement. Typed, 1 piece, dated 20 November 2001.
• Correspondence with the Bibliothèque de l'Institut d'études iraniennes, Paris, concerning exchange agreements. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 11 December 2001 - undated.
• Correspondence with Gordon Johnson, Wolfson College, about missing volumes of Modern Asian Studies. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 29 April - 11 July 2002.