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This archive consists of correspondence, documentation, reports and allied material concerned with the conservation of the Collections of the Society. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to the conservation of the collections may be found in the Minutes for the meetings of the Council and Library Committees. Conservation continues in the life of the Society. More recent records are held in the Society's records management system and will be transferred to the archive in due course.

The possibility of having an in-house conservator was raised in the late 1980s. It was decided that some money would be set aside for this for an initial period of 3 years. Graeme Gardiner was employed from 1989. The initial employment was extended beyond the original period. The archival material consists of reports and correspondence concerned with this employment and the work undertaken.

Correspondence regarding the in-house conservator and conservation at the Royal Asiatic Society:

Correspondence with Camberwell School of Art and Crafts

• Letter from Gillian Roy, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Studies, Camberwell School of Art and Crafts, to Godfrey Goodwin, Royal Asiatic Society, to thank for their meeting and explain arrangements for the School helping the Society by Graeme Gardiner initiating a programme of conservation with a group of students. Typed, 1 piece, dated 12 December 1988.
• Letter from Michael Pollock, Librarian and the Adviser to the Library [Godfrey Goodwin], Royal Asiatic Society, to Robert Acres, Head, Department of Paper Conservation, Camberwell School of Art, concerning conservation work undertaken by Camberwell students. With the letter is a list of items taken to Camberwell for conservation. Typed and handwritten, 2 pieces, dated 31 October 1989.
• Letter from Godfrey Goodwin, Librarian and Curator, Royal Asiatic Society, to Robert Acres, Camberwell School of Art and Crafts, concerning care of items going to Camberwell for conservation. Typed, 1 piece, dated 16 March 1989.
• Letter from Robert Acres to Godfrey Goodwin to thank Goodwin for arranging a visit for conservation students and to praise Graeme Gardiner's progress. Typed, 1 piece, dated 12 February 1991.
• Letter from Godfrey Goodwin to Gillian Roy to send a calendar of the relationship between Camberwell and the Royal Asiatic Society and to confirm the appointment of Graeme Gardiner as conservator. The calendar is with the letter. Photocopy of handwritten and typed, 2 pieces, dated 5 December 1990.

Correspondence regarding the the Shahnamah of Muhammad Juki manuscript (RAS Persian 239)
During this time, the manuscript was housed at the British Library.

• Letter from Don Baker, Conservator, to Michael Pollock, Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society concerning the condition of the manuscript. Typed, 1 piece, dated 15 July 1992.
• Letter from M.I. Waley, Curator for Persian and Turkish, British Library concerning allowing access for James Brockman to view the manuscript. Typed, 1 piece, dated 29 September 1993.
• Memo from the Librarian to the President, concerning James Brockman. Typed, 1 piece, dated 6 October 1993.
• Letter from G.W. Shaw, Deputy Director, British Library, to Professor A.D.H. Bivar, President, Royal Asiatic Society, again concerning access for James Brockman. Typed, 1 piece, dated 5 October 1993.
• Letter from Michael Pollock, Librarian, to James Brockman to send a copy of Don Baker's comments upon the manuscript and to ask him to make arrangements to see the manuscript. Typed, 1 piece, dated 6 October 1993.
• Letter from James Brockman, Book Structures, to Michael Pollock to given his condition report upon the manuscript. Typed, 1 piece, dated 13 October 1993.
• Letter from Michael Pollock to James Brockman to inform that the Society has decided not to proceed with conservation of the manuscript. Typed, dated 15 March 1995.

Other Correspondence

• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar, President, to [Graeme Gardiner] to congratulate him on the successful conclusion of first stage of the work. Typed, 1 piece, dated 7 September 1993.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar, President, to Marina Sacalis to thank her for her donation to enable rebinding of Gazetteers relating to India. Typed, 1 piece, dated 7 October 1993.
• Letter from Godfrey Goodwin to David [Bivar] concerning a collapsed bookcase and the need to consider the Library furniture. With the letter are lists concerning rehanging the Society's pictures and moving items to accommodate the new furniture. Handwritten and typed, 4 pieces, dated 3 October 1994.
• Correspondence with Julian E. Reade, Assistant Keeper, British Museum, discussing his concern over the care of some of the Society's collections. Typed, 6 pieces, dated 18 July 1994 - 15 February 1995.
• Correspondence from E.M.B. King, British Library, and Donald W. Insall and Associates, Chartered Architects, concerning plans to build a strongroom. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 23 February - 13 March 1995.
• Letter from Diana Hainsworth to Graeme Gardiner concerning valuation of photographs. Handwritten, 2 pieces, dated 16 January 1997.
• Correspondence from Graeme Gardiner to Helen Cordell, Honorary Librarian, concerning the purchase of protective masks and temporary relocation of the elephant volumes. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 29 March 1999.
• Copy of email from Michael Pollock, Librarian, to Giles Tillotson, Director, concerning the work that Graeme Gardiner had undertaken. Typed, 1 piece, dated 14 November 2000.
• Correspondence from Helen Cordell concerning the remit of work undertaken by the conservator. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 26 June - 29 July 2002.

The Society has a history of working with Camberwell College. This was renewed in 2016 and from 2016-2019 MA conservation students worked on some items in the Society's collections for their final projects. The archival material is:

2016

• RAS Persian Manuscripts 19 and 51 - work carried out by Jasdip Singh Dillon: Treatment proposals and work overview. Typed with accompanying photographs, 15 pieces.
• Paintings from the James Tod Collection (Cat. Nos. 061.002, 063.008 and 063.009) - work carried out by Bethia Grice. Proposal and condition reports, correspondence and Final Project report. Typed with accompanying photographs, 79 pieces.

2017

• The Canton Register Volumes 2 and 3 - work undertaken by Isana Skeete. Documentation of proposal and treatment. Digital file originally created in July 2017, archival document created in November 2024.
• Maps of Mount Hua and Putuo - work undertaken by Joey Shuker. Conservation Treatment Records for each map. Original digital documents created August 2017, archival documents created November 2024.
• “Squeeze Ink Impression” by Sir Alexander Cunningham - work undertaken by Laurent Cruveillier. Condition and Treatment report for the conservation of the positive and negative impressions and the historic label, and a copy of Cruveillier's dissertation, Conservation of Alexander Cunningham’s 1850s archaeological ink rubbing and inked squeeze of a stone inscription at Visvanatha temple in India. Digital files first created in June 2017, archival documents created November 2024.
• Painting of the Northern elevation of the Temple of Rana Mokal, Chitor (Cat. No. 037.174) - work carried out by Rebecca Snow. Condensed treatment report. Digital file originally created in June 2017, archival document created November 2024.

2018

• Pilgrimage scroll (artwork) - work carried out by Mathilde Renauld. Documentation and treatment proposal, and Renauld's dissertation, Conservation of a Shi’ite pilgrimage scroll from the Royal Asiatic Society. Digital documents originally created in 2018, archival documents created November 2024.

2019

• Pencil and ink drawings of the bridge and island of Sivasmudram (Cat. Nos. 073.001 - 073.004) - work carried out by Arantza Dobbels Busto. Treatment documentation for each of the maps. Typed with accompanying photographs, 8 pieces.
• Watercolour paintings of Genealogical trees from the James Tod Collections (Cat. Nos. 037.177 and 037.178) - work carried out by Rebekah Harbord. Conservation documentation, typed with accompanying photographs, 12 pieces.
• Double-sided miniature paintings depicting Layla (Cat. No. 058.001) with three birds on verso and Majnun with a Prince on a piebald horse on verso (Cat. No. 058.002) - work carried out by Rebekah Harbord. Conservation Treatment Proposal, Conservation documentations, and a copy of her dissertation, Stabilisation and re-housing of two double-sided Indo-Persian manuscript miniatures c.1550-1650 from the Persian manuscript collection of the Royal Asiatic Society. Typed with accompanying photographs, 61 pieces.