The Royal Asiatic Society bought 60 Queen's Gardens in 1988 and remained there until 2005. These papers include records concerning the purchase, upkeep, rental of rooms, and sale of property, and photographs.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and IrelandThe move of the Society from Queen's Gardens necessitated the sale of some furniture and curtains. This material includes correspondence with The Curtain Exchange, Lloyds International Auction Galleries, and Christie's. It also includes a Catalogue for Christie's Auction of Furniture and Decorative Objects held on 11 October 2005, when some of the Society's furniture was in the sale.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and IrelandWithin the Royal Asiatic Society collections are several lists and catalogues relating to Asiatic material which are not part of the Society's own collections. These have been gathered within this catalogue. They are:
- 'A Catalogue of Indian Idols, Indian Paintings, Drawings, &c. which were collected by Mr. Simpson, during a long Residence in India in the Company's Service. Which will be Sold by Auction by Mr. Christie, at his Great Room, in Pall Mall, On Saturday, May the 26th, 1792, at Twelve O'clock.' This is a photocopy of the original document.
- 'List of Oriental Works purchased at Erzerum, translated from the St Petersburg Journal of Dec 20 1829/ Jan 9 1830' - handwritten list.
- 'Catalogue of moghrebine arabic Manuscripts in the possession of Jakob Graberg of Hemso' - handwritten, dated Florence, 26 April 1830.
- 'Sale of Dr. A. Clarke's Library: Desirable for the R.A.S.' - handwritten list, undated.
- 'Catalogue of Malayan Book's by Thomas Beighton - handwritten list, undated.
- 'List of the Principal Budhistical works from the Pali in Chinese character by Mt Gutzlaff' - handwritten, dated 1845.
- 'A List of the Oriental Coins preserved in the British Museum, B. Dorn' - handwritten list, undated.
- 'Catalogue of Malay books the property of Inchi Mahomed' - handwritten list, undated.
- 'Catalogue of the Chinese Library of University College, London' - handwritten volume, dated to 1885.
- 'Lost of lithographed Malay texts in the alphabetical catalogue of Leiden University Library under Kikayat and Shair' - handwritten list, 2 sides, undated, post 1900.
'A Catalogue of Indian Idols, Indian Paintings, Drawings, &c. which were collected by Mr. Simpson, during a long Residence in India in the Company's Service. Which will be Sold by Auction by Mr. Christie, at his Great Room, in Pall Mall, On Saturday, May the 26th, 1792, at Twelve O'clock.' This is a photocopy of the original printed catalogue. With the catalogue are notes created by Michael Willis concerning the three items purchased from this sale which are now in the British Museum Collection. Also a letter from Ian Jenkins, Senior Curator, Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, to Michael Willis thanking him for sharing the catalogue with him and recommending a book, handwritten, dated 3 February 2005.
Willis Michael