Showing 12 results

In 1973 the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its Sesquicentenary (150 years). The archival material includes Planning committee administration; material connected with the various events held, exhibitions put on and publications produced in celebration of the occasion; and material concerned with fundraising for the Society.

This archive consists of lists and correspondence concerned with the disposal of items in the Collections of the Society. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to Disposals of the Society may be found in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and in the Minute books for the Council and General Meetings. Disposals may continue in the life of the Society. More recent ones are held in the Society's records management system and will be transferred to the archive in due course.

To coincide with the Queen's visit to the Royal Asiatic Society an exhibition was prepared at the premises of the Society. The material connected with this Exhibition is:

• "Royal Asiatic Society 150th Anniversary Exhibition 19 February 1973 - exhibition catalogue, typed material, 3 copies.
• Letter from W. Williams Wynn to Mr Beckingham to inform that though they have a portrait of Charles W. Williams Wynn but they will not part with it. He enquires whether a photograph of the portrait would be sufficient, dated 28 August 1968.
• Appeal notice for invitation cards, etc, designed by Professor Yetts for the Royal Asiatic Society, present in his Papers held by his estate, to be donated to the Society for their anniversary celebrations. With this is an example of one letterhead.
• Letter from Ray Strong, Director, National Portrait Gallery, to C.R. Beckingham, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to state that his request for the loan of the portrait of Sir Bartle Frere or Professor Horace Hayman Wilson will be put before the Trustees at their next meeting, dated 3 September 1968.
• Letter from B.W. Robinson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to W.G. Easeman, Museum Superintendent, Victoria and Albert Museum, to ask if the Society may borrow display cases and boards for their exhibition, dated 2 January, 1973.
• Letter from B.W. Robinson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to Miss Mercer, Head Archivist, County Hall, London, to ask if the Society may borrow an interior view of the Thatched House Tavern, where the Society's first meeting was held, dated 5 February 1973.
• Letter from Miss Mercer, Head Archivist, County Hall, London, to B.W. Robinson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to confirm that the Greater London Council would be willing to lend a copy of the engraving of the Thatched House Tavern, dated 8 February 1973.

In celebration of the Royal Asiatic Society's sesquicentenary various exhibitions of its collections were arranged. This series contains material concerned with organising and documenting those exhibitions.

An exhibition, "150 Years of the Royal Asiatic Society" was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum from 4 October to 4 November 1973. The material connected with the planning and curating of the exhibition is:

• "Victoria and Albert Museum Press Notice for 150 Years of the Royal Asiatic Society", printed material, 3 copies.
• Printed invitation from the President and Council of the Royal Asiatic Society to a private view of the Exhibition on 8 October 1973.
• Correspondence between the Royal Asiatic Society and Lord Methuen concerning the loan of a portrait of Sir Henry Rawlinson, 5 items, dated 26 April 1973 - 4 June 1973.
• Letter from Robert Skelton, Deputy Keeper, Indian Section, V&A Museum, to Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to enclose a loan form and list of loans received from the Society for the Exhibition, 4 items, dated 14 September 1973.
• "Things to V&A for Exhibition - Sept 1973" , typed list. Further lists concerning items to be loaned, 2 items.
• Correspondence concerning the loan of material held at the British Museum to the V&A for the exhibition, 4 items, dated 18 September 1973 - 26 September 1973.
• "Transit Room" - List of items received from the British Museum for Exhibition.
• Letter from G.A. Calver to Dr John Hansman to enclose a list of the companies who responded to the Appeal and therefore should be invited to the private viewing, dated 28 September 1973.
• List of Names and Addresses for direct invitations for private viewing.
• List of Publicity arising from V&A Exhibition.
• Newspaper cutting from the Observer concerning the exhibition at the V&A Museum, dated 7 October 1973.

Correspondence regarding the attendance of the drinking horn presented by the King of Sweden in 1899 at the Stockholm Congress. These are:

• Letter from the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to The Keeper, Department of Conservation, Victoria & Albert Museum, to ask his advice regarding repairs to the drinking horn. Typed, dated 13 March 1967.
• Letter from N.S. Brommelle, Keeper, Department of Conservation, Victoria & Albert Museum, to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask to see the drinking horn in order to advise regarding repairs. Typed with handwritten annotations, dated 17 March 1967.
• Letter from the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Mr Beecher, Department of Conservation, Victoria & Albert Museum, to ask for the repairs to be undertaken. Typed, dated 18 May 1967.
• Letter from the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Mr Beecher, Department of Conservation, Victoria & Albert Museum, to send the receipt for the repairs undertaken. Typed, dated 6 June 1967.
• Letter from Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Phoenix Assurance Co. Ltd. to ask for cover for the drinking horn during its time in Ann Arbor in the custody of Mr. H.L. Shorto. Typed, dated 18 July 1967.
• Letter from Phoenix Assurance Co. Ltd. to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to enclose the Policy for cover of the drinking horn. Typed, dated 27 July 1967. The policy is with this letter.

Descriptions of items loaned to the Victoria and Albert Museum by the Royal Asiatic Society. Each item is on an individual piece of paper, many of which have been annotated by Head. There are also black and white photographs of four of the items.

Correspondence and Lists regarding the bequest of Mrs Dorothy C. Wales, wife of Horace Geoffrey Quaritch Wales, regarding their donations of furniture, collections items and money to the Society. 13 items. These are:

• List of Books from the Library of H.G. Quaritch-Wales Letter from Burley & Geach Solicitors to enclose a valuation of items bequeathed to the Society, 13 July 1994.
• Letter from Michael Pollock to the Solicitor regarding an initial visit to the estate and items of interest, 2 August 1994.
• Preliminary Report on the Move of Material forming the Wales Bequest, 1994.
• Letter from Bullens Limited to give a quote for removal of items to the Society, 5 August 1994
• Letter from Bullens Limited to confirm the booking of the carriage of material, 8 September 1994.
• Books by Dr H.G. Quaritch Wales brought from Haslemere to 60 Queen's Gardens on Tuesday 13th September 1994.
  *nReceipt for Books with Ms. D.E. Tonge from estate of the late Dorothy Wales.
• Wales Bequest to the Library for the Journal of Royal Asiatic Society.
• Letter from John Guy, Acting Chief Curator, Indian & Southeast Asian Dept. regarding viewing objects from the Wales Bequest, 19 September 2001.
• Letter from John Guy, Acting Chief Curator, Indian & Southeast Asian Dept. regarding viewing papers, filed notes, diaries and photographs from Wales bequest with a summary checklist, 19 September 2001.
• The Bequests to the RAS by the late Mrs Dorothy Wales, by John A Payne, 27 May 2002
• Furniture Notes to Accommodate new Library Furniture - how to accommodate the items from the Bequest, undated.

Correspondence from Andrew Topsfield, Victoria and Albert Museum, to Raymond Head concerning the Royal Asiatic Society's Tod Collection:

• Letter from Andrew Topsfield to Raymond Head to inform that he has worked through the Tod material loaned to the V&A museum and has edited the entries. He asks for Head to come and see them. He also writes that he is concerned about preparing a note on the Tod Collections. He writes of other similar material in a private collection in San Francisco and at the Chandigarh Museum. Dated 19 October 1982.
• Letter from Andrew Topsfield to Raymond Head to inform that the cloth-painting of Ketelaar's camp was published by E. Penkala where it was wrongly called a Mughal painting. The identification of the painting was made by T. Clowney-Morris. Dated 29 March [1983]
• Letter from Andrew Topsfield to Raymond Head regarding the ordering of the Jaipur ragamala and asking for Head to check his spellings. Dated 22 August 1983.
• Letter from Andrew Topsfield to Raymond Head regarding the snakes and ladders picture, a copy of which Head has sent to Topsfield. He wonders if it would be possible for Head to bring it to the V&A to be photographed. He writes he is re-reading Tod's Annals. Dated 25 November 1983.
• Letter from Andrew Topsfield to Raymond Head to write he found another version of Tod on an elephant reproduced on the cover of Angus Wilson's "The strange ride of Rudyard Kipling". Dated 27 February 1984.
• Letter from Andrew Topsfield to Raymond Head to state that he has located the V&A portrait of Maharaja Ali Jah Daulat Rao Sindhia Bahadur. He gives a description of the portrait but cannot find out its early provenance. Dated 21 March 1984.

Correspondence relating to acquisitions in this time period. Some of these are electronic documents which may be accessed in the Reading Room.