All new researchers have to register their details before accessing the Collections. For the most part these exist only as current records and are disposed of at the end of their retention schedule. There is only one historic document that has been kept related in some way to researcher registration. This is a bound leather volume entitled "Names of Visitors to the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society, Great Britain and Ireland, 1832". At this time the Society had in its possessions many museum objects. The majority of these have now been dispersed to other institutions.
The volume is a registration book for visitors to the Museum covering the period January 1832-January 1840 on pp.1-123, and February 1848-June 1849 on pp. 125-126. It should be noted that on the outside of the Ledger is a label which reads "Committee of Agriculture and Commerce" and on pp.151-157 is an article, "Cost of Carrying Cotton" extracted from "The Friends of India..." dated 23 July 1861. On pp. 158-159 is an extract from the Council Meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society, 16 January 1871. The other pages are hand-numbered but are blank. Leather bound volume with ruled pages, handwritten. The binding is in a fragile condition and the leather has some red rot.
This catalogue contains the policy documents of the Society regarding Collections management. Because of the relatively small nature of the Society, historically many such policy decisions have been made by its Council or Library Committee, recorded in the Minutes of the Meetings, and these Minutes used as the "policy documents". Further some Collections management policy is covered by the Charters and Byelaws of the Society. Therefore researchers of policy decisions should also consult these materials.
The creation of policies and their updating is an ongoing process. Historic ones have been added to this catalogue; and others will be added as they become available.
This archive consists of correspondence, documentation, reports and allied material concerned with the loans of the Collections of the Society to other institutions predominantly for exhibition but sometimes for more long-term care. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to the Loans from the Society can be found in the Minutes for the meetings of the Council and Library Committees. Loans 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.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823-The Library Committee of the Royal Asiatic Society is part of the organisational structure of the Society and has oversight for the Society's Collections. This material contains the Minutes of its Meetings along with Reports and Papers presented at the Meetings and some significant correspondence.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823- London, EnglandThis 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.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823- London, EnglandThis 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.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823- LondonIn caring for the collections and making them accessible to researchers various lists and catalogues have been collated throughout the Society's history. Some of these have been published but many are unpublished or in draft form prior to publication. These have been kept as important sources of both information about the nature of the collections and also how the Society has historically organised them. Please note, however, that not all the items in the catalogues and lists are still within the Society's collections.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823 London, EnglandThis archive consists of registers, lists and correspondence concerned with the acquisitions and accessions of the Collections of the Society. The Society has not kept comprehensive records throughout its history. Further information pertaining to the Acquisitions of the Society can be found in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and in the Minute books for the Council and General Meetings. Accessions 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.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823- London, EnglandGovernance, administrative, and event material from the Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai and some material from their interaction with the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and IrelandRoyal Asiatic Society China in Beijing was established in 2013. The archival material is:
- Letter from Professor Anthony Stockwell, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to Mr Alan Babington-Smith, President, Royal Asiatic Society China in Beijing concerning the proposed change of name for the Society in Beijing. Typed, one piece, dated 30 October 2018.