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This volume contains copies of, or extracts from, letters sent to the Royal Asiatic Society between 1846 and 1852. They are written into a leather-bound volume with the title 'Extracts' on its front cover. Besides the letters which cover 93 pages, there are subsequently some rough pencil notes and a diagram in a different hand (possibly a child's) followed by blank pages and an index at the end of the manuscript.

The International Congress of Orientalists, initiated in Paris in 1873, was an international conference of Orientalists. It was later renamed as the International Congress of Human Sciences in Asia and North Africa and then as the International Congress of Asian and North African Studies. This material covers the interaction of the Royal Asiatic Society with the Congress in the time period 1889 to 1993.

The O.W. Samson Award was set up in memory of Dr Otto William Samson, ethnographer and curator of the Horniman Museum. His wife, Elizabeth Samson, donated £10,000 to the Royal Asiatic Society with the wish that the annual income from the invested money be used to either enable a scholar to pursue their research in the fields of anthropology or archaeology relating to Asia; or to enable the Society to mount a study group or seminar on some aspect of these fields. In its initial years the award helped to fund a publication following the Islamic Fundamentalist Conference and 'The legacy of the House of Timur' Seminar. In 1992 it was awarded to Richard Rudgley, St Cross College, Oxford, to visit the rural areas of Xinjiang to document surviving traditional technology, and in 1993 to Lilla Russell-Smith to research Chinese Buddhist painting at Dunhuang.

The material related to this award includes initial correspondence, administrative documents, advertising leaflet, and later correspondence including the news of Elizabeth Samson's death.

Established as the Shanghai Literary and Scientific Society, in 1857, the Society became affiliated to the Royal Asiatic Society the following year, becoming the Royal Asiatic Society (North China Branch). This material was collated in the interaction of the two Societies; the closure of the North China Branch and subsequent questions regarding it closure; and in its reopening and re-establishing links with the Royal Asiatic Society.

Since its initiation in 1823, the Royal Asiatic Society has held an annual Anniversary General Meeting. This is partly a business meeting where the accounts are presented, and a report given of the Society's affairs for the preceding year. It is also a celebration of the Society's achievements and activities. A lecture is usually given as part of the proceedings and the meeting has, in its history, been followed by a reception or meal. Due to the business side of the activities, relevant material will also be found within the Governance records and within the General Meeting Minutes.

The material identified in this catalogue include agendas, reports, invitations, press cuttings and photographs.

At irregular intervals a Special General Meeting is called by the Council. These are to discuss and vote upon major changes within the Society such as a change in the Charter or Byelaws, the sale of some part of the collections, or the necessity of moving premises. Much of the discussion concerning these Meetings will be minuted in the Council Minutes and the meetings minuted in the General Meeting Minutes. This archive contains the supplementary material that has been collected concerned with Special General Meetings.

In 1938, l'Institut d'Histoire de l'Émigration Politique Contemporaine celebrated the 750th anniversary of the death of the Georgian poet, Chota Roustaveli. This correspondence and printed material are in connection with that celebration. They are:

• Letter from The President, Institut d'Histoire de l'Emigration Politique Contemporaine, to the Royal Asiatic Society to inform them of the celebration, of the Organising Committee, and of associated names and activities. He asks if the Society will consent to send a representative. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 29 January 1938.
• "Institut d'Histoire de l'Émigration Politique Contemporaine" - printed pamphlet concerning the Committees of the Society and its activities.
• Letter from Royal Asiatic Society to l'Institut d'Histoire de l'Émigration Politique Contemporaine to state that Sir Oliver Wardrop would be the Society's representative upon the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the death of the Georgian Poet, Chola Roustaveli. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 18 February 1938.
• Postcard from Sir Oliver Wardrop to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to state that the ceremony has been postponed until 30 March 1938. Handwritten, dated 20 February 1938.

Material produced by, or concerned with, the Royal Anthropological institute. These are:

• "Suggestions for a School of Applied Anthropology" by Sir Richard C. Temple. Report from "Man, No.102, 1913" of a discussion on the practical application of anthropological teaching in universities held in "Section H of the British Association, at Birmingham, Friday September 12th, 1913". There are also reports on statements by others including Mr T.C. Hodson, Secretary of the Royal Anthropological Institute. Printed material.
• Letter of invitation to the President, Royal Asiatic Society to be present at the conference convened by the "Joint Committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland" to be held on 19 February 1914. With the letter is also a "Memorandum of Proceedings". Printed material with handwritten inserts, letter dated 15 January 1914.
• Letter from W.B. Fagg, Hon. Secretary, Joint Committee, Royal Anthropological Institute, to the Royal Asiatic Society to inform them that their quinquennial revision of membership is overdue and to ask them to appoint a representative to serve on the committee from 1943 to 1947. They inform that the previous representative was R.E. Enthoven. Typed, dated 14 July 1943.

Material concerned with the Royal Society for Asian Affairs (originally the Central Asian Society) and its interaction with the Royal Asiatic Society.

Correspondence from the interaction of the Mythic Society, based in Bangalore, and the Royal Asiatic Society. These are:

• Invitation from the President and Council of the Mythic Society, Bangalore, to attend the celebrations of the Silver Jubilee of the Society on 27 November 1934. With the invitation is a Programme of Events. Both printed.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to the General Secretary, Mythic Society, to send the Society's thanks for the invitation to the Silver Jubilee celebrations, to send congratulations, and their regrets that the invitation arrived too late for them to send a representative. Typed, dated 11 December 1934.
• Letter from the Manager, Mythic Society, to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to provide a sketch of the activities of the Mythic Society. Typed, dated 31 March 1989.