Lease of a messuage and premises No.56 Queen Anne Street between General Real Estates Investment and Trust Limited and the Royal Asiatic Society for the 63 years commencing on 6th July 1946 and expiring in 2009. The lease was for a Fine of £8000 with a rent of £350. This is a copy of the original that was certified as a true copy of the original on 2 September 1948.

Licence relating to the variation of user of part of the premises situate and known as Number 56 Queen Anne Street. Licence given by Howard de Walden Estates to the Royal Asiatic Society to change the rate of the Licence fee for the Royal Anthropological Institute to use the premises.

Correspondence concerned with the repair of the glass roof dome. Application was made for funds from the Historic Buildings Council (refused), the Greater London Council and The Pilgrim Trust (accepted). The correspondence is with these organisations, and with the Building Surveyors, Morton-Smith & Co. There are also two large and sixteen small black and white photographs of the dome and 17 photographic negatives.

The Royal Asiatic Society considered over its tenancy both ways of developing the property, of increasing its income through extra rental, of extending the lease and of trying to buy the property from Howard de Walden Estates. For this purpose, at various times a Development Committee was established. These papers contain Minutes from Development Committee Meetings and allied correspondence.

In 1984, the Royal Asiatic Society sought letters of support for the Society concerning a possible move to larger premises. The letters are from:

• Godfrey Goodwin, Director of Royal Asiatic Society
• Jack Franses, Sotheby & Co.
• Professor Joshua Blan, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Halil Inalcik, University of Chicago
• Helen Philon, Benaki Museum
• C. K. Pattanashetti, Bangalore University
• K. Enoki, The Toyo Bunko
• Dr. Hani Al-Amad, University of Jordan
• V Durairajan, Annamalai University
• H.A. [Backakob] Kirpal Singh, Guru Nank Dev University
• Hajime Nakamura, The Eastern Institute, Tokyo
• K. Brooker, London Head Teachers Association

Notes and correspondence regarding the history of 56 Queen Anne Street. These are:

• "The Royal Asiatic Society's House in Queen Anne Street" - a typed history of the building plus two further pages of typed and handwritten notes.
• Letter from Elliott, Son & Boyton, Surveyors, concerning former lease holders of the property, dated 23 May 1947.
• Correspondence with Howard de Walden Estates about former lease holders, 4 letters, 20 July 1967-29 August 1967.
• Letter from Brian Rawford concerning his memories of the house, dated 26 September 1968.
• Correspondence with the Embroiderers' Guild concerning their memories of the property, 2 letters, dated 25 January 1968 - 26 January 1968.
• Correspondence with the Librarian, University of Nottingham, and the County Archivist, Nottingham, concerning the Portland Papers, 12 items, dated 26 November 1969 - 25 February 1970.

Plans for the property 56 Queen Anne Street. These are:

• Plans drawn up by G.K. Payne for location of rooms in Queen Anne Street, Scale 1/8" =1'0" 56 Queen Anne Street, September 1974, prepared by Morton-Smith and Company with room plans for basement, ground and first floors and a small location plan. Three sheets of plans numbering and labelling the rooms on basement, ground and first floors.
• Copies of Payne's plans with annotations. Undated.
• Five photocopied sheets of floor plans for basement, ground, 1st and 2nd floors, and mews. Undated.

Black and white photographs of 56 Queen Anne Street. These are:

• 3 identical prints of the frontage of the building, one mounted on board
• 3 prints of different views of the Library, plus further print of the fireplace
• 2 large identical prints of the Lecture Room and two smaller identical prints of the room
• 3 large and two smaller views of a reading/council room featuring the portrait of Lt. Col. William Lambton (Head cat. 01.011), one mounted on board
• 2 large and 4 smaller views of a reading/council room featuring the Thomas Daniell print of the Mosque at Juanpore (Head cat.090.005)
• 1 print of a carved fireplace with 3 prints showing the ornamental detail of lady with two cherubs
• View of a fireplace with further close up view of detail of a lady with a dog
• View of fireplace with swag carving
• View of Staircase, taken in 1972
• View of carved alcove
• Three views of front room ground floor and lecture room, possibly circa 1963, with accompanying note
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar to Diana Crawford, Secretary of Royal Asiatic Society, to send duplicate copies of prints of the Society's premises taken at the time of the Queen's visit. Typed letter, dated 14 September 1977
• 29 negatives for pictures of the premises

In 1995, it was discovered that significant repairs were needed to the premises. These papers include correspondence predominantly between the Royal Asiatic Society and Giles Quarme, Chartered Architect, architectural plans for proposed changes, and reports concerning the work and its financial implications.

• Inventory of the contents of 60 Queen's Gardens, dated to September 1997.
• R.A.S. Inventory - February 1999
• Letter and Invoice from A&B Joinery to make a lectern in mahogany veneered MDF. Two items, dated 12 July-19 August 1999.