The Papers of Edward William West reflect his interest in Pahlavi language and Zoroastrianism. The majority are handwritten notebooks and other manuscripts in which he did his work. These often have many inserts. There are also loose handwritten notes, some correspondence and some printed material.

This collection consists of seven leather bound portfolios containing topographical drawings, maps, floor plans, notes and papers that the West brothers had created when working in the Maharashtra region of India in the mid to late 1800's. The main focus of the collection is the Kanheri Caves; a group of over 109 rock cut temples located in what is today the Sanjay Gandhi National Park on the western outskirts of Mumbai. The brothers studied these caves over the course of several decades, returning to the site many times to check and amend measurements, locations, and expand open their interpretation of the site. The remainder of the collection covers several other sites such as: Ajanta, Ellora and Daulatabad.

A letter to David Price from a sender at Tannah [Possibly Thane as Bombay/Mumbai is also mentioned in the letter] to send Price five Lottery Tickets (not with the letter) which the writer was tardy in sending because three had been mislaid. Having previously been given a bad cheese from another source, the writer asks Price to send him "immediately one fine pineapple cheese, some anchovie paste and one piece of good red dunganee". He writes of the approaching rain, of a court martial, and the easiest way for Price to visit.

Letter from Captain James Purefoy to his brother-in-law, Robert Turbett, in which he gives details of his journey to China on the Anna, a boat owned by a Persian merchant, which set sail in October 1793. He writes of the places that they stopped at or passed including Princes island, Batavia, Borneo, before arriving at Macao where they deposited their cargo of cotton and filled the hold with items such as sugar and tea. The letter is dated Bombay January 10th 1794, handwritten, 1 piece, 4 sides.

Correspondence with Reverend Henry Heras, Director of the Indian Historical research Institute, St. Xavier's College, Bombay. These are:

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Henry Heras to ask, on behalf of the President and Council, whether Heras would be willing to be the Society's delegate at the Seventh Indian Oriental Conference alongside Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar as a second representative. Dated 18 April 1933.

Letter from Henry Heras to Colonel Hoysted to inform that he would be delighted to represent the Society alongside his friend, Dr Bhandarkar. Undated.

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Henry Heras to inform that the President and Council are most gratified with his response and to enclose the official notification. Dated 10 July 1933.

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Henry Heras (and Dr. Bhandarkar) to state that he has just received the second bulletin concerning the conference which includes the programme. Hoysted asks that it they have not received this bulletin for them to ask for one from Baroda. Dated 30 October 1933.

Letter from Henry Heras to Colonel Hoysted to inform him that he has received the bulletin, that he will be leaving for the conference on 26th December and of the title of the Paper that he will read. Dated 14 December 1933.

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Henry Heras to thank him for the report he sent about the Conference and to convey the President and Council's thanks. Dated 21 February 1934.

Correspondence with Dr. Wladmir Alekseevich Ivanow, Bombay. These are:

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Mr W. Ivanow to ask, on behalf of the President and Council, whether Ivanow would represent the Society at the Tenth All-India Conference. Dated 12 March 1939.

Letter from W. Ivanow to Col. Hoysted to accept the invitation to represent the Society. He continues his letter by emphasising the need to have his correct address on correspondence to avoid unnecessary delays in its arrival. Dated 5 May 1939.

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Mr W. Ivanow to thank him for his letter and apologise concerning the address. Hoysted writes that he has informed the Local Secretary of the Conference that Ivanow will represent the Society. Dated 11 May 1939.

Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Mr W. Ivanow (and Dr Aiyangar) to ask if they have been informed of the change of venue and date for the Conference. Dated 10 January 1940.

Letter from W. Ivanow to Col. Hoysted to give his apologies that he will not now attend the Conference due to change of venue and the impact that has for Muslim scholars. Dated 22 February 1940.