Fonds RAS ANN175 - Royal Asiatic Society: 175th Anniversary Celebration

Identity area

Reference code

GB 891 RAS ANN175

Title

Royal Asiatic Society: 175th Anniversary Celebration

Date(s)

  • 1997 - 1999 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

4 archival folders

Context area

Name of creator

Administrative history

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas.

Name of creator

Administrative history

Name of creator

Administrative history

Name of creator

Administrative history

Name of creator

Administrative history

Name of creator

Biographical history

Name of creator

Biographical history

Name of creator

(20/06/1912 – 29/12/2005)

Biographical history

Robinson was born in London, and attended Winchester College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He joined the staff of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1939 and was shortly afterwards transferred to the Department of Metalwork where, apart from war service in the East from 1939 to 1946, he spent the rest of his career. He served as Keeper of the Department of Metalwork from 1966 until his retirement in 1972. In 1967 he was elected honorary president of the To-ken Society of Great Britain and was president of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1970 to 1973. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a Fellow of the British Academy.

His principal fields of scholarship were: Persian miniature paintings (he developed the standard classification and chronology), Japanese swords, and the artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (he established the artist's place among the great masters of ukiyo-e).

He died in 2005. He had married twice: firstly Mary Stewart, who died in 1954, and secondly Oriel Steel, with whom he had a son and a daughter.

Name of creator

(1944 -)

Biographical history

Francis Christopher Rowland Robinson CBE, DL, FRAS (born 23 November 1944 in Barnet) is a British historian and academic who specialises in the history of South Asia and Islam. Since 1990, he has been Professor of History of South Asia at the University of London. He has twice been president of the Royal Asiatic Society: from 1997 to 2000, and from 2003 to 2006.

Archival history

These records are part of the Royal Asiatic Society's Institutional Records and therefore part of the historical records of the Society.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

These are part of the institutional records of the Royal Asiatic Society which have been accumulated throughout its history.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

In 1998, the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its 175th anniversary with an exhibition, "Persian and Indian Manuscripts and Paintings from the Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society" at the British Museum, and a lecture, "The Book of Kings: The Juki Shahnama of the Royal Asiatic Society" by Dr Barbara Brend, held at the British Library. This material covers the planning, publicity and attendance at these events. Also in conjunction with the exhibition, the publication Persian Paintings in the Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society by B.W. Robinson was published.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The material was divided into 2 series, one covering the exhibition at the British Museum including advertising for the publication, and the second series covering the lecture at the British Library.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open. Please contact the archivist using the email address given here. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

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    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    The Minutes of the Council Meetings and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society will give further information regarding the 175th Anniversary Celebrations.

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

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    Description control area

    Description identifier

    gb891-rasann175

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    Dates of creation revision deletion

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        Sources

        Archivist's note

        These Papers were catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2019.

        Accession area