Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1947 (Creation)
- 1827 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 folder: photograph, typed and handwritten correspondence
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sir George McKenzie Franks was born in Edinburgh and served in the British Army. He died in Belfast.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sir William Foster was a British historiographer and civil servant who was Registrar and Superintendent of Records in the India Office.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sir Patrick Cadell was a civil servant who served in India.
Name of creator
Biographical history
William Henry Florio Hutchisson was a British painter known for his portraits and scenes from India.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt was born in Oxford and graduated from New College, Oxford. In 1902 he became a cadet in the Federated Malay States Civil Service, and was posted to Perak where he studied Malay language and culture. In 1913 he was appointed District Officer in Kuala Pilah, and in 1916 appointed to the Education Department. In 1920 he received his DLitt degree from Oxford. He served as the first President of Raffles College, Singapore, 1928–1931. During his presidency, he also served as acting Secretary to the High Commissioner, 1923, Director of Education for Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States (FMS), as a member of Legislative Council, Straits Settlements, 1924–1931 and as a member of the FMS Federal Council, 1927–1931. He was president of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1927, 1929 and 1931. After a term as General Adviser to Johore, 1931–1935, Winstedt retired from the Malayan Civil Service. He returned to England and was appointed Lecturer, then Reader, and ultimately Honorary Fellow, in Malay, at the School of Oriental Studies in London, where he also served as a member of the Governing Body, 1939–1959. During World War II, he broadcast in Malay to Japanese-occupied Malaya. He retired from active teaching in 1946.
Winstedt was very involved with the Royal Asiatic Society towards the end of his teaching career. He serving multiple terms as the Society's Director (1940-43, 1946-49, 1952-55, 1958-61) and President (1943-46, 1949-52, 1955-58, 1961-64). In recognition of all this administrative work as well as of his scholarship he was awarded, in 1947, the Society's Gold Medal. He was elected as the Society's Honorary Vice-President in 1964.
Repository
Archival history
The original painting was, in 1947, owned by Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks. The correspondence was created in his attempt to discover more about the painting.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The material was acquired when Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks requested the help of Sir Richard Winstedt, Director, Royal Asiatic Society, in identifying the occasion of the painting and the people portrayed.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Correspondence concerning the identification of the portrait, The reception of Lord Amherst by Rup Lal Mallick, by William Henry Florio Hutchisson. The painting, at the time of the correspondence, was owned by Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks. The material consists of:
- A photograph of the painting mounted on brown card.
- Letter from Major V. Hodson to Sir Patrick Cadell to give his opinion on who might be present in the painting. He recognises Colonel Duncan Macleod and names other possibilities. With the letter is a pencil sketch of some of the figures and his identification of those numbered. He also writes of a possible date and occasion. Typed letter, dated 13 July, 1947.
- Letter from Sir Patrick Cadell to Sir Richard Winstedt to write of the information he has obtained from Major Hodson. The letter records that the photo was sent to Winstedt by a Mr Sheppard. He also adds thoughts from other sources, but admits beyond the information he's provided he cannot help further. He suggests contacting C.E.A.W. Oldham or W. Foster. Handwritten letter, 7 sides, dated 18 July 1947.
- Note from Sir Richard Winstedt to Sir William Foster to ask him if he might be interested in the material and be able to identify the painter. Handwritten on Royal Asiatic Society headed paper, dated 30 August 1947.
- Letter from Sir William Foster to Sir Richard Winstedt in which he suggests that the artist might be William Henry Florio Hutchisson. Typed letter, dated 1 August 1947 (Probably 1 September 1947).
- Letter from Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks to Major Sheppard in which he writes of new information that he acquired about the picture from a book he had been lent by a Mrs Brabazon with reminiscences of her ancestor, General Sir George Bell. In the book is an account of an event in 1827 in Calcutta which fits with the details of the painting. This dates also fits with the time that Franks' great-grandfather was in India. The description gives clues to other people present and that the event was hosted by Rup Lal Mallick. With the letter is a typed copy of the appropriate section from Bell's memoirs. Typed, 4 sides, dated 16 September 1947.
- Letter from Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks to Sir Richard Winstedt to update him on the material that has been found describing the events of the painting. He invites Winstedt to view the painting if ever in Ireland. With his letter he sends a list entitled 'Notes on colour of uniforms, etc, with reference to numbers on tracing'. Typed, dated 22 September 1947.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. 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
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
The original painting was sold at Sotheby's in 1989 for £56,000.
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Franks Sir George McKenzie 1868-1958 Major-General (Subject)
- Foster Sir William 1863-1951 (Subject)
- Cadell Sir Patrick Robert 1871-1961 (Subject)
- Hutchisson William Henry Florio 1773-1857 (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
The material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.