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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.

Since its inception the Royal Asiatic Society has encouraged the dissemination of Asian studies through the delivering of papers and lectures. These, particularly throughout the early history, were part of the General Meetings and recorded in the Minutes of the General Meetings (RAS LEC1). The material in this catalogue concerns the administration and publicity of papers, lectures and book launches given for the Society.

Some administrative documents have become archival material. Currently:

• Letter from Tamar Beruchashvili, Ambassador, Embassy of Georgia, to Alison Ohta, Director, Royal Asiatic Society, to thank the Society for hosting 'Shakespeare and Rustaveli meet in London' as the annual Rustaveli Day celebrations on 28 November 2016. Typed letter, 1 piece, dated 2 December 2016.

Documentation concerned with Conferences, Symposia and Study days held by, or at, the Royal Asiatic Society. These include some events held in collaboration with other organisations, held either at the Society's premises or at other locations. Most of the early material can be found the Minutes of the Committees, the Oriental Congress catalogues and the catalogues for significant anniversaries. At present the material in this catalogue dates from the 1980s.

The Royal Asiatic Society has, from time-to time, mounted exhibitions of its collections, at its own premises or other exhibition spaces. Several of the major ones of these were associated with the major anniversaries of the Society. The material for those exhibitions can be found in the anniversary catalogues.

However in the late 1980s and early 1990s the Society held regular small exhibitions on its premises. The programmes for these can be found within this catalogue along with other exhibitions not associated with anniversaries.

The Society's events are mainly centred on Lectures, Conferences and Exhibitions. However, they occasionally hold other types of events either at the premises, or making visits to other locations. Archival material associated with these events are found within this catalogue.

The end-of-year accounts for the Society. Many are signed accounts. These cover the dates: 1942-1946, 1949-1951, 1953 -1960, 1962-2019.

Also with these accounts is a 'Note on the Financial Condition of the Royal Asiatic Society' a typed document, 6 pages, dated 1920.

In caring for the collections and making them accessible to researchers various lists and catalogues have been collated throughout the Society's history. Some of these have been published but many are unpublished or in draft form prior to publication. These have been kept as important sources of both information about the nature of the collections and also how the Society has historically organised them. Please note, however, that not all the items in the catalogues and lists are still within the Society's collections.

Correspondence and administrative documents concerned with the setting up of the Denis Sinor Medal. These are:

• Letter from Denis Sinor, Distinguished Emeritus Professor, to an unknown recipient to enquire regarding the instigation of a triennial gold medal for a major work published on an Inner Asian subject, the medal being in memory of his time serving the Royal Asiatic Society as the Honorary Secretary. He asks the recipient to discover whether such a suggestion might be welcome by the Council. Typed with handwritten annotations, 1 piece, undated.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to David Morgan to ask his opinion of a letter from Denis Sinor concerning his instructions for the medal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 15 July 1991.
• Letter from David Morgan to A.D.H. Bivar with his opinion that he would welcome the award as someone strongly interested in Central Asia and he advises to continue the dialogue with Sinor concerning the details of the award. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 22 July 1991.
• Letter from Terence Mullaly, President, British Art Medal Society, to Professor A.D.H. Bivar to send the details of the medallist Jacqueline Stieger. With the letter is am article concerning the T.E. Lawrence centenary commemorative medal designed by Stieger. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 24 July 1991.
• Letter from Denis Sinor to A.D.H. Bivar to inform he is still very interested in the medal and will be in London in January when they could discuss the issue. Typed, 1 piece, dated 7 January 1992.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar to Denis Sinor to inform of the proposals accepted by the Council concerning the medal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 9 January 1992.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar to Denis Sinor to inform of estimates for the medal and of the need to formalise the design. Typed, 1 piece, dated 20 February 1992.
• Letter from Denis Sinor to A.D. H. Bivar to inform of his preferred design and to give his thanks to the Council. Typed, 1 piece, dated 28 February 1992.
• Letters from Lydia Collins, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Joan Bellamy, J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd., and F.G. Custerton, Royal Mint, to give full details of the medal and ask for a written quotation to produce five. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 5 March 1992.
• Letter from Jonathan Hellings Kiff, Royal Mint, to Lydia Collins to send the quotation. Typed with handwritten annotations, dated 16 March 1992.
• Letter from Joan Bellamy, J.R. Gaunt & Son, to provide the quotation. Typed with handwritten annotations, date 19 March 1992.
• Letter from M. Luton, Sales Manager, Toye, Kenning & Spencer (Birmingham) Ltd., to provide a quotation. Typed,1 piece, dated 20 March 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Denis Sinor to send him the written estimates. These are with the letter. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 31 April 1992.
• Letter from Denis Sinor to Lydia Collins to advise to accept the Royal Mint estimate. Typed, 1 piece, dated 6 April 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins, to J.H. Kiff, Royal Mint to give the Society's preference for the medal and a cheque to cover 90% of the costs. The designs are with the letter. Typed, 3 pieces, dated 6 May 1992.
• Letter from Jonathan Kiff to Lydia Collins to send a modified design. Typed, 2 pieces, 13 May 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Johnathan Kiff to send further suggestions for the medal. Typed 2 pieces, dated 19 May 1992.
• Letter from Jonathan Kiff to Lydia Collins to send a further modified design. Typed, 2 pieces, 28 May 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Johnathan Kiff to send one further suggestion for the medal. Typed 1 piece, dated 3 June 1992.
• Letter from Jonathan Kiff to Lydia Collins to send a further modified design. Typed, 2 pieces, 19 June 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Jonathan Kiff to ask him to proceed with production of the plaster cast. Typed, 1 piece, dated 25 June 1992.
• Letter from David Morgan to A.D.H. Bivar to enclose a letter from Denis Sinor in which Sinor gives some suggestions for the first recipient of the Medal. Sinor's letter is with this one. Handwritten and typed, 3 pieces, dated 1 - 23 July 1992.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar to Denis Sinor to acknowledge he has seen the letter Sinor sent to David Morgan and to also write about the possibility of Sinor delivering a lecture at the Society. Typed, 1 piece, dated 13 July 1992.
• Letter from Jonathan Kiff to Lydia Collins to send two photographs of the plaster model. Typed, 1 piece, dated 12 August 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Jonathan Kiff to return one of the photographs signed and dated as approved. Typed, 1 piece, dated 10 September 1992.
• Letter from Denis Sinor to A.D.H. Bivar to inform he will probably be unable to deliver a lecture. He wonders if the medal has been minted. Typed, 1 piece, dated 22 September 1992.
• Three black and white photographs, 1 transparency and two slides of the medal.

It was first suggested that Annemarie von Gabain be awarded the Denis SInor Medal. She died before acknowledging the award and before the medal could be presented. The material in this series consists of correspondence and administrative documents concerned with the potential award:

• Letter from Denis Sinor, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, to David Morgan to suggest that the medal be awarded to Annemarie von Gabain. Typed, 1 piece, dated 22 September 1992.
• Letter from Denis Sinor to David Morgan to give an address for Annemarie von Gabain. Typed, 1 piece dated 19 October 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Annemarie von Gabain to inform her of being awarded the Denis Sinor Medal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 10 November 1992.
• Letter from A.D.H. Bivar, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to Denis Sinor to inform that they had written to Professor von Gabain and that the Royal Mint will not have the medals ready until January 1993. He also writes of the practicalities for Von Gabain receiving the medal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 12 November 1992.
• Letter from Denis Sinor to A.D.H.Bivar to express his doubt that Annemarie von Gabain would be able to come to England to receive her medal. Typed, 1 piece, dated 23 November 1992.
• 'Sinor Gold Medal for Inner Asian Studies' - signed notification by Denis SInor, David Morgan and Nicholas Sims-Williams to declare Professor Annemarie von Gabain as the recipient of the first award. Typed with handwritten signatures, dated 30 November 1992.
• Letter from Lydia Collins, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Dr Lore Sander, Museum für Indische Kunst, to ask whether they are in touch with Annemarie von Gabain as the Society hadn't be able to make contact with her. Typed, 1 piece, dated 5 January 1993.
• Letter from Lore Sander to Lydia Collins to inform that Annemarie von Gabain had died on 15th January 1993. Typed, 1 piece, dated 25 January 1993.
• Letter to Lydia Collins to inform that Professor von Gabain did know of her award before she died but her relatives took no action. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 25 January 1993.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Lore Sanders to express her regret that the medal was not awarded before von Gabain's death. The matter will be discussed at the next Council meeting. Typed, 1 piece, dated 3 February 1993.
• Letter from Lore Sander to Lydia Collins to give the name of Mr Hansjürgen von Kries for information about Annemarie von Gabain. Typed, 1 piece, dated 11 February 1993.
• Letter from Lydia Collins to Lore Sander to inform that the Council has decided that since Professor von Gabain had not formally accepted the medal another scholar would be nominated. Typed, 1 piece, dated 18 February 1993.