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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.

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.

Correspondence concerned with the first Congress of the Federation of Learned Societies of North Africa, held at Algiers University from 10-11 June 1935. These are:

• Letter from Société Historique Algérienne to the President of the Royal Asiatic Society to inform of the first Congress of the Federation of Learned Societies of North Africa and to invite the Royal Asiatic Society to send a representative. The letter informs of the subjects to be discussed. Typed in French, dated 6 February 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to The Secretary, Société Historique Algérienne, to apologise for the delay in replying to their letter but he was still waiting to hear of a suitable representative. Typed, dated 13 March 1935.
• Letter from Professor Henri Pérès to the Royal Asiatic Society to write that is would be an honour to represent the Royal Asiatic Society at the Congress. Handwritten in French, date 15 April 1935.
• Letter from D.S. Margoliouth, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to enclose the letter from Professor Pérès accepting the invitation to represent the Society at the Congress. Handwritten, dated 22 April 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Professor Pérès to send the official form from the Society for the Congress. Typed, dated 7 May 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to the Secretary General, Société Historique Algérienne, concerning the Royal Asiatic Society's representation at the Congress, and to inform that Professor Henri Pérès would represent the Society. Typed, dated 10 May 1935.

Lists of Royal Asiatic Society "Delegate Representatives" attending conferences from November 1930 to September 1939. The first sheet, A, covering the time period 1930-1933, lists the Conferences but not the delegates. Sheets B & C, covering 1933-1939, give the delegates appointed.

The Royal Asiatic Society rented rooms at 73 Collier Street from 2005-2006 while alterations were made at the newly purchased 14 Stephenson Way property. Items from this rental are:

• Plan of the rooms to be rented, dated 24 June 2005.
• Letter from Mark Winkler, Beaumont & Co., to Alison Ohta, Royal Asiatic Society, to set out the proposed head of terms for occupation of the rooms at 73 Collier Street, dated 30 June 2005.
• Licence Agreement between Manchester Square Properties Ltd. and the Royal Asiatic Society regarding the rental of the rooms for the time period 14 July 2005-13 July 2006. Signed and dated 13 July 2005.
• Letter from Alison Ohta, Curator, Royal Asiatic Society, to The Manager, Lloyds TSB Bank, Baywater Branch, to agree payment to Manchester Square Properties Ltd., dated 13 July 2005.
• "List of Furniture to take to Collier Street" - inventory of furniture, undated.
• "Notification of Change of Address from Queen's Gardens to 73 Collier Street - 2 printed cards.

Material concerned with the interaction of the Société Asiatique and the Royal Asiatic Society.

In 1938, l'Institut d'Histoire de l'Émigration Politique Contemporaine celebrated the 750th anniversary of the death of the Georgian poet, Chota Roustaveli. This correspondence and printed material are in connection with that celebration. They are:

• Letter from The President, Institut d'Histoire de l'Emigration Politique Contemporaine, to the Royal Asiatic Society to inform them of the celebration, of the Organising Committee, and of associated names and activities. He asks if the Society will consent to send a representative. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 29 January 1938.
• "Institut d'Histoire de l'Émigration Politique Contemporaine" - printed pamphlet concerning the Committees of the Society and its activities.
• Letter from Royal Asiatic Society to l'Institut d'Histoire de l'Émigration Politique Contemporaine to state that Sir Oliver Wardrop would be the Society's representative upon the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the death of the Georgian Poet, Chola Roustaveli. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 18 February 1938.
• Postcard from Sir Oliver Wardrop to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to state that the ceremony has been postponed until 30 March 1938. Handwritten, dated 20 February 1938.

These papers are concerned with the Finnish Oriental Society and the interaction of the Royal Asiatic Society with them in 1933 and 1983.