Material concerned with the Indian Collection at the South Kensington Museum. These are:
Letter to the Under Secretary of State for India regarding provision of care for the Indian Collection and that it be kept as a unit. Printed, unsigned and undated.
Letter from Lord Reay, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to the Secretary of State for India to express, on behalf of the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society, their concern regarding the Indian collection at the South Kensington Museum. The collection originated in 1879 when miscellaneous collections from the old East India House were transferred to the Museum. The request is for funds to adequately care for the collections. Typed, dated 12 May 1911. There is also an earlier draft version of this letter, typed with handwritten annotations and labelled, "Sir M. A. Stein's original draft".
Letter from R. Ritchie, India Office, to Lord Reay, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to advise that when the Collections were transferred one of the stipulations was that no charge should henceforth fall on the revenues of India, and therefore responsibility rest with the Victoria and Albert Museum to provide suitable staff and care. Typed, dated 24 June 1911.
Newspaper article from The Morning Post entitled "Mr Runciman and an Indian Museum", concerning the care of the Indian Collection. Printed, dated 19 July 1911.
"List of contacts of various organisations concerned with the Indian Collections and a list of Members of the Royal Asiatic Society Council. Handwritten, undated.
"The Indian Collection at South Kensington: Deputation to the President of the Board of Education" concerning the Indian Collection. Typed report of the deputation received on 12 December 1912.
Letter from J.H. Headley to Miss Hughes, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, expressing his opinion on the two leading Indian papers on the Museum. Handwritten, dated 20 January 1913.
Correspondence between the Royal Asiatic Society and other Societies and Institutions. These are:
Invitation from the Wellcome Archaeological Research Expedition to the Near East to the Annual Exhibition of Antiquities from Tell Duweir (Lachish), Palestine from the 1934-1935 season excavations. Printed, 1 piece.
Letter from Fiona Easton, Administrative Assistant, Hakluyt Society, to Professor Francis Robinson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning the possibility of a joint memorial meeting to commemorate the life of Professor C.F. Beckingham. Typed with printed letterhead, dated 4 November 1998.
Letter from Lilla Russell-Smith, Editor, Circle of Inner Asian Art, to Adrian Thomas, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to inquire of the possibility of using rooms at the Royal Asiatic Society for a base for their activities, Typed with printed letterhead, dated 28 June 2002.
"Cooperation Protocol between Yunus Emre Institue and Royal Asiatic Society" - an agreement between the two organisations to work together, dated 7 May 2011.
Covering letters and lists of the archives and papers of the British Association of Malaya being transferred to the Royal Commonwealth Society. These are:
Letter from H.R. Bryon, Secretary, The British Association of Malaya, to the Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society, to send a preliminary list of the papers and documents which have contributed to the Association's History Archives up to February 1962. Dated 23 March 1962.
"Documents and papers received for British Association of Malaya History Archives", 5 pages. This is annotated "Ackd 27.3.62".
Compliment slip from the Secretary, The British Association of Malaya. This is annotated "Ackd 22 April 1963".
"British Association of Malaya Historical Collection: Letters or articles on political or constitutional matters, memoirs and recollections about the Malay States, Singapore, Penang, Malacca and Sarawak kept in the Library of the Royal Commonwealth Society", 5 pages.
"British Association of Malaya Historical Collection. List No. 2. Letters or articles on political or constitutional matters, memoirs and recollections about the Malay States, Singapore, Penang, Malacca and Sarawak kept in the Library of the Royal Commonwealth Society", 4 pages.
The material consists of a printed letter advertising the Friends of the Palestine Museums, and correspondence with the Royal Asiatic Society. Specifically:
Printed letter from the Friends of the Palestine Museums explaining the purpose of the organisation and inviting others to join. It is undated and unsigned but is headed with a list of officers and members of Council of the organisation.
Note from Colonel Hoysted, Secretary to Royal Asiatic Society, to Sir Edward Maclagan, President, to ask whether the Friends of the Palestine Museums should be brought up at the forthcoming Council meeting of the Society. The same piece of paper bears a reply from Maclagan suggesting there might be items that the Royal Asiatic Society could lend to the Friends of the Palestine Museums. Handwritten, dated 26 May 1932.
Letter from Colonel Hoysted, Secretary to Royal Asiatic Society, to The Organising Secretary, Friends of the Palestine Museums, to state that the Society would wish to support the Friends and that he personally would be happy to help. He will send a list of the Society's members and will look through the Library for articles that may be of interest. Typed, dated 24 May 1932.
Letter from F.J. Duncan, Organising Secretary, Friends of the Palestine Museums, to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to thank for his letter and to ask if he may make an appointment to meet with Hoysted. Handwritten with printed letterhead, dated 30 May [1932].
Letter from F.J. Duncan to Colonel Hoysted to thank him for the card with Dr Zwemet's address and to also thank regarding advice given. Handwritten with printed letterhead, dated 3 June [1932].
Correspondence regarding the institution of the Scottish Association for Asian Studies and the possible relationship between the Association and the Royal Asiatic Society. These are:
"Scottish Association for Asian Studies" setting out the aims and proposed activities of the Association. This is undated. With it is a business card for L.P. Elwell-Sutton, Reader in Persian in the University of Edinburgh.
Letter from Jack Grey, President, Scottish Association for Asian Studies, to Susan Skilliter, Lecturer in Turkish, University of Cambridge, to inform her that the Scottish Association had been formally set up and inquiring with regards to a possible alliance between the Association and the Royal Asiatic Society. Dated 28 February 1975.
Letter from Susan Skilliter to Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to send the letter concerning the Scottish Association for Asian Studies. Dated 13 March 1975.
Letter from Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society to Jack Grey, President, Scottish Association for Asian Studies, to inform that the Society would be glad to keep in touch with the Association. Dated 22 April 1975.
"The Practical Study of Colonial Culture in Holland and France by Administrative Officials and Intending Settlers". An uncorrected proof of "A Paper to be read by John de La Valette before the Royal Society of Arts on Wednesday, January 20th, 1937, at 8.15 p.m. R.A. Butler Esq., M.P., Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for India, will preside".
A compliment slip from the Royal Society of Arts, "With the Secretary's Compliments".
Letter from Charles Otto Blagden, Vice-President of Royal Asiatic Society, to Col. Hoysted, Secretary of Royal Asiatic Society, to inform Hoysted that he has at last had a chance to read the Paper which is interesting because it contains a large number of facts about Dutch and French colonial activities not generally known. The letter is handwritten, dated 6 February 1937.
Printed notification from Philip, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, President of the Royal Society of Arts, concerning an Extraordinary Meeting of Council at Buckingham Palace on 16 July 1953, where it was resolved that the bicentenary of the Society be commemorated in 1954 with Divine Service at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 22 March followed by a Special Meeting of Members of the Society in the Society's House, John Adam Street, Adelphi, at which congratulatory addresses of kindred Societies may be presented.
Letter from the President, Royal Asiatic Society, to the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Radnor, K.C.V.O., Chairman of the Council, Royal Society of Arts, to send, from the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society, felicitations on the bicentenary of the Royal Society of Arts. Dated 11 February 1954.
Copy of a letter of congratulations from the Royal Asiatic Society to École Française d'Extrême-Orient on the celebration of its Jubilee. The letter expresses admiration for the the scholarly research on south-east Asia under a succession of brilliant Directors. It is undated.
Letter from Samuel Phillips, Honorary Secretary, Assyrian Excavation Fund, to Richard Clarke, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask whether the enclosed circular concerning the aims of the Assyrian Excavation Fund might be sent to all the members of the Royal Asiatic Society. Handwritten, dated 16 November 1953.
"Assyrian Excavation Fund: Society for Exploring the Ruins of Assyria and Babylonia with Especial Reference to Biblical Illustration". Printed list of the Committee and a letter to invite attendance at a meeting concerning the discoveries made by M. Botta, Mr. Layard and Colonel Rawlinson to be held in the Town Hall, Manchester, on 27 May 1854. The letter is dated 22 May 1854.
Letter from Henry Ellis, principal librarian at the British Museum, to Samuel Phillips concerning the draft of a proposal from the King of Prussia to the Assyrian Fund Society (Assyrian Excavation Fund) which also asks whether the Authorities of the British Museum might give full authority to remove to England any such pieces of Sculpture not needed for their own collection. He reminds Phillips of a letter he wrote in 1852 to Colonel Rawlinson, concerning the position of the Trustees of the British Museum and their willingness to accept any Sculpture not deemed as necessary by the Society. Handwritten, dated 7 June 1854.
