Rudler to Pitt-Rivers 16 October 1882

Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland | 4 St Martin's Place W.C. | 16th Oct'r 1882

Dear General Pitt Rivers

The November number of our Journal has just been completed, and I shall immediately commence the preparation of the succeeding number, which will include your Boomerang paper. In fact I called at the Rooms on Saturday, and begged Mr. Bloxam to let me have all the papers which are in his hands. I do not know whether he holds your MS., but if it is still in your hands I shall be grateful to you for it. Now as to the illustrations. It seems to me such a pity that your artist should first draw the objects on paper and the lithographer then copy them on stone. It gives just double labour. If your draughtsman cannot work on stone, or on lithographic transfer-paper, why not get him to draw what you want as line drawings on paper, and then have them transferred to a wooden block by one of the photographic processes.

This is a cheaper and more rapid process than lithography; and moreover it has the advantage that the blocks are always in your possession, so that they can be used in any other paper at a future time, whereas if the lithographer copies on to stone he rubs off his work after the interval of a few months and all his labour is lost!

Only your artist must remember that the photographic processes can only reproduce lines, and all shading must be represented in this way. A wash of colour, or a number of lines running indistinctly together, cannot be permitted. The pen if not the brush should be used.

Our meetings commence on Nov. 14, and we ought to hold a Council Meeting a fortnight before, namely on Oct. 31. Can you favour us with anything for the first night? Dr Parker who has been for 8 years in Madagascar, as Court Physician, has called upon me with a paper which he wants read on the first evening. But it will not take more than 1/2 an hour to read, and therefore I want another communication. Moreover Philology is not a very attractive subject to open the session. Do pray oblige us, if you can, with a short communication to start with, and then Dr. Parker can follow.

Very faithfully yrs.
F.W. Rudler

[L12 Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Pitt-Rivers papers]

Frederick William Rudler (1840-1915) was Curator and Librarian of the Museum of Practical Geology, London, and President of the Anthropological Department of the British Association.

Transcribed by AP as part of the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project, 2011