S&SWM PR papers L234
L234
[Answered]
Royal College of Surgeons | Lincolns Inn Fields | London W.C. | Telegraphic Address 'Splints, London' | 18th day of July 1886
Dear Sir
Since I had a talk with you at Mr. John Evans' Conversazione regarding 'Anthropological Notes and Queries' I learn from Mr Stanford that he made a mistake regarding the number of copies in hand still. He has about 100 copies yet. I saw Mr Galton at the last Anthrop. Conference at the Exhibition last week & told him this. He said that as a new edition was wanted very much so as to bring the work up to date, he thought it would be a good plan if the [British] Association [for the Advancement of Science] were to present copies pretty freely to the officials from various places represented in the Exhibition, who take an interest in Anthropology. This he thought would be a good plan to get the book more widely known and he requested me to write to you on the subject. We have also arranged to have notices of the book published on the fly leaf of the Journal of the Anthrop. Inst. and perhaps [two words illegible] in the weekly [insert] fortnightly [end insert] notices also. These efforts at bringing the work into notice will probably hasten the sale of any copies which might be over after giving a few copies away as suggested by Mr Galton and render the need of proceeding with arrangements for a new edition imperative. This may lie [word illegible], as far as I see in action of two ways, first we may ask the British Association to place a sum of money, say £50, in the hands of a small but influential committee, whose [word illegible] would appoint a publishing Committee consisting of the authors of the various sections of the 1st edition, now alive and who care to join, and any other whom they thought it desirable to take part in editing the new Edition. The other way would be to ask all the authors of the first edition to form a Committee to which the money would be granted & they could select or add to their numbers those whom they thought desirable to have sections of the work done by. The first plan would accord with what was done when the first edition was printed and is the one which I think would perhaps be the more convenient, Mr Galton seems to prefer the latter as there being the less likely to create any difficulty about copyright. If however the Committee appointed by the Association, in forming a publishing committee, were to include all authors of sections in the 1st Edition I do not think there should be any difficulty in that respect. Were the first plan considered the better [word illegible], Mr John Evans, Prof. Flower, Mr. F. Galton, Sir John Lubbock & Dr E.B. Tylor would form a small & strong committee such as I mentioned and I would be happy to act as secretary without my name appearing in any way. Of course if one of the Members of the Committee would act as such, so much the better, but probably it is too much to expect of any of them, all being otherwise busy. If the second plan I have mentioned is preferred, the Committee appointed by the Brit. Assoc. would consist of about 14 members at least. They could meet over and form a Publishing Committee of those who were inclined to take an active part in the work, who when the work was done, would furnish material for the report to the Assoc. which of course would have to be presented by the Committee appointed by the Assoc. The feeling I have against the second plan is that the Committee would be rather cumbersome, & I think a small influential committee would do the official work (if I may so term their duties) better.
I would be glad to hear your opinion on the subject of the new Edition & how it should be proceeded with. The reason why I am moving at all in the matter is so that I may bring the subject forward, if though advisable, on the agenda of the Committee of Section H at Birmingham I being a secretary of that section. I would be glad to know what you think about distributing copies of the first edition as Mr Galton suggests. If the work is the property of the Association I presume authority for giving away copies must be got from the Association at its next meeting. I am not however certain whether the copies there remain belong to the Association or to you.
I hope you will excuse this somewhat lengthy letter.
I remain
Yours truly
J.G. Garson
Gen Pitt Rivers FRS
Pitt-Rivers involvement in the first edition of 'Notes and Queries' is set out in Petch, Alison. 2007 [a] 'Notes and Queries and the Pitt Rivers Museum' Museum Anthropology vol 30 no. 1 Spring 2007: pp. 21-39. He had funded the printing of the first edition, hence Garson's question about who the remaining copies belonged to.
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L296
42 Rutland Gate | April 19/ 87
My dear General
Is there any chance of your being at the Anthropol: on the 21st? It will be interesting, on New Guinea & cognate topics & we shall have 3 N. Queensland aborigines of strangely characteristic type who will be exhibited & be put through its paces
I should like to talk over with you, if you came, about the Auth: Notes & Queries
Yours faithfully
Francis Galton
General Pitt-Rivers
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L346
14 Suffolk Street | Pall Mall S.W. | 7th Aug't 1887
Dear General Pitt Rivers
I enclose a dft [draft] report of the Committee of the Brit Assoc. for the purpose of sorting a new Edition of 'Anthrop. Notes & Queries". I have given, I hope accurately, the history of the 1st edition and the proceedings of the two Committee meetings we have held during the year since we were appointed. I will be glad if you will revise & correct & improve upon it as you like. On your returning it to me I will send it to the Secretary of the Association & have it printed & distributed amongst the members of the Committee for final approval before presenting it to the Association.
I have read with interest the accounts as published of the meeting of the Archaeological meeting and regret very much that it was not possible for me to be present at it particularly today with you at Rushmore. I am however fixed in town with work till the end of the month when I hope to go to Manchester.
Are you coming to the Brit. Assoc.? I should like very much to have some report to place before the Anthropological Section of your splendid 'finds' this spring, which I am sure would be of great interest. Should you not be able to come I would be happy to make a communication to the section for you of any account you may wish to send to us.
We have not got many good papers in hand yet. I hope we will get an Anthropological Laboratory [insert] arranged [end insert] in connection with the section
I am
Yours very truly
J.G. Garson
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L360
14 Suffolk Street | Pall Mall S.W. | 18th Aug't 1887
Dear Gen. Pitt Rivers
As time is rather short before the meeting of the British Association meeting, I would be glad to receive back again the dft. Report of the Committee for the publication of the new Edition of "Anthropological Notes & Queries" which I sent to you as Chairman of Committee for correction & alteration at your earliest convenience. I am sorry to hurry you as I know your time is so much taken up with other matters but I am being pressed for it myself as the secretary wishes to have it set up in type before the meeting.
I enclose you the answer which I have received from the Post Office regarding the letter which [insert] I sent to you & was [end insert] returned to me through the 'Dead Letter Office'.
I am
yours very truly
J.G. Garson
Transcribed by AP May 2011 as part of the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project.
