S&SWM PR papers L2076

I suspect this letter is in the handwriting of Harold Gray as it looks too neat for Pitt-Rivers at this time of his life.

Reply [to a letter also included in L2076 from John Sparkes regarding a potential assistant, Herbert Sharp]

Rushmore | Salisbury | Apr. 26/98

Dear Mr Sparks, [sic]

I am much obliged to you for your letter. I think the best way will be for both the persons you name to send me specimens of their drawings of objects, such as antiquities of all sorts, both in pen & ink line drawings & black & white wash-drawing (mezzotints). My illustrations are done both ways and Mr Johnson who has been with me 4 years and is still going to remain, can only illustrate in colours & mezzotints black & white, and not in line-drawing, so that I require to supply that want.

After having seen the drawings and decided upon the man, it will be best for him to come down here on trial for a month. I cannot go to London to see the man not being well enough to do so. His salary will be 28/- a week & lodging at the Museum. He will have to find his own board, when he is at the Museum two miles from here. But when the clerks are here I allow them to dine in the housekeeper's room. That, however, is extra and not a permanent arrangement, though my present clerks have done so for a long time. When I take them out for a month or a fortnight or more on an excavation expedition I allow them 2/- a day extra they finding their board & lodging at some neighbouring cottage or public house.

It is quite necessary that apart from their qualifications as clerks & draughtsmen they should be men of good manners & willing, as living so much in the house & frequently doing their work there, it would be quite impossible to tolerate any difficulty of that kind.

Perhaps you will kindly tell them to send me samples of their drawing separately.

With many thanks,
Yours truly
A. Pitt Rivers

Transcribed by AP July 2011 for the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project