S&SWM PR papers

L405

[Ans'd]

Gailants Hotel Suffolk St Pall Mall | Nov 3 1887

Dear Gen'l Pitt Rivers

Col. Murdoch Smith RE Director of the Museum of Science & Art at Edinburgh asks me for anything of yours of the nature of Catalogue beyond Parts 1 & 2. If you can spare him a copy of your lecture on Primitive Warfare this would be useful to him.

Steps are being taken as to the carrying on of Balfour's work in your Museum. I am sorry to hear accounts of Moseley which give a less favourable impression of his condition of health. The doctors have forbidden him to think of resuming work at the beginning of the year. It is still that he cannot get natural sleep.

Yours very [illegible]
Edward B Tylor

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L419

[In red 'Oxford Museum']

The Museum House, | Oxford | Nov 20 1887

Dear General Pitt-Rivers

The first steps towards arranging for Balfour were duly taken, but there has been great difficulty in the Hebdomadal Council, & it seems quite doubtful whether they will put forward a proposition which Balfour would accept if Convocation passed it. The matter is to come up in Council again tomorrow I am vexed about it but not surprised as just now it is not easy to get money grants out of the University Chest which has been much depleted. Will you tell me if you have a set of electrotypes of the John Evans series of British Coins illustrating degeneration of form. I was thinking of getting a set done to be placed in your Collection, if there is not a set already.

Yours sincerely
Edward B. Tylor

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L420

[Tylor ans'd 30 Nov 87]

University Museum Oxford | Nov 21 87

Dear General Pitt Rivers

The Hebdomadal Council are bringing forward a very liberal proposal, viz to grant £400 per annum for three years for completing the arrangement & for the catalogue. It is to be opposed on the ground of economy but I hope will go through

Yours [illegible]
Edward B Tylor

Mrs Tylor has a letter from Mrs Moseley which is the most encouraging we have had, as he seems to be getting right both as to food and sleep.

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L424

[Oxford in red pencil]

University Museum, Oxford | Dec 1 1887

Dear General Pitt-Rivers

The opposition to the Supplementary Grant was for the most part on economic grounds, but it was happily got over. I have been to the British Museum seeing about the Coin Degeneration series. Head and another man who seemed extremely clever undertook to get a set of casts sent here from which a smaller set may be selected for declotyping. Keary in a little book called "Morphology of Coins" has some interesting points, but I hear of nothing better for explaining the principle than the Evans set. I am puzzled however with the band crossing the wreath at right angles, which is not accounted for by the Macedonian stater. Have you looked into this? You saw I think the asserted Andrea Ferara given by Mr Rigaud of Magdalen. One or two Court swords have also come in, but Pollock remarked when here on the gaps in the Sword Series where the Rapier in the earlier stages should be.

You will have noticed the Gold Medal awarded to Moseley.

Yours very much
Edward B Tylor

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