S&SWM PR papers P118

P118

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 4th day of September 1874

E.L.M. No 6689 / 74

Bethnal Green Branch Museum

Sir,

I am directed to inform you, with regret, that the five small darts attached to the Bengal Blow-pipe, No. 1009 in your collection of Anthropological specimens at the Bethnal Green Branch Museum, were taken away on Saturday evening last, it is supposed by a visitor.

The darts were, as you may perhaps remember, fastened by wire to the Blow-pipe. It has, however, become evident that the wire does not afford sufficient protection, and arrangements have therefore been made to place under glass, with as little delay as possible, the few small objects that are now not thus protected.

I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
G.F. Duncombe

Colonel Lane Fox | &c &c | Guildford

The blowpipe is 1884.18.1, there were still 5 blowdarts remaining which are now in the PRM Oxford see 1884.18.2

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P123

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 15th day of September 1879

A.M. No 4549 / 79

South Kensington Museum

Sir,

I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th intant, [insert] addressed to Mr Thompson [end insert] and, in reply, to inform you that the Stores Division of this Department has been instructed to receive the objects which you mention as coming from Copenhagen, to be added to your Collection at the South Kensington Museum

I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
G.F. Duncombe

Major-General A. Lane Fox | 19 Penywern Road | Earl's Court | S.W.

These objects presumably are 1884.50.8, 1885=4.53.26, 1884.76.119, 1884.127.94.

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P124

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 15th day of September 1879

A.M. No 4049 / 79

South Kensington Museum

Sir,

With reference to your letter of the 4th ultimo addressed to Mr Thompson, the delay in answering which has arisen from the knowledge of the fact that you have been absent from England, I am directed to express regret that there should be any uncertainty regarding the reception at the South Kensington Museum of the Enamels to which you refer.

A copy of the report of the officer who superintended the unpacking of the box in question is transmitted herewith for your information, and I am to observe that the Department has no reason to doubt the accuracy of this report as no case is known in which articles received packed in a box have been omitted from the Stores List prepared at the time of unpacking.

Mr Johnson, the only person here who has seen the Enamels, suggests that you brought them with you showed them to him, and took them away again; and for the purpose of ascertaining this, the Department will be obliged if you will kindly make a search at home for the missing specimens

Instructions have been given for mounting, according to your request, the photographs mentioned in your letter of the 9th instant.

The Stores have also been instructed to receive the box coming from Goleborg [sic]

I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
G.F. Duncombe

Major-General A. Lane Fox | 19 Penywern Road | Earl's Court

Copy of Officer's Report

Sir,

I beg to state for your information that I was in charge of unpacking the Collection belonging to General Lane Fox, on the 5th May 1879.

I made a list of the objects and had them placed in baskets as each piece was unpacked and taken to Mr Hills office. As usual the packers went over the packing the second time for fear of any object having been missed.

I can state positively that no Enamels were in this collection.

(signed) John Clark

7/8/79

W.G. Groser Esq

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P131

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 14th day of December 1881

E.M. No 5133 / 81

South Kensington Museum

Sir,

The Lords of the Committee of Council on Education learn that some additions have been sent in by you to your Anthropological Collection in the Western Galleries since the termination of the Correspondence between you and their Lordships as to the transfer of the Collection.

You are aware that the tenure by their Lordships of these galleries is very uncertain, and that they are liable to be called on to give them up and to remove all their contents at short notice. They have no desire to press for the removal of your Collection until the decision as to their tenure of the Galleries make it necessary; but they do not feel it desirable under existing circumstances that any further additions should be made to it, and they will not be able to provide cases or other fittings for the reception of any such additions.

They would suggest that the attention of the Curator (who they learn from your letter of August 31 has been appointed by you) should be directed to the necessary preparation for facilitating the ready removal of the collection which may have to be carried out in great haste.

I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
G.F. Duncombe

General Pitt Rivers, F.R.S. | 4 Grosvenor Gardens, | S.W.

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P132

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 30th day of May 1883

E.M. No 3203

Sir,

I beg to enclose a copy of a letter dated the 24th instant received from Messrs Farrer & Co: and of the reply which has been addressed to those gentlemen.

I am to add that every effort will be made to prepare from the Store Lists &c an Inventory of your Collection sufficient for Messrs Farrer & Co:'s purpose

I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
G.F. Duncombe

General Pitt Rivers, F.R.S. | 4 Grosvenor Gardens, | S.W.

Copy 3023

66 Lincoln's Inn Fields | London W.C. | 24th May 1883

Dear Sir,

You are aware that General Pitt-Rivers has arranged to present the the greater portion of his Anthropological Collection to the University of Oxford.

For the purposes of the Deed of Gift we wish to have an Inventory of the Collection and we understand that you have one at South Kensington. Would you kindly lend us this inventory or a copy of it for a day or two.

We are acting for General Pitt-Rivers.

We are, Dear Sir,

Yours truly

(signed) Farrer & Co.

The Secretary | Science & Art Department | South Kensington Museum, | S.W.

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 30th day of May 1883

E.M. No 3203

Gentlemen,

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th instant, a copy of which has been sent to General Pitt-Rivers, and I am to state that instructions have been given for the preparation of an Inventory of the Collection for your use.

I am,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant
(signed) G.F. Duncombe

Messrs Farrer & Co. | 66 Lincoln's Inn Field's | London W.C.

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P133

Answered 30 Jan. 86 The objects to be sent to 4 Grosvenor Gardens

... South Kensington Museum, London, S.W. | 22 day of January 1886

E.M. No 399/86

Sir,

I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17 instant and in reply to inform you that the printed book and a box of minerals have been returned to 4 Grosvenor Gardens in accordance with your request.

I am to enquire whether it is your wish that the residue of your Collection which the Oxford authorities left behind shall also be returned to you at the same address.

I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
G.F. Duncombe

Major General | A.H. Pitt Rivers | Rushmore | Salisbury

Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education South Kensington

5th day of February 1886

Forwarded from the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, London, S.W.

4 packing cases containing human or other bones, flint implements, fragments of pottery, chalk, plaster casts of brain and spear heads, plaster medallions etc etc
1 packing case containing Chinese fireworks various *
1 packing case containing fragments of red sandstone conglomerate, and stone bored by ....
1 packing case containing 21 cocoa nut shells and 9 stuffed birds (moth eaten)
1 large piece of matting
1 folding box used for personal ornaments of savage races
1 plaster cast Human head
3 plaster casts human heads
1 fragment of plaster cast human head
1 map of world (torn)
2 boxes iron bound
1 case containing 2 preparations for skeletons of monkeys
1 tail of sting ray*
1 straw dress
1 specimen of coarse bark rope
2 sticks for weaving
1 bag woven from sennit
2 fur hats canework frames
1 tent or chair cover, yellow work with fringe
1 straw petticoat
1 straw cloak [Japanese]
1 box with lock
1 black leather trunk studded with nails
1 box containing 2 large pieces of chalk
½ pod of monkey nut
1 gun case containing bullet mould, key for nipple and turnscrew and ramrod
1 straw or wicker basket containing fragments of shell and pottery
1 small case covered with bookbinders cloth
1 leather portmanteau containing hammer, screwdriver and 2 sets of pulleys
1 pair top boots (much torn)
1 plaster cast of head (broken)
1 plaster cast mask (broken)
3 empty cases and 2 hampers

Returned loans

H. Lloyd Storekeeper

* NB Items marked like this can be matched to items in PRM possibles database held by the PRM, Oxford August 2011.

 

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