Events in the history of the Pitt Rivers Museum that took place in 1878.
Readers are reminded that this table is a work in progress and may be amended or added to at any time.
| Month | Day | Event | Source of Information | Notes |
| January | ||||
| February | ||||
| March | 13 | George Rowell writes to President of Trinity College (probably Samuel Wayte) offering an account of the preparation of catalogues of the Ashmolean Museum holdings. | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 | |
| March | c. 15 | JH Parker (Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum) receives a copy of the official instructions of the Visitors of the Ashmolean Museum respecting the catalogue of the Ashmolean collections which he later sends to George Rowell. Following the Visitors instructions Parker sought A.W. Franks' help with the catalogue and also employed Greville Chester to work on the Roman and Egyptian collections, and Mr Vaux to work on the Greek collections and general editorship. The Visitors meeting was held on 15 March as the reply from Rowell dated 17.2.1879 makes clear. | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11, printed pamphlet letter from Parker to Rowell dated 13.2.1879 and reply dated 17.2.1879 | |
| April | According to Rowell he works on a catalogue of the 'marbles in the basement' | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11, printed pamphlet letter from Rowell to Parker dated 17.2.1879 | ||
| May | ||||
| June | At an undated time around now Rowell records in a letter dated July 1879 to Professor Westwood that he had been involved in cleaning and arranging the Polynesian collections from the Ramsden collection (now in the PRM). At the same time Greville Chester was engaged cataloguing and rearranging the Egyptian collections at the Ashmolean Museum. Rowell continues to work on this until November 1878 | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 | ||
| July | According to Rowell, Greville Chester begins work on the catalogue of the Ashmolean's Egyptian collections | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11, printed pamphlet letter from Rowell to Parker dated 17.2.1879 | ||
| August | 24 | BAAS meeting in Dublin, Pitt-Rivers attends | Academy 329 (Aug 24 1878) p. 200 | |
| September | ||||
| October | No day | Items from Pitt-Rivers now being delivered to SKM not BGM [start of transfer of collection from one museum to another?] | Chapman, 1984: 11 | |
| November | mid | George Rowell records in letter dated July 1879 to Professor Westwood that he was off work due to a recurrence of a wound on his leg from the bite of a dog |
Ovenell Papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 |
|
| November | 15 | Tylor lectures at Bath Literary and Philosophical Society | Megan Price pers comm. | |
| November | No day | Rowell suggests Greville Chester and Vaux completed their catalogues of parts of the Ashmolean Museum |
Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11, printed pamphlet letter from Rowell to Parker dated 17.2.1879 |
|
| December | 26 | New displays of Pitt-Rivers collection open to public | S&SWM Pitt-Rivers papers P121 | |
| December | No day | George Rowell resumes normal duties at OUMNH working on a collection of British shells | Ovenell Papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 |
|
| Unspecified | Moseley publishes Oregon | DNB entry | ||
| Unspecified | The Tylors holiday in Brittany | Megan Price pers comm. | ||
| Unspecified | Founding of Folklore Society with Tylor as one of the founding members | Chris Gosden pers comm. | ||
| Unspecified | Academic halls established for female students at Oxford | Here |
AP
