Events in the history of the Pitt Rivers Museum that took place in 1880.
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 | 31 | Pitt-Rivers inherits estate from great-uncle | See here | |
| April | 5 | Pitt-Rivers attends funeral of Lord Rivers | The Times 6 April 1880 | |
| April | 14 | Pitt-Rivers begins thinking about future of collection, he writes to Assistant Director of SKM explaining that he wishes to expand hsis collection and requires more space, and staff to service it (which he will provide) | Letter from P-R to SKM authorities, P125, S&SWM Pitt-Rivers papers | |
| May | 25 | Norman MacLeod on behalf of South Kensington Museum writes to John Lubbock, J. Fergusson, Prof. Huxley, E.J. Poynter, P. Cunliffe Owen, Colonel Donnelly and George Rolleston asking them if they are prepared to serve on committee to consider Pitt-Rivers proposed development of his Ethnological collections at South Kensington Museum. Franks joins committee on or after July 1880 | S&SWM Pitt-Rivers papers P127; PR to Franks 1 July 1880 PRM foundation volume | |
| June | 27 | Pitt-Rivers writes to AW Franks about the possibility of donating his collection to the British Museum providing he is given adequate space and sole control | Letter 1 PRM papers [foundation volume] Box 1 | |
| July | 1 | Pitt-Rivers turns down suggestion that his collection stay at South Kensington Museum but be administered by British Musuem in a letter to AW Franks | Letter PRM papers [foundation volume] Box 1; | |
| August | ||||
| Summer | Edward Evans finds some Ashmolean Museum objects in an outhouse of the museum [this from an account published in November qv by Sayce, which just says 'summer' for this happening). | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 printed pamphlet 2 | ||
| September | 23 | Report in Nature about proposed donation of founding collection to nation | Nature p. 490 | |
| October | ||||
| November | Edward Evans finds some of the ethnographic (and other) objects in the Ashmolean Museum in storehouses. A scandal erupts involving George Rowell, who no longer worked in the museum. The scandal continued throughout 1881 until 13 August 1881 when Rowell published a long autobiographical account in the Oxford Times Weekly Supplement. | Ovenell, 1986: 237-8 | ||
| November | 20 | In the Academy of 20 November Professor AH Sayce wrote an account of the finding of objects in the Ashmolean out-house, a further account of the same occurrence is printed by the London Standard newspaper on 26 NovemberLater (possibly 13 December) Rowell tries to print a reply. | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 printed pamphlet 2 | |
| December | 4 | Further article about the object discovery in the Ashmolean outhouse is printed in the Daily Telegraph. | Ovenell papers Ashmolean Museum RFO/A/3/11 printed pamphlet 2 | |
| [Winter] | Rolleston spends winter on French riviera, suffering illhealth | DNB entry | ||
| Unspecified | Tylor gives Anthropological Institute's Anniversary Address | Relational Museum timeline; Megan Price pers comm. | ||
| Unspecified | Moseley elected Fellow of Linnean Society | DNB entry | ||
| Unspecified | Thomson graduated MB | DNB entry |
AP
