Events in the history of the Pitt Rivers Museum that took place in 1884.
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 | No day | Tylor begins appointment as first Reader in Anthropology | Relational Museum website; University Gazette, vol. XIV November 6, 1883: 192 | |
| January | 28 | First anthropological lecture given by Tylor at OUMNH; first of series Development of Civilization - Arts of Life [Included: Flint instruments and uses, practical illustrations]. Anna Tylor describes it in diary as 'quite good & well attended' | University of California, Tylor papers; Relational Museum website; Alison Brown pers comm. | It is thought Henry Balfour attended the lectures |
| February | ||||
| March | 7 | Convocation formally accepts Pitt-Rivers collection | University Gazette 13 May 1884 | |
| April | No day | Trinity Term lectures given by Tylor: Development of Arts and Sciences [Included: Gesture language, gesture and voice, interjectional and onomatopaeic language, study of language in relation to anthropology, art of counting] | Alison Brown pers. comm. | |
| May | 13 | Notice of affixing of University Seal in Convocation on May 20 to Deed of Gift and Declaration of Trust, gives full text of terms agreed and added notice that a lecturer would be appointed to teach anthropology | University Gazette | |
| May | 20 | Deed of gift signed by University of Oxford and Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt-Rivers | Larson, 2007: 93; Deed of gift, University Archives, UC/FF/60/2/2 | |
| May | 24 | TN Deane writes to Gamlen that the plans of the 'anthropological museum' will be sent and gives estimates, Symm & Co are to be contracted for building work | UC/FF/60/2/2 | |
| June | 17 | Arthur Evans appointed Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum | Larson, 2007: 94; Ovenell, 1986: 250 | |
| June | 10 | Symm and Co. appointed to build extension for PRM, works starts Spring 1885 | Larson 2007:94; University Archives, UC/FF/60/2/1; University Archives, UC/FF/60/2/2 | |
| July | 4 | Moseley and Franks agree value of Pitt-Rivers collection in Oxford of £10,000 | University Archives UC/FF/60/2/1 | |
| ?From June or July - September | No days | Tylor and Moseley travel to North America for BAAS meeting in Montreal, and travel together to SW USA afterwards. Moseley is president of section D | Relational Museum website; DNB entry; Chapman, 1981: 487 | |
| August - September | No day | Tylor appointed first president of BAAS anthropological section | Relational Museum website | |
| September | ||||
| October | No day | Michaelmas Term lectures by Tylor: Intellectual development of Mankind [Included: Pueblo Indians and culture, Ethnology of North America, writing] | ||
| November | No day | Plans for extension of OUMNH to house Pitt-Rivers collection completed | Chapman, 1981: 487 see also 1885/1 History of OUMNH 1874-1902 Box 2 HW Acland correspondence | |
| November | 12 | Report of the Committee on the Pitt-Rivers Museum submitted to Hebdomadal Council refers to reduction of original tenders by changing structure of roof and galleries and reducing length of building by 14 feet | University Archives UC/FF/60/1 | |
| November | 20 | Arthur Evans gives lecture 'The Ashmolean Museum as a home for archaeology in Oxford' | Evans, 1884. | |
| November | 24 | Meeting of ?Delegates of Museum agrees to submit to council a decree to expend additional sum of £1600 on the Pitt-Rivers Collection building | University Gazette 2 December 1884 | |
| November | No day | Marett wins senior exhibition at Balliol College, Oxford | DNB entry | |
| December | 2 | Decree submitted by Delegates of Museum and agreed by Council for additional expenditure on fittings and removal expenses | University Gazette; PRM Box 1 36-41 | |
| Unspecified | Museum of Indian Institute established at University of Oxford | Relational Museum website | ||
| Unspecified | Arthur Evans proposes that all of the Ashmolean's ethnological holdings be transferred to Pitt-Rivers Collection | Macgregor, 1997: 607 | ||
| Unspecified | J.T. Long appointed as first assistant at Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford [PRM] | Relational Museum website | ||
| Unspecified | Edward Evans, Ashmolean Museum begins to prepare list of ethnographic objects at the Ashmolean Museum that will transfer to the Pitt Rivers Collection | Macgregor, 2000: 256 |
AP
